Belknap vs Plains
Belknap, Montana versus Plains, Montana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Belknap edges out Plains on overall objective livability (50 vs 45 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Belknap | Plains |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | — | $25k |
| Cost of Living | $44k | $50k |
| Home Value | — | $196k |
| Monthly Rent | — | $775 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $0 | $319 |
| Property Tax Rate | — | 0.59% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | — | 10.46% |
| Unemployment | — | 2.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 25°F | 27°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 64°F | 67°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 26.7 in | 16.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 15.3 in | 15.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 239 days | 212 days |
| Summer Humidity | 48°F | 45°F |
| Comfortable Days | 45 days | 36 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 95.2 | 84.1 |
| Air Quality | 42 AQI | 41 AQI |
| School Quality | 56.8 | 43.0 |
| Violent Crime | 950/100k | 998/100k |
| Property Crime | 698/100k | 249/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 0 | 1,181 |
| Median Age | — | 43.8 |
| Racial Diversity | — | 0.20 |
| Male/Female Ratio | — | 1.12 |
| Political Leaning | R+43 | R+51 |
| White (%) | — | 88.9% |
| Black (%) | — | 0.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | — | 0.3% |
| Asian (%) | — | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | — | 10.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 5.4/20 | 5.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 98 mi | 124 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | — | 75.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | — | 50.80 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Belknap or Plains more affordable?
- Belknap has the lower cost of living: its index is $44k, compared with Belknap's $44k and Plains's $50k.
- Is Belknap or Plains safer?
- Belknap has the lower violent crime rate. Belknap reports 950/100k and Plains reports 998/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).