Whitefish vs Woods Bay
Whitefish, Montana versus Woods Bay, Montana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Woods Bay edges out Whitefish on overall objective livability (50 vs 45 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Whitefish | Woods Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $70k | $99k |
| Cost of Living | $56k | $56k |
| Home Value | $610k | $353k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $279 |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.58% | 0.59% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.00% | 7.99% |
| Unemployment | 2.5% | 0.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 25°F | 26°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 63°F | 66°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 19.9 in | 27.9 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 63.1 in | 50.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 239 days | 239 days |
| Summer Humidity | 48°F | 48°F |
| Comfortable Days | 34 days | 31 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 75.3 | 82.3 |
| Air Quality | 27 AQI | 30 AQI |
| School Quality | 40.2 | 28.0 |
| Violent Crime | 762/100k | 914/100k |
| Property Crime | 1872/100k | 1623/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 8,098 | 737 |
| Median Age | 43.0 | 59.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.09 | 0.10 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.96 |
| Political Leaning | R+31 | R+31 |
| White (%) | 94.6% | 94.6% |
| Black (%) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 1.7% | 2.8% |
| Asian (%) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.7% | 2.6% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 6.9/20 | 6.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 157 mi | 163 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.3% | 89.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 71.62 | 203.53 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | 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 Whitefish or Woods Bay more affordable?
- Woods Bay has the lower cost of living: its index is $56k, compared with Whitefish's $56k and Woods Bay's $56k. Median rent is $1k in Whitefish versus $1k in Woods Bay.
- Is Whitefish or Woods Bay safer?
- Whitefish has the lower violent crime rate. Whitefish reports 762/100k and Woods Bay reports 914/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Whitefish or Woods Bay?
- The median home value is $610k in Whitefish and $353k in Woods Bay, so homes are more affordable in Woods Bay.