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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
After service, the right city means keeping more of what you've earned. We scored 1 cities across Montana for veterans: cost, taxes, and healthcare. Billings takes #1 for 2026 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling). That's not nothing.
After service, the right city means keeping more of what you've earned. We scored 1 cities across Montana for veterans: cost, taxes, and healthcare. Billings takes #1 for 2026 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling). That's not nothing.
Veterans have unique financial considerations: pension, VA disability, GI Bill benefits all interact with local costs and taxes. Our model weights cost of living (20pts), state tax burden (20pts), and healthcare costs (15pts) for supplemental care beyond VA. Billings scores highest with a 81 cost index and 5.9% state tax.
What does daily life actually cost in Billings? Start with the 23% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Housing (index 81) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 96) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $71,855 and homes at $390,654 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
If you only look at rent, it's perfect. Zoom out and it's complicated. In Billings, the healthcare index sits at 96 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about.
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.
#1 Ranked: Billings — cost index 81, rent $1,383/mo, income $71,855
Veteran scoring: cost index 81, state tax 5.9%, healthcare index 96 — preserving earned benefits
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
120,864 residents · Montana
Billings earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 81 cost index sits 30 points below the national baseline, and the $71,855 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. That alone makes it worth considering. Homes list at $390,654 — $76,716 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 81, while Healthcare trails at 96 (that's pre-tax, of course).
Billings ranks #1 in Montana for this analysis with a cost index of 81 and median income of $71,855.
Billings scores highest for military veterans due to its below-average cost of living, median rent of $1,383/mo, and competitive median income of $71,855.
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.
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.