CityFunIndex
60 / 100

The Fun Score™

Billings, MT

Fun

T#55 of 134 in the US tied with 2 other cities

A solid spread of things to see, eat and do.

Strongest on City Vibe (93), Unique Hangouts (89) and Outdoors (85).

Watch for elevated Weather Extremes (90) and Going-Out Costs (82).

Beats #1 Despite ranking T#55 nationally, Billings beats Portland, ME on City Vibe (93 vs 42) — and is calmer on Air Quality (91 vs 75).

Billings scores 60 out of 100 — one number built from 16 things that make a city fun and 7 that wear it down. How is this calculated?

Where Billings lands on the scale

Every city is graded on the same 0–100 Fun Score, split into five bands from quiet to exceptional — here is where Billings sits.

How the Fun Score adds up

The Fun Score is one number with two halves — 16 things that make Billings fun, minus 7 that wear it down. Here is the arithmetic.

Fun factors –

16 things that lift the score, blended onto 0–100

Drawbacks –

7 things that wear it down, blended onto 0–100

Fun factors lift it
–
Drawbacks pull it down
–
Raw composite
–
Fun Score placed on the published 0–100 scale
–

Only 40% of the drawback total is subtracted — even a great city can carry a few flaws. Every factor below spells its contribution out as an equation — score times weight. Those 23 contributions are the building blocks behind the two totals above (each is rounded for display).

The Fun breakdown

Every factor is scored 0–100 against the other cities in the index.

Billings's strongest factors are City Vibe, Unique Hangouts and Outdoors. Its heaviest drawbacks are Weather Extremes, Going-Out Cost and Crime.

On every bar, the marker shows the typical city — the median score across the whole index.

What lifts the score

  • Eats –

    Restaurants, food halls and the depth of the dining scene.

    Measured from OpenStreetMap restaurant counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.

  • Drinks –

    Bars, breweries, cocktail rooms and the nightlife spread.

    Measured from OpenStreetMap bars, pubs, nightclubs and craft breweries/distilleries, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.

  • Coffee –

    Cafés and the strength of the third-place coffee culture.

    Measured from OpenStreetMap café counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.

  • Live Music –

    Music venues and how often live shows actually happen.

    Measured from Ticketmaster and SeatGeek show listings, plus OpenStreetMap music venues.

  • Star Power –

    Notable people the city is known for, plus headliner acts that tour through.

    Measured from SeatGeek headliner popularity and Wikidata notable residents (rank-blended).

  • Outdoors –

    Parks, beaches and easy access to nature.

    Measured from OpenStreetMap parks, nature reserves, playgrounds and beaches, plus National Park Service units and Recreation.gov federal facilities.

  • Culture –

    Museums, theatres, galleries and arts institutions.

    Measured from OpenStreetMap museums, galleries and theatres plus geo-tagged Wikipedia landmarks, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.

  • Events –

    Festivals, fairs and a packed year-round events calendar.

    Measured from Ticketmaster and SeatGeek festivals, fairs and ticketed events.

  • Sports –

    Pro and college teams and the game-day energy around them.

    Measured from Ticketmaster and SeatGeek pro and college games, plus OpenStreetMap stadiums, sports centres and fitness centres.

  • Unique Hangouts –

    Escape rooms, arcades, trampoline parks and karaoke spots.

    Measured from OpenStreetMap escape rooms, arcades, trampoline parks and karaoke venues, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.

  • City Vibe –

    How much the city is talked about and searched for — news and search attention.

    Measured from GDELT news tone and Google Trends search interest (each percentile-ranked, then averaged).

  • Climate –

    How often the weather is good enough to get outside.

    Measured from NOAA climate normals — counts of comfortable days.

  • Transit Quality –

    How well a person without a car can move around the city.

    Measured from GTFS schedules via Transit.land, the Federal Transit Administration National Transit Database and US Census ACS B08301 commuter mode share.

  • Walkability –

    Density of fun within walking distance — sidewalks, intersections, mixed-use blocks.

    Measured from EPA National Walkability Index (block-group resolution, population-weighted to the city).

  • Higher Education –

    Density of college and university students — the engine behind a college town.

    Measured from NCES Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) full-time-equivalent enrollment and US Census ACS age cohort data.

  • Bike & Micromobility –

    Protected bike lanes and a working public bikeshare system.

    Measured from OpenStreetMap protected cycleway segments and the MobilityData GBFS bikeshare-feed catalog.

What weighs it down

  • Crime –

    Reported violent and property crime rates.

    Measured from FBI Crime Data Explorer and city open-data crime portals.

  • Traffic –

    Congestion and the time lost to commuting.

    Measured from US Census commute-time data (ACS).

  • Air Quality –

    Recent particulate matter and ozone levels — a trailing-week air-quality average.

    Measured from EPA AirNow and OpenAQ pollution readings (seven-day trailing average).

  • Disaster Risk –

    Exposure to natural hazards and severe events.

    Measured from FEMA National Risk Index.

  • Weather Extremes –

    Punishing heat, cold and storm extremes.

    Measured from NOAA Storm Events and climate-extremes data.

  • Economic Strain –

    Cost of living and housing pressure on residents.

    Measured from Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment, HUD Fair Market Rent and US Census median income plus poverty rate.

