Residential comparison · 13 facts
Billings, MT vs Helena, MT
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Billings needs about $84,500 in Helena to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Helena, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $85,500 in Billings.
A few differences
- Billings is higher on median household income ($73,712 vs $71,036).
- Billings is lower on cost of living index (93 vs 96).
- Billings is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,148/mo vs $1,151/mo).
Billings vs Helena · facet by facet
| Facet | Billings, MT | Helena, MT |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $343,400 | $387,300 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,148/mo | $1,151/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.7% | 0.7% |
| State & local income tax | 3.29% | 3.29% |
| Sales tax | 0% | 0% |
| Cost of living index | 93 | 96 |
| Groceries index | 100 | 100 |
| Utilities | $130/mo | $130/mo |
| Median household income | $73,712 | $71,036 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.2% |
| Crime index | 48/100 | 48/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 190 days | 190 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Billings, MT · Helena, MT
Questions & answers
- Is Billings cheaper than Helena?
- Billings has the lower day-to-day cost index (93 vs 96 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Helena equals $85,000 in Billings?
- A household earning $85,000 in Billings needs about $84,500 in Helena to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Helena lifestyle costs about $85,500 in Billings.