Billings vs Yakima
The short version
- Billings is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Yakima area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $297,600 in Yakima and $343,400 in Billings.
- Households earn more in Billings ($73,712 vs $62,815 median).
- Billings gets far more snow: 57 inches a year vs 20.
- Billings is growing faster: +3.5% since 2020 vs +0.5%.
- Washington has no state income tax on wages; Montana's top rate is 5.65%.
Side by side
| Billings, MT | Yakima, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 121,239 | 97,458 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.5% | +0.5% |
| People per square mile | 2,632 | 3,470 |
| Median age | 38.8 | 34.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37% | 21% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $73,712 | $62,815 |
| Median home value | $343,400 | $297,600 |
| Home value to income | 4.7× | 4.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,138 | $1,117 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 93.5 | 95.5 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 77.4 | 72.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $70,100 | $71,700 |
| Homeowners | 65% | 54% |
| Top state income tax | 5.65% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 0% | 9.57% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 16.5 | 17.8 |
| Work from home | 9% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.5% | 8.4% |
| Poverty rate | 9.8% | 16.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 36° / 18° | 40° / 24° |
| July high / low | 87° / 59° | 90° / 55° |
| Precipitation per year | 14 in | 8 in |
| Snowfall per year | 57 in | 20 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 32 | 40 |
| Nights below freezing | 142 | 147 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 83.6 | 94.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 86% | 62% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.4% | +2.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +40.9% | +34.3% |
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. Yakima: May to June and September.
Full monthly tables: Billings weather by month and Yakima 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 $71,700 in Yakima. Moving from Billings to Yakima, you would need about $76,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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