Billings receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Cheyenne
Billings
Opportunity
61 · Top 39%
vs73 · Top 19%
Growth
58 · Top 37%
vs58 · Top 37%
Climate
58 · Bottom 20%
vs62 · Bottom 33%
Physical resilience
75 · Top 22%
vs80 · Top 14%
Housing affordability
85 · Bottom 26%
vs82 · Bottom 22%
Access
98 · Top 5%
vs89 · Top 26%
Economic stability
92 · Top 3%
vs84 · Top 10%
Measured values
| Metric | Cheyenne | Billings | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 101,060 | 189,255 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $80,173 | $77,194 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,871 | $44,339 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 38/sq mi | 29/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $348,700 | $355,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,160 | $1,117 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.6% | 70.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.7% | 3.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.9% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.1% | 34.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.9% | 9.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 594 | 1,063 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.9 | 5.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 17.6% | -27.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 15.4" | 14.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.8 min | 20.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.5 | 39.9 | 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
Cheyenne
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Billings
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Cheyenne, WY Metro Area · Billings, MT Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology