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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 1 of 1 cities in Montana beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. And in most cases, billings stands out at 81 on the index, with rent of $1,383/month and household income of $71,855. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
The numbers are clear: 1 of 1 cities in Montana beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. And in most cases, billings stands out at 81 on the index, with rent of $1,383/month and household income of $71,855. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
Why Billings ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. And on balance, at 81 on the cost index, residents save roughly 30% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,383/month — we had to double-check this one — while the median household pulls in $71,855/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 81, though Healthcare (96) lags behind. Home prices average $390,654 — $76,716 below the national median.
Look, the other side of the coin: Here's the state-level backdrop: Montana averages a 81 cost index, $1,383/mo rent, and $71,855 income across 1 cities. That's $512 less than the national rent average. Big Sky country with an inflating housing bubble — and that context shapes every city in this ranking.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers (that's pre-tax, of course).
#1 Ranked: Billings — cost index 81, rent $1,383/mo, income $71,855
1 of 1 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
120,864 residents · Montana
A closer look at Billings: the cost index of 81 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — breaks down to a Housing index of 81 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 96 (weakest). Median rent is $1,383/month — 27% below the national median — while household income sits at $71,855, meaning locals spend about 23% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Billings | 5.9% | 0% | 0.74% | $69,397 |
We model what a $100K salary looks like after taxes in each city: federal income tax (marginal brackets), FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. Then we compare take-home against local rent and costs to determine where the salary stretches furthest. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Billings ranks #1 in Montana for this analysis with a cost index of 81 and median income of $71,855.
Yes. On a $100K salary in Billings, rent would consume about 17% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. You're well within that guideline.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Billings is $1,383/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $512 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 5.9% state income tax, estimated take-home on $100K in Billings is approximately $69,397/year ($5,783/month). After median rent of $1,383/month, you'd have roughly $52,801/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Billings is $390,654, which is 5.4× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Montana has a 5.9% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 0%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.74%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.