Des Moines vs Billings
Which is the better fit for you?
Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.
Billings receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
If you are moving
What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.
Moving from Des Moines to Billings
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These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.
31 occupations have a published median wage in both places. Start typing, or choose from the list.
Median wages are the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ metro figures for that occupation, not a job offer, and the price level is the regional index; neither includes taxes, benefits or how senior you are.
Signals
Measured values
| Metric | Des Moines | Billings | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 212,421 | 119,434 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $65,932 | $73,712 — more favorable | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,863 | $43,934 — more favorable | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,409/sq mi | 2,593/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $194,700 | $343,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,090 — more favorable | $1,138 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Market rent, two bedroom | $1,254 — more favorable | $1,417 | FY2026 |
| Cost of living index | 92.8 | 90.3 — more favorable | 2023 |
| Homeownership rate | 60.5% | 64.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.0% — more favorable | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | +0.6% — more favorable | −0.1% | July 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.7% | 36.9% — more favorable | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.2% | 9.1% — more favorable | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 860 | 539 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.0 | 4.5 — more favorable | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | −37.1% | −16.4% — more favorable | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 14°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.5" | 14.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 1 mi — more favorable | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.0 min | 17.7 min — more favorable | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.6 | 38.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 61 | 29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.8 — more favorable | 16.9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 47.0% | 43.3% | 2018-19 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 46.7% | 46.2% | 2018-19 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 74.8% | 39.3% | 2024-25 school 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.
The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison.
Iowa and Montana do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.
Physical risk tradeoff
Des Moines
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Billings
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Your best match
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Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Des Moines, IA · Billings, MT · How this is calculated: methodology