Billings vs Helena
Billings, Montana versus Helena, 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 Helena score about the same overall (46 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Billings | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $70k | $65k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $54k |
| Home Value | $285k | $332k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $969 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.91% | 0.96% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.62% | 10.81% |
| Unemployment | 3.6% | 3.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 27°F | 23°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 70°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 14.8 in | 11.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 48.2 in | 37.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 232 days | 244 days |
| Summer Humidity | 48°F | 44°F |
| Comfortable Days | 59 days | 49 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 47.3 | 47.1 |
| Air Quality | 20 AQI | 47 AQI |
| School Quality | 36.8 | 48.0 |
| Violent Crime | 2214/100k | 2183/100k |
| Property Crime | 4335/100k | 3269/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 117,093 | 32,529 |
| Median Age | 37.7 | 39.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.24 | 0.15 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.91 |
| Political Leaning | R+25 | R+34 |
| White (%) | 83.5% | 88.1% |
| Black (%) | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.1% | 4.8% |
| Asian (%) | 0.9% | 0.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 8.0% | 5.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 13 min |
| Walkability | 10.1/20 | 9.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 385 mi | 269 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.2% | 85.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 32.20 | 72.55 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
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 Helena more affordable?
- Billings has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Billings's $49k and Helena's $54k. Median rent is $1k in Billings versus $969 in Helena.
- Is Billings or Helena safer?
- Helena has the lower violent crime rate. Billings reports 2214/100k and Helena reports 2183/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Billings or Helena?
- The median home value is $285k in Billings and $332k in Helena, so homes are more affordable in Billings.