Fort Benton vs Hilger
Fort Benton, Montana versus Hilger, Montana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Hilger edges out Fort Benton on overall objective livability (50 vs 40 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Fort Benton | Hilger |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $68k | — |
| Cost of Living | $52k | $53k |
| Home Value | $183k | — |
| Monthly Rent | $690 | — |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $429 | $0 |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.99% | — |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.58% | — |
| Unemployment | 6.4% | — |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 23°F | 23°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 67°F | 66°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 13.2 in | 17.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 38.2 in | 112.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 257 days | 304 days |
| Summer Humidity | 48°F | 46°F |
| Comfortable Days | 37 days | 45 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 97.0 | 93.9 |
| Air Quality | 54 AQI | 45 AQI |
| School Quality | 28.4 | 54.0 |
| Violent Crime | 728/100k | 993/100k |
| Property Crime | 331/100k | 34/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 1,544 | 0 |
| Median Age | 36.6 | — |
| Racial Diversity | 0.14 | — |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.92 | — |
| Political Leaning | R+31 | R+53 |
| White (%) | 85.9% | — |
| Black (%) | 0.0% | — |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.8% | — |
| Asian (%) | 0.0% | — |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.3% | — |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 5.5/20 | 5.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 320 mi | 383 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 78.3% | — |
| Amenities Nearby | 142.49 | — |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Excellent |
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 Fort Benton or Hilger more affordable?
- Fort Benton has the lower cost of living: its index is $52k, compared with Fort Benton's $52k and Hilger's $53k.
- Is Fort Benton or Hilger safer?
- Fort Benton has the lower violent crime rate. Fort Benton reports 728/100k and Hilger reports 993/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).