Big Sky Colony vs Shelby
Big Sky Colony, Montana versus Shelby, Montana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Shelby edges out Big Sky Colony on overall objective livability (51 vs 45 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Big Sky Colony | Shelby |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | — | $52k |
| Cost of Living | $51k | $49k |
| Home Value | — | $181k |
| Monthly Rent | — | $720 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $0 | $732 |
| Property Tax Rate | — | 1.02% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | — | 9.50% |
| Unemployment | — | 1.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 23°F | 23°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 63°F | 65°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 13.1 in | 12.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 38.9 in | 38.9 in |
| Sunny Days | 239 days | 257 days |
| Summer Humidity | 48°F | 48°F |
| Comfortable Days | 43 days | 47 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 92.7 | 47.8 |
| Air Quality | 24 AQI | 24 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 33.2 |
| Violent Crime | 3451/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 1078/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 0 | 3,058 |
| Median Age | — | 42.7 |
| Racial Diversity | — | 0.31 |
| Male/Female Ratio | — | 1.56 |
| Political Leaning | D+31 | R+55 |
| White (%) | — | 79.6% |
| Black (%) | — | 2.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | — | 5.4% |
| Asian (%) | — | 1.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | — | 11.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 4.1/20 | 4.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 235 mi | 268 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | — | 88.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | — | 58.86 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | 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 Big Sky Colony or Shelby more affordable?
- Shelby has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Big Sky Colony's $51k and Shelby's $49k.
- Is Big Sky Colony or Shelby safer?
- Shelby has the lower violent crime rate. Big Sky Colony reports 3451/100k and Shelby reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).