Billings vs Fort Smith
Billings, Montana versus Fort Smith, Montana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Billings and Fort Smith score about the same overall (45 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Billings | Fort Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $70k | $49k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $53k |
| Home Value | $285k | $110k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | — |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $32k | $69 |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.91% | — |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.62% | 5.90% |
| Unemployment | 3.6% | 0.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 27°F | 23°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 14.8 in | 16.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 48.2 in | 43.9 in |
| Sunny Days | 232 days | 232 days |
| Summer Humidity | 48°F | 48°F |
| Comfortable Days | 59 days | 46 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 47.3 | 80.8 |
| Air Quality | 20 AQI | 22 AQI |
| School Quality | 36.8 | 64.7 |
| Violent Crime | 2214/100k | 1868/100k |
| Property Crime | 4335/100k | 1683/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 117,093 | 115 |
| Median Age | 37.7 | 56.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.24 | 0.36 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 1.56 |
| Political Leaning | R+25 | Even |
| White (%) | 83.5% | 76.5% |
| Black (%) | 0.5% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.1% | 23.5% |
| Asian (%) | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 8.0% | 0.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 4 min |
| Walkability | 10.1/20 | 2.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 385 mi | 373 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.2% | 85.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 32.20 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | 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 Billings or Fort Smith more affordable?
- Billings has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Billings's $49k and Fort Smith's $53k.
- Is Billings or Fort Smith safer?
- Fort Smith has the lower violent crime rate. Billings reports 2214/100k and Fort Smith reports 1868/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Billings or Fort Smith?
- The median home value is $285k in Billings and $110k in Fort Smith, so homes are more affordable in Fort Smith.