Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Billings, MT

    Is Billings a good place to live?

    Watch Billings

    Billings ranks #3 of 7 Montana cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (50/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population grew 1.0% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $311,800
    +9.3% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,097
    per month
    Household income
    $71,855
    median
    Unemployment
    3.5%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Billings

    The median home value in Billings is $311,800 and median rent is $1,097 a month, against a median household income of $71,855. Homes cost about 4.3× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Billings crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Montana the 2025 rate was 422 violent and 1,468 property crimes per 100,000 people — #22 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Billings, MT

    Billings has about 118,321 residents, 3.5% unemployment and 25% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Billings with

    Billings vs MissoulaBillings vs Great FallsBillings vs BozemanBillings vs Butte-Silver BowBillings vs HelenaBillings vs Kalispell

    More: Where to move in Montana · Best counties in Montana

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report