Billings vs Missoula
Billings, Montana versus Missoula, 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 Missoula score about the same overall (46 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Billings | Missoula |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $70k | $60k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $52k |
| Home Value | $285k | $381k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.91% | 1.00% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.62% | 12.25% |
| Unemployment | 3.6% | 4.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 27°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 68°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 14.8 in | 17.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 48.2 in | 50.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 232 days | 212 days |
| Summer Humidity | 48°F | 45°F |
| Comfortable Days | 59 days | 35 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 47.3 | 49.4 |
| Air Quality | 20 AQI | 43 AQI |
| School Quality | 36.8 | 48.3 |
| Violent Crime | 2214/100k | 1845/100k |
| Property Crime | 4335/100k | 3553/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 117,093 | 74,627 |
| Median Age | 37.7 | 34.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.24 | 0.22 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | R+25 | D+24 |
| White (%) | 83.5% | 86.0% |
| Black (%) | 0.5% | 0.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.1% | 4.5% |
| Asian (%) | 0.9% | 1.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 8.0% | 7.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 16 min |
| Walkability | 10.1/20 | 16.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 385 mi | 173 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.2% | 91.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 32.20 | 40.47 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Good |
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 Missoula more affordable?
- Billings has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Billings's $49k and Missoula's $52k. Median rent is $1k in Billings versus $1k in Missoula.
- Is Billings or Missoula safer?
- Missoula has the lower violent crime rate. Billings reports 2214/100k and Missoula reports 1845/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Billings or Missoula?
- The median home value is $285k in Billings and $381k in Missoula, so homes are more affordable in Billings.