Toole
6.8
High score (8-10)
Shelby hosted the Jack Dempsey vs. Tommy Gibbons heavyweight championship fight in 1923, an event that nearly bankrupted the town but created a piece of boxing history in the middle of the Montana plains — the kind of fact that gives Shelby an outsized story for its size. The Marias Museum of History and Art preserves this and other Hi-Line history.
Mid score (6-8) · Your profile
Shelby (pop. ~3,200) is the county seat and a Hi-Line town that benefits from being on I-15 near the Canadian border crossing at Sweetgrass, which creates some commercial traffic. The oil fields in Kevin-Sunburst to the east provide some energy-sector employment. The community is small, agricultural, and conservative with the Canadian border proximity creating a modest cross-border agricultural identity. There's no social scene but the town is more commercially viable than similar-sized Hi-Line communities.
Lower score (below 6)
Toole County is high plains agricultural territory near the Canadian border with Shelby as the only significant town. The oil economy that briefly energized the area has matured and the community has settled into a quiet agricultural rhythm. The social world is entirely composed of established agricultural families and the small commercial class that serves them. An outsider with no existing connections has nothing to engage with. Great Falls is 80 miles south.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the median income in Toole, Montana?
$57k median
What's the typical marriage age for women in Toole, Montana?
Women marry at 28
How common is a college degree in Toole, Montana?
27% men have degree
What's the average male height in Toole, Montana?
176 cm local avg
What's the average BMI for women in Toole, Montana?
Local women avg 29.5