CitytisticsShortlist

Belgrade, MT vs La Riviera, CA

Belgrade

Montana

vs

La Riviera

California

Across 37 directional measures we can compare, Belgrade leads on 20 and La Riviera on 17. Counting measures is not an overall verdict: their importance depends on your priorities. Median rent is 2% higher in Belgrade, while median household income is higher in La Riviera.

Median gross rent
$1,877$1,849
Belgrade is 2% higher
Median household income
$97,328$97,975
Belgrade is 1% lower
Median home value
$535,200$459,200
Belgrade is 17% higher

The Citytistics read

  • After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household has about $78,700 a year left in Belgrade and $74,400 in La Riviera. Money goes further in Belgrade, by about $4,300 a year.
  • A household earning Belgrade's median of $97,328 would need about $102,500 in La Riviera to keep the same money after rent and local prices.
  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent outran pay by 5.0 points a year in Belgrade, and pay outran rent by 2.3 points a year in La Riviera.

How these are calculated

CaliforniaMontanaLa Riviera, CABelgrade, MTBelgradeLa RivieraBelgradeLa Riviera

Which fits you?

Both start on the Citytistics Index (CTX). Move the sliders to weigh what matters to you and the score becomes your own mix.

Your weights

Top 2 of 2 matching places. Places in the top 1% show their national rank.

#PlaceCTXAffordabilityEconomyEducationSafetyCommuteAmenitiesGrowth
01Belgrade, MTComposite 51.3 / 100
54
247761355351100
02La Riviera, CAComposite 46.0 / 100
40
315365n/a4545n/a

CTX is the Citytistics Index: better than that share of the places we rate. It tops out at 99, so the top 1% show their national rank (#1 is best). Change any weight to rank on your own mix. How the CTX is built

Every measure

The dots show where each place sits among the 6,645 places we track. The bar is the median. A small dot after a value marks the better one.

MeasureBelgradeLa RivieraAmong all places
Cost of living
Median gross rent1$1,877$1,849
Rent to income123.1%22.6%
Property tax rate10.7%0.7%
Home price to income15.5x4.7x
Prices vs US average2102.5106.7
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3$2,109$2,201
HUD area median income4$130,200$124,000
Housing
Property tax paid (median)1$3,681$3,275
Median home value1$535,200$459,200
Home prices, 1-year change50.1%0.6%
Home prices, 5-year change564.7%36.9%
Homeownership156.1%60.9%
Renters paying 30%+146.6%54.0%
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,983$2,034
Vacant homes111.0%6.6%
Median year built120021975
Jobs and income
Median household income1$97,328$97,975
Income per person1$54,900$44,265
Unemployment13.0%5.5%
Average annual pay6$70,519$82,003
Pay growth, 1 year66.5%2.3%
Jobs674,277733,061
Poverty rate111.2%10.8%
Mean commute125 min26 min
Works from home110.8%24.5%
Commutes by transit10.5%1.3%
People
Population111,87211,492
Population change since 2020725.2%n/a
Median age133.333.7
Bachelor's or higher137.5%39.8%
High school or higher195.7%92.2%
Household size12.42.6
Born abroad14.1%13.7%
No health insurance17.9%5.1%
Homes with broadband193.9%95.5%
Moving
Moved here in the past year111.6%7.6%
Moved from another state16.3%0.9%
Net movers per 1,000 people81.4-4.5
Income of households moving in8$80,194$71,674
Income of households moving out8$74,031$73,686
Local life
Restaurants and bars per 10k933.320.5
Shops per 10k950.123.5
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k916.53.2
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k932.618.0
Child care centers per 10k94.82.1
Parks per 10k1042.14.3
Playgrounds per 10k1043.83.5
Grocery stores per 10k101.71.7
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1019.47.0
Libraries per 10k100.80.9
Named paths and bike trails100.00.1
Transit stops per sq mi100.215.3
Nearest National Park Service site1186.950.9
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1102
National Register listings127112
Safety
Violent crime per 100k13331n/a
Property crime per 100k131,412n/a
Schools
Public schools147387
Public school students143,257259,342
Students per teacher1415.323.2
Climate
July average high1578°F94°F
January average low1513°F39°F
Average temperature1540°F62°F
Annual precipitation1524.4 in19.5 in
Hazards and air
Natural hazard risk1681.098.1
Tornado risk1616.765.0
Wildfire risk1691.495.9
Heat wave risk1628.896.1
Median air quality index171149
Good air days1798.1%54.2%

Data bundle checked 2026-11-14; individual source vintages vary. Rent needed at the 30% line: Belgrade $75,080, La Riviera $73,960 a year.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology.

Keep comparing

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