  • Going-Out Cost –

    What a typical night out actually costs in this metro.

    Measured from Bureau of Labor Statistics regional Consumer Price Index — food away from home, recreation services and transportation services.

Cities like Billings

The Billings read Free

A written read on Billings, grounded in the data

A plain-English analysis of why Billings scores the way it does — its standout strengths, where it falls short, who it suits best, and the cities most like it. Every figure is drawn from the same 23 factors on this page: it narrates the measured data, it never invents a number.

Billings, MT earns a Fun Score of 60 in the "Fun" category, standing out nationally for its exceptional City Vibe.

Billings shines in several key areas, contributing to its overall appeal. The city boasts an outstanding City Vibe with a score of 93, which is the best in the nation, ranking #1 out of 134 cities. This indicates a highly positive public sentiment and strong local interest, suggesting a vibrant and engaging atmosphere that residents and visitors alike appreciate.

Beyond its general ambiance, Billings offers a remarkable array of Unique Hangouts, scoring an impressive 89. This places it tied for #11 nationally out of 134 cities, meaning there are plenty of distinctive and engaging activities available, from escape rooms to arcades, for those looking for something a little different. For those who appreciate the natural world, Billings also excels in Outdoors activities, with a strong score of 85. This ranks it #20 out of 134 cities, highlighting abundant access to parks, nature reserves, and other green spaces for recreation and relaxation.

However, Billings does have some areas where it doesn't perform as strongly. The city's Climate scores a low 6, ranking #126 out of 134 cities, indicating that it experiences fewer comfortable days throughout the year. This is compounded by a low score of 10 for Weather Extremes, tied for #125 nationally, suggesting that the city is prone to challenging weather conditions. For those seeking a vibrant nightlife centered around music, the Live Music scene scores only 11, tied for #119 out of 134 cities, which means options for catching live performances are limited.

Billings is an ideal city for individuals who prioritize a strong community feel and unique recreational opportunities, especially those who enjoy spending time outdoors. It's a great fit for someone looking for a city with a positive atmosphere and plenty of distinctive local spots, provided they are prepared for a less temperate climate and a quieter live music scene.

If you're looking for cities with a similar profile to Billings, consider:

Sources:

  • OpenStreetMap restaurant counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality (Eats)
  • OpenStreetMap bars, pubs, nightclubs and craft breweries/distilleries, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality (Drinks)
  • OpenStreetMap café counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality (Coffee)
  • Ticketmaster and SeatGeek show listings, plus OpenStreetMap music venues (Live Music)
  • SeatGeek headliner popularity and Wikidata notable residents (rank-blended) (Star Power)
  • OpenStreetMap parks, nature reserves, playgrounds and beaches, plus National Park Service units and Recreation.gov federal facilities (Outdoors)
  • OpenStreetMap museums, galleries and theatres plus geo-tagged Wikipedia landmarks, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality (Culture)
  • Ticketmaster and SeatGeek festivals, fairs and ticketed events (Events)
  • Ticketmaster and SeatGeek pro and college games, plus OpenStreetMap stadiums, sports centres and fitness centres (Sports)
  • OpenStreetMap escape rooms, arcades, trampoline parks and karaoke venues, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality (Unique Hangouts)
  • GDELT news tone and Google Trends search interest (each percentile-ranked, then averaged) (City Vibe)
  • NOAA climate normals — counts of comfortable days (Climate)
  • GTFS schedules via Transit.land, the Federal Transit Administration National Transit Database and US Census ACS B08301 commuter mode share (Transit Quality)
  • EPA National Walkability Index (block-group resolution, population-weighted to the city) (Walkability)
  • NCES Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) full-time-equivalent enrollment and US Census ACS age cohort data (Higher Education)
  • OpenStreetMap protected cycleway segments and the MobilityData GBFS bikeshare-feed catalog (Bike & Micromobility)
  • FBI Crime Data Explorer and city open-data crime portals (Crime)
  • US Census commute-time data (ACS) (Traffic)
  • EPA AirNow and OpenAQ pollution readings (seven-day trailing average) (Air Quality)
  • FEMA National Risk Index (Disaster Risk)
  • NOAA Storm Events and climate-extremes data (Weather Extremes)
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment, HUD Fair Market Rent and US Census median income plus poverty rate (Economic Strain)
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics regional Consumer Price Index — food away from home, recreation services and transportation services (Going-Out Cost)

This narrative is generated by AI from CityFunIndex's measured data. The Fun Scores, ranks and raw values are computed deterministically; the wording around them is the model's. Verify any figure against the linked city page.

Written by CityFunIndex from the measured Fun Score data — the figures match this page, refreshed with every recompute.

Go deeper

Score it your way → Slide the 23 factors to match what you call fun, and re-rank every city against your own taste. Compare cities → Put Billings head-to-head with another city, factor by factor. More fun in Montana → See every Montana city in the index, ranked by Fun Score.

Use the data

Billings’s Fun Score and every factor score are available through the licensed CityFunIndex API — clean JSON, metered one call per city record, behind a paid key.

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Citation

CityFunIndex Fun Score for Billings, MT: 60/100 (v2.1.0-dev). https://cityfunindex.com/city/billings-mt

Press, research and partnership enquiries: media kit · api@cityfunindex.com.

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