When you think about "rich zip codes" in Montana, the smaller foo-foo ski towns or lake towns might spring to mind first. Depending on what measure of wealth we use, you might actually be right. But in this instance, the question was specific and didn't have to deal with accumulated wealth or real estate holdings.

Rocket Homes recently listed "Which zip code in each state has the highest median income?At first glance we assumed it would be one of the tiny, gorgeous enclaves that Montana is becoming known for. Nope. It was a big town everyone knows better than most: Billings, Montana.

There WERE a few stipulations about which town in each state could be chosen as having the highest median income. First of all, the town couldn't be too tiny. Said town had to have at least 500 permanent residents. Rocket searched for the zip codes with the highest median income which they clearly defined as:

To be included in the list, each ZIP code had to have 500 or more residents. Income includes wages and salaries as well as earnings from interest, retirement income, and Social Security payments. It does not include capital gains, public housing subsidies, or money made from selling a home or property.

The Yellowstone River and decent paying jobs have always been two of the most alluring aspects of Billings, and that holds true today. If you're looking to move to Montana and actually be able to AFFORD to live in Montana, Billings is generally a smart choice. The cost of living is generally less expensive than other larger towns such as Bozeman or Missoula.

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Major employers in Billings include: Billings Clinic, First Interstate Bank, Waggoners Trucking, Kampgrounds of America (KOA), St. John's Lutheran Ministries Skilled Nursing Care, Avitus Group, and three oil refineries.

Billings, Montana's median income was last listed with the U.S. Census as $48,475...MUCH lower than the $69,021 median income nationwide. Elaborating on the Rocket listings, Stacker went on to add a few important details about Billings:

The sectors with the highest employment numbers for the area are health care and social assistance, retail, and accommodation and food services. Boosting the ZIP code's median income, the highest-paying sectors are mining, quarrying, and natural gas extraction; utilities; finance and insurance; and manufacturing.

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