Billings, MTBest Places to Live in the U.S. in 2024

Billings has brutally cold winters, but the city more than makes up for it with its stunning summer season. The average highs and lows are 86°F and 54°F (summer) and 40°F and 16°F (winter).

The average annual snowfall in Billings is 51 inches, and the snowy season usually occurs from October to April. 

The average annual rainfall in Billings is around 14 inches. 

Billings averages 200 sunny days a year.

Just outside Billings is Pictograph Cave State Park, an important archaeological site with over 100 cave paintings. In town, there are several places to stretch your legs on the weekends: hiking or mountain biking at spots like Zimmerman Park, Swords Park and Four Dances Recreation Area.

Spend an afternoon picnicking, playing volleyball, or just watching the geese and ducks at Riverfront Park, a lovely spot along the Yellowstone River. 

Kids can learn to climb and attend summer camps at Steepworld Climbing and Fitness.

Find your zen in Billings. Limber Tree Yoga is a beloved wellness studio where you can hang out upside down in an aerial yoga class or take in views of the Beartooth Mountains during a rooftop session.

The inventory at Liberty & Vine Country Store focuses on Montana-made goods, and there are also all kinds of unique treasures in the antique warehouse.

Try any of the unique burgers from The Burger Dive, like the award-winning “I’m Your Huckleberry” burger with huckleberry hatch chili barbecue sauce, bacon, goat cheese, arugula and roasted red pepper mayo. The spot has an old-school diner vibe, and you’ll also want to save room for a milkshake, like the oatmeal cream pie, the flaming s’mores or the cinnamon bear.

See plays, musicals and improv comedy at Nova Center for the Performing Arts.

Get $4 beers from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday at Montana Brewing Company, which opened in 1994 and was the state’s first brewpub! Everything from IPAs to stouts to seasonal fruit wheats are on tap, in addition to wine, cocktails and a solid selection of mules, plus a nonalcoholic root beer float.

Health care, retail trade, and accommodation and food service are the three largest industries in Billings. Additionally, agriculture plays a vital role in the local economy, with the Western Sugar Cooperative Plant processing a multimillion-dollar crop of sugar beets every year. 

Montana does not have a state sales tax, and no local sales taxes apply in Billings. 

Yes, Montana has a state income tax. 

The Billings Clinic was named the best hospital in Southeast Montana by U.S. News & World Report. This leading provider offers a comprehensive range of services and is well known for its cancer center. Other providers include Advanced Care Hospital of Montana and Intermountain Health St. Vincent Regional Hospital.

Billings is home to both Rocky Mountain College and Montana State University – Billings.