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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. You get the picture. 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. You get the picture. 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.
On a $40K salary, the key number is $1,000/month — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Billings ($1,383/mo, 41%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $30,012 to $30,012/year across these top picks. One to watch.
Why Billings ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 81 on the cost index, residents save roughly 30% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,383/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — 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.
Bottom line: Billings leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers. There's an argument to be made — and I think the data supports it — that the cities getting all the attention right now are exactly the wrong places to move. The spotlight drives migration, migration drives demand, demand drives costs, and eventually the value proposition disappears. Meanwhile, cities like this one keep quietly being affordable, and the people who find them early are the ones who benefit most.
#1 Ranked: Billings — cost index 81, rent $1,383/mo, income $71,855
0 of 1 cities keep rent under 30% of $40K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
120,864 residents · Montana
The numbers for Billings are straightforward: 81 on the cost index, $1,383/month rent, $71,855 income. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. That alone makes it worth considering.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Billings | 5.9% | 0% | 0.74% | $30,012 |
We model what a $40K 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 $40K salary in Billings, rent would consume about 41% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. It's tight — consider a roommate or nearby suburb.
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 $40K in Billings is approximately $30,012/year ($2,501/month). After median rent of $1,383/month, you'd have roughly $13,416/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.