Ankeny vs Billings
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $331,000 in Ankeny and $343,400 in Billings.
- Households earn more in Ankeny ($108,198 vs $73,712 median).
- Billings has the warmer winter: January highs of 36°F vs 31°F.
- Billings gets far more snow: 57 inches a year vs 37.
- Ankeny is growing faster: +14.3% since 2020 vs +3.5%.
- Commutes are shorter in Billings (17 vs 21 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Ankeny, IA | Billings, MT | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 77,833 | 121,239 |
| Growth since 2020 | +14.3% | +3.5% |
| People per square mile | 2,440 | 2,632 |
| Median age | 33.6 | 38.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52% | 37% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $108,198 | $73,712 |
| Median home value | $331,000 | $343,400 |
| Home value to income | 3.1× | 4.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,319 | $1,138 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 91.7 | 93.5 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 84.7 | 77.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $68,800 | $70,100 |
| Homeowners | 71% | 65% |
| Top state income tax | 3.8% | 5.65% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.94% | 0% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.1 | 16.5 |
| Work from home | 20% | 9% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 1.9% | 3.5% |
| Poverty rate | 4.2% | 9.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 31° / 14° | 36° / 18° |
| July high / low | 86° / 66° | 87° / 59° |
| Precipitation per year | 37 in | 14 in |
| Snowfall per year | 37 in | 57 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 22 | 32 |
| Nights below freezing | 128 | 142 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 92.0 | 83.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 61% | 86% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.3% | +4.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +35.2% | +40.9% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Ankeny: July to October. Billings: May to June and August to September.
Full monthly tables: Ankeny weather by month and Billings weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $68,800 in Ankeny and $70,100 in Billings. Moving from Ankeny to Billings, you would need about $76,500 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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