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.

Down paymentRate%

Wolf Point$950/mo

Typical home $147K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.47% · or rent about $734/mo · Housing →

Ronan$2,540/mo

Typical home $437K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.69% · or rent about $880/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,590 a month, about $19,100 a year, between Ronan and Wolf Point.

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.

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

C−Wolf PointSafer than 22% of U.S. towns DRonanSafer than 8% of U.S. towns

Schools

DWolf PointBetter than 7% of districts in the state C−RonanBetter than 15% of districts in the state

Health

DWolf PointHealthier than 7% of U.S. towns C−RonanHealthier than 21% of U.S. towns

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

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

Wolf PointRonan

Snow a year—34″

January low—20°F

July high—83°F

Growing season (days)—134d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)12th 51st

Outdoors & history

Wolf PointRonan

Trails0 mi 1 mi

Conserved land4.1%2.7%

Settled1915 —

National Register places—1

Archive photos12 18

Community

Wolf PointRonan

Library hours a week51 hrs —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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.

Where they are

394 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Wolf PointMT RonanMT

Wolf Point ↔ Ronan394 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.

Only big differences vs Montana average

Wolf PointRonan

People

Population 2,602Highest 2,001Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4%Lowest MT: +9.6% +4.5%Highest MT: +9.6%

Median age 32.8±3Lowest 19% below MT 37.7±4.8Highest 7% below MT

Ronan and Wolf Point are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 26.3%±5.2Highest MT: 21% 26.1%±4.5Lowest MT: 21%

Wolf Point and Ronan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 15%±3.4Lowest MT: 20.1% 21.4%±0.5Highest MT: 20.1%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 11.9%Lowest MT: 35.2% 20%Highest MT: 35.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.5%±1.6Highest MT: 5.2% 2.3%±1.5Lowest MT: 5.2%

Wolf Point and Ronan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $52,868±$18kHighest 27% below MT $42,298±$6kLowest 42% below MT

Wolf Point and Ronan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $118,600±$31kLowest 68% below MT $225,500±$20kHighest 40% below MT

Rentmedian gross, monthly $734±$30Lowest 32% below MT $880±$210Highest 19% below MT

Ronan and Wolf Point are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,744Highest 35% below MT $1,563Lowest 42% below MT

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 46%±13.7Lowest MT: 44.8% 60.3%±12.4Highest MT: 44.8%

Ronan and Wolf Point are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 23.3%Highest MT: 11.5% 21.6%Lowest MT: 11.5%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 52.5%Lowest MT: 69.2% 60.3%Highest MT: 69.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1964Lowest 17 yrs older than MT 1972Highest 9 yrs older than MT

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 12 minLowest 36% below MT 15 minHighest 19% below MT

Work from home 0.9%±1Lowest MT: 12.5% 5.8%±3Highest MT: 12.5%

Work in townworking residents 35.6%Highest 27.9%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 4.8 miLowest 10.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.99Lowest 1.92Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Poplar (5%)Polson (26%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in RonanFew work in Wolf Point

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 4.1%Highest 2.7%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 0.6 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 152Highest 75.6Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #39 of 40 in MT—

School district Wolf Point Elem · Wolf Point H SRonan Elem · Ronan H S

High school in town Wolf Point High SchoolRonan High School

Students per teacherat that high school 12.0Lowest 17.6Highest

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.

Wolf Point neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Wolf Point’s Town Square.

Ronan neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ronan’s Town Square.

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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.

Wolf Point vs Ronan

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,590 more a month in Ronan

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

394 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

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Towns like Wolf Point

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