Billings and Missoula receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Billings
Missoula
Opportunity
73 · Top 19%
vs78 · Top 13%
Growth
58 · Top 37%
vs73 · Top 15%
Climate
62 · Bottom 33%
vs58 · Bottom 19%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 14%
vs66 · Top 36%
Housing affordability
82 · Bottom 22%
vs68 · Bottom 11%
Access
89 · Top 26%
vs92 · Top 20%
Economic stability
84 · Top 10%
vs85 · Top 8%
Measured values
| Metric | Billings | Missoula | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 189,255 | 125,631 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $77,194 | $74,989 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,339 | $45,638 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 29/sq mi | 33/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $355,200 | $466,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,117 | $1,184 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.8% | 59.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 3.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | 0.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.1% | 46.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.1% | 10.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,063 | 876 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.6 | 7.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -27.5% | 18.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 14.3" | 14.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 18 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.9 min | 19.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.9 | 37.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Billings
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Missoula
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, avalanche, earthquake.
Full profiles: Billings, MT Metro Area · Missoula, MT Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology