Best places to live in Montana
CityLedger tracks 1 Montana metro, led by Billings. Every figure below is computed from public U.S. government data and links to a full profile.
CityLedger tracks one metro in Montana: the Billings, MT Metro Area, anchored by Billings with a population around 192,531. Its median household income is $77,770 and median rent runs $1,170 a month — the figures everything below is built from, each linked to its public source.
Billings is the standout for affordability: it carries Montana's lowest overall price level (about 94 against a U.S. average of 100) and, because pay holds up against those low costs, also the state's highest cost-adjusted income — about $83,153, the clearest sign of where a paycheck stretches furthest.
Taxes shift the picture in ways a cost-of-living index alone misses: Montana levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower here than in no-income-tax states at the same salary, and combined state and local sales tax averages about 0.0% (Tax Foundation). Our salary calculator folds federal, FICA, and Montana state tax into a single take-home figure for any metro here.
Billings earns the state's highest CityLedger livability score, 60/100; Billings is the fastest-growing, up 6% over the latest population estimate; Billings carries the lowest natural-hazard loss rate, about $12 per $10,000 of property (FEMA). Open any metro below for the full, sourced breakdown behind these figures.
| Metro | Livability | Cost of living | Median income | Median rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billings, MT | 60 | 94 | $77,770 | $1,170/mo |
Browse every metro on the cities index or the rankings.
Living in Montana — frequently asked
- What is the most affordable metro in Montana?
- By overall price level, Billings is the most affordable metro in Montana, at about 94 against a U.S. average of 100 (BEA Regional Price Parities). Affordability also depends on local pay — see where a paycheck stretches furthest below.
- Where does a paycheck go furthest in Montana?
- Billings has the highest cost-adjusted income in Montana — a median of about $83,153 once local prices are factored in, meaning typical pay buys the most there.
- Does Montana have a state income tax?
- Yes. Montana levies a state income tax, which lowers take-home pay relative to no-income-tax states; combined state and local sales tax also averages about 0.0%. Our salary calculator estimates the exact take-home for each metro.
- Which Montana metro has the highest livability score?
- Billings, at 60/100 on CityLedger's livability score — a transparent blend of affordability, jobs, income, education, and commute, all from public data.