Malmstrom AFB vs Sun River
Malmstrom AFB, Montana versus Sun River, Montana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Malmstrom AFB and Sun River score about the same overall (44 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Malmstrom AFB | Sun River |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $63k | $39k |
| Cost of Living | $47k | $47k |
| Home Value | — | $163k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | — |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $17 | $34 |
| Property Tax Rate | — | 0.56% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | — | 8.24% |
| Unemployment | 3.7% | 50.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 25°F | 24°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 67°F | 68°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 15.4 in | 13.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 66.1 in | 45.9 in |
| Sunny Days | 244 days | 244 days |
| Summer Humidity | 44°F | 44°F |
| Comfortable Days | 42 days | 47 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 43.9 | 86.5 |
| Air Quality | 54 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 35.8 | 63.5 |
| Violent Crime | 1463/100k | 1463/100k |
| Property Crime | 3412/100k | 3412/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 4,281 | 58 |
| Median Age | 22.9 | 69.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.48 | 0.00 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.14 | 1.42 |
| Political Leaning | R+20 | R+20 |
| White (%) | 67.3% | 100.0% |
| Black (%) | 11.0% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 10.5% | 0.0% |
| Asian (%) | 2.0% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 9.3% | 0.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 8.0/20 | 5.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 296 mi | 271 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 99.7% | 100.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 182.20 | 172.41 |
| 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 Malmstrom AFB or Sun River more affordable?
- Sun River has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Malmstrom AFB's $47k and Sun River's $47k.
- Is Malmstrom AFB or Sun River safer?
- Sun River has the lower violent crime rate. Malmstrom AFB reports 1463/100k and Sun River reports 1463/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).