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Townsend vs Deer Lodge

58 miles apart. The biggest differences: average commute (17 min in Deer Lodge) and typical home built (19 yrs in Deer Lodge).

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Townsend, MTA history townMontana · 1,967 people
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Deer Lodge, MTAn outdoors townMontana · 3,021 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

TownsendA history town
HistorySettled in 18832 places on the National Register Outdoors13.4% conserved land0.9 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves All about Townsend →
Deer LodgeAn outdoors town
Outdoors#5 most walkable in MT1.2 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves HistorySettled in 186014 places on the National Register Health68% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Deer Lodge →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Average commute17 min
Deer Lodge has the shorter commute
Townsend 31 minDeer Lodge 14 min
Typical home built19 yrs
Deer Lodge’s homes are older
Townsend 1975Deer Lodge 1956
Property tax bill+16%
Tax bills are bigger in Deer Lodge
Deer Lodge $1,965Townsend $1,701
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $860 more a month in Townsend

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Townsend$2,650/mo
Typical home $452K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $952/mo · Housing →
Deer Lodge$1,800/mo
Typical home $304K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.79% · or rent about $852/mo · Housing →

The difference: $860 a month, about $10,300 a year, between Townsend and Deer Lodge.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

Deer Lodge gets 51 more inches of snow a year

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
TownsendDeer Lodge
Snow a year24″75″
January low14°F16°F
July high83°F83°F
Growing season (days)122d105d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)78th20th
Outdoors & history
TownsendDeer Lodge
Trails1 mi1 mi
Conserved land13.4%10.1%
Settled18831860
National Register places214
Archive photos186
Famous people born here217
Community
TownsendDeer Lodge
Library hours a week39 hrs42 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Montana ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
–TownsendNot graded C+Deer LodgeSafer than 41% of U.S. towns
Schools
BTownsendBetter than 55% of districts in the state C+Deer LodgeBetter than 36% of districts in the state
Health
C+TownsendHealthier than 41% of U.S. towns CDeer LodgeHealthier than 32% of U.S. towns
Where they are

58 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

TownsendMTDeer LodgeMT
Townsend ↔ Deer Lodge58 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

TownsendDeer Lodge
People
Population 1,967Lowest 3,021Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.8%Highest MT: +9.6% -5.6%Lowest MT: +9.6%
Median age 49.1±5.6Lowest 22% above MT 49.8±3Highest 23% above MT
Deer Lodge and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 17.6%±3.8Highest MT: 21% 16%±4.4Lowest MT: 21%
Townsend and Deer Lodge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 19.5%±3.6Lowest MT: 20.1% 24.7%±5.5Highest MT: 20.1%
Deer Lodge and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.5%Lowest MT: 35.2% 23.8%Highest MT: 35.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.4%±2.4Lowest MT: 5.2% 2.6%±1.9Highest MT: 5.2%
Deer Lodge and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $70,752±$8kHighest about the MT average $60,302±$21kLowest 17% below MT
Townsend and Deer Lodge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $227,600±$50kLowest 39% below MT $247,600±$34kHighest 34% below MT
Deer Lodge and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $952±$103Highest 12% below MT $852±$74Lowest 21% below MT
Townsend and Deer Lodge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,701Lowest 37% below MT $1,965Highest 27% below MT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 55.6%±22.7Highest MT: 44.8% 18.8%±15Lowest MT: 44.8%
Townsend and Deer Lodge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 15.6%Highest MT: 11.5% 7.2%Lowest MT: 11.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 73.2%Highest MT: 69.2% 68.1%Lowest MT: 69.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1975Highest 6 yrs older than MT 1956Lowest 25 yrs older than MT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 31 minHighest 63% above MT 14 minLowest 25% below MT
Work from home 13.5%±7.7Highest MT: 12.5% 5.2%±3.9Lowest MT: 12.5%
Townsend and Deer Lodge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 23.7%Lowest 31.2%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 30.8 miHighest 6.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.76Lowest 1.09Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Helena (16%)Butte-Silver Bow (8%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Deer LodgeFew work in Townsend
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 13.4%Highest 10.1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.9 miLowest 1.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miLowest 0.8 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 3Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 109Lowest 130Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#30 of 40 in MT
School district Townsend K-12 SchoolsDeer Lodge Elem · Powell County H S
High school in town Broadwater High SchoolPowell County High School
Students per teacherat that high school 12.7Highest 10.1Lowest
Montana average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Townsend neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Townsend’s Town Square.

Deer Lodge neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Deer Lodge’s Town Square.

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Set another town beside Townsend and Deer Lodge

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Harlowton1,058 people · $181K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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