Buying the median home in Billings means financing $380,000. Against the area's $68,000 median household income, that works out to a 5.6x price-to-income ratio.
Property taxes in Billings run 0.83% of assessed value, below the 1.1% national average. On the median home, that's $3,154 a year, or $263 added to the monthly payment.
Between the $2,402/month mortgage payment and Montana's state income tax, your real housing cost calculation needs your after-tax number, not your gross salary.
Beyond housing, Billings's cost of living index sits at 97 (national average = 100), running below the national baseline for groceries, transportation, and everyday services.
Billings's median home price runs 17% lower than nearby Missoula: $460,000 there versus $380,000 here.