Billings vs Bismarck
The short version
- Bismarck is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Billings area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $300,300 in Bismarck and $343,400 in Billings.
- Households earn more in Bismarck ($78,387 vs $73,712 median).
- Billings has the warmer winter: January highs of 36°F vs 23°F.
- Bismarck is growing faster: +5.9% since 2020 vs +3.5%.
Side by side
| Billings, MT | Bismarck, ND | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 121,239 | 77,963 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.5% | +5.9% |
| People per square mile | 2,632 | 2,248 |
| Median age | 38.8 | 38.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37% | 39% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $73,712 | $78,387 |
| Median home value | $343,400 | $300,300 |
| Home value to income | 4.7× | 3.8× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,138 | $999 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 93.5 | 91.0 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 77.4 | 84.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $70,100 | $68,300 |
| Homeowners | 65% | 66% |
| Top state income tax | 5.65% | 2.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 0% | 7.09% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 16.5 | 15.6 |
| Work from home | 9% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.5% | 2.5% |
| Poverty rate | 9.8% | 9.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 36° / 18° | 23° / 2° |
| July high / low | 87° / 59° | 85° / 58° |
| Precipitation per year | 14 in | 19 in |
| Snowfall per year | 57 in | 51 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 32 | 20 |
| Nights below freezing | 142 | 184 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 83.6 | 85.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 86% | 77% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.4% | +6.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +40.9% | +33.8% |
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: Billings: May to June and August to September. Bismarck: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Billings weather by month and Bismarck weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $70,100 in Billings and $68,300 in Bismarck. Moving from Billings to Bismarck, you would need about $73,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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