Fort Shaw vs Malmstrom AFB
Fort Shaw, Montana versus Malmstrom AFB, Montana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Fort Shaw and Malmstrom AFB score about the same overall (45 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Fort Shaw | Malmstrom AFB |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | — | $63k |
| Cost of Living | $53k | $47k |
| Monthly Rent | — | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $53 | $17 |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Unemployment | 0.0% | 3.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 24°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 68°F | 67°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.3 in | 15.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 45.9 in | 66.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 244 days | 244 days |
| Summer Humidity | 44°F | 44°F |
| Comfortable Days | 48 days | 42 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 84.6 | 43.9 |
| Air Quality | 50 AQI | 54 AQI |
| School Quality | 63.5 | 35.8 |
| Violent Crime | 374/100k | 1463/100k |
| Property Crime | 324/100k | 3412/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 163 | 4,281 |
| Median Age | 57.8 | 22.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.08 | 0.48 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.43 | 1.14 |
| Political Leaning | R+44 | R+20 |
| White (%) | 95.7% | 67.3% |
| Black (%) | 0.0% | 11.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 0.0% | 10.5% |
| Asian (%) | 0.0% | 2.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.3% | 9.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 5.9/20 | 8.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 266 mi | 296 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 63.8% | 99.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 61.35 | 182.20 |
| 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 Fort Shaw or Malmstrom AFB more affordable?
- Malmstrom AFB has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Fort Shaw's $53k and Malmstrom AFB's $47k.
- Is Fort Shaw or Malmstrom AFB safer?
- Fort Shaw has the lower violent crime rate. Fort Shaw reports 374/100k and Malmstrom AFB reports 1463/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).