Shelby vs Valier
Shelby, Montana versus Valier, Montana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Shelby and Valier score about the same overall (51 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Shelby | Valier |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $52k | $46k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $51k |
| Home Value | $181k | $131k |
| Monthly Rent | $720 | $727 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $732 | $218 |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.02% | 1.13% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.50% | 9.13% |
| Unemployment | 1.3% | 5.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 23°F | 23°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 65°F | 64°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.1 in | 12.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 38.9 in | 46.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 257 days | 239 days |
| Summer Humidity | 48°F | 48°F |
| Comfortable Days | 47 days | 47 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 47.8 | 79.9 |
| Air Quality | 24 AQI | 24 AQI |
| School Quality | 33.2 | 57.8 |
| Violent Crime | 0/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 0/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 3,058 | 576 |
| Median Age | 42.7 | 50.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.31 | 0.29 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.56 | 0.78 |
| Political Leaning | R+55 | R+38 |
| White (%) | 79.6% | 82.6% |
| Black (%) | 2.6% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.4% | 0.0% |
| Asian (%) | 1.1% | 0.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 11.3% | 16.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 4.9/20 | 5.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 268 mi | 249 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 88.5% | 82.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 58.86 | 138.89 |
| 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 Shelby or Valier more affordable?
- Shelby has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Shelby's $49k and Valier's $51k. Median rent is $720 in Shelby versus $727 in Valier.
- Is Shelby or Valier safer?
- Valier has the lower violent crime rate. Shelby reports 0/100k and Valier reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Shelby or Valier?
- The median home value is $181k in Shelby and $131k in Valier, so homes are more affordable in Valier.