Billings vs Great Falls
Billings, Montana versus Great Falls, 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 Great Falls score about the same overall (46 vs 43 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Billings | Great Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $70k | $58k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $47k |
| Home Value | $285k | $224k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $828 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.91% | 0.97% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.62% | 9.63% |
| Unemployment | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 27°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 68°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 14.8 in | 15.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 48.2 in | 66.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 232 days | 244 days |
| Summer Humidity | 48°F | 44°F |
| Comfortable Days | 59 days | 44 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 47.3 | 65.2 |
| Air Quality | 20 AQI | 54 AQI |
| School Quality | 36.8 | 42.3 |
| Violent Crime | 2214/100k | 1767/100k |
| Property Crime | 4335/100k | 4484/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 117,093 | 60,373 |
| Median Age | 37.7 | 38.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.24 | 0.27 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | R+25 | R+20 |
| White (%) | 83.5% | 82.9% |
| Black (%) | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.1% | 5.4% |
| Asian (%) | 0.9% | 0.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 8.0% | 9.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 15 min |
| Walkability | 10.1/20 | 10.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 385 mi | 291 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.2% | 85.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 32.20 | 34.62 |
| 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 Great Falls more affordable?
- Great Falls has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Billings's $49k and Great Falls's $47k. Median rent is $1k in Billings versus $828 in Great Falls.
- Is Billings or Great Falls safer?
- Great Falls has the lower violent crime rate. Billings reports 2214/100k and Great Falls reports 1767/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Billings or Great Falls?
- The median home value is $285k in Billings and $224k in Great Falls, so homes are more affordable in Great Falls.