Your Community Guide to Billings Heights
Welcome back to another edition of Community Guides for Billings, Montana. As I’ve mentioned in previous community guides, Billings is the largest city in Montana, located along the Yellowstone River offering an inviting environment for visitors and residents alike.
With large cities comes various neighborhoods with different vibes and that’s exactly what we’re covering in the Community Guide series so you can discover which community is the best fit for you!
Whether you’re looking to make the move to Billings, you’re looking to sell and move to a different area in the city or you’re just looking for a fun hang out spot during your travels, these community guides were made with you in mind.
Glad you’re here, let’s dig in! In this community guide, we’re highlighting the suburban area of Billings Heights.
Heights History
I know, history can sometimes be boring 😴 but the reason I want to call this out for Heights specifically is because the history shows us that this community has been known for its growth for quite some time.
And if you’re the type of person that prefers growth and development in the area that you live or visit, this is likely important to you!
The Heights area was first annexed into the City of Billings in the 80’s. From 1970-1980, this area saw massive growth and gained almost 10,000 people. This tremendous growth continued through the 90’s and by 2000, the Heights area was home to nearly 20,000 people.
The growth in this area has continued on an upward trend for many years, residentially and commercially, as businesses began populating much of Main Street.
Although Heights is scaled back from the hustle and bustle that you’ll find in Downtown Billings, it's not as quiet or secluded as some neighborhoods like Northwest.
While still being considered a suburban style community, the population is high and you will be surrounded by people if you reside in the Heights area.
When the Heights neighborhood was being officially developed, they declared their vision statement as: promoting growth and opportunities for the neighborhood of a lifetime.
AKA: people in this area value expansion. They’re open to change. They value quality amenities and vast opportunities at their fingertips. And they enjoy each other’s company!
Homes in Heights
Before you move to an area, you want to know what the vibe is like right?! Sure, you can pull up the neighborhood on Google Maps and check it out through street view, but that can only give you so much insight!
So to really help you envision what Heights is like, let me ask you: do you remember those Disney Channel movies back in the day where the parents were always rushing out the door to get to work and the kids were running late for the bus stop?
The neighborhood always seemed to be filled with working parents and the kids were always best friends. The schools were closeby, people were friendly and it depicted a tight knit community really well.
Well, that’s sort of what Heights is like, but way less dramatic 🤣 It’s truly its own community where you can find the perfect semi-secluded home, but still be surrounded by friendly neighbors.
The area is home to a large portion of working parents with children that attend the nearby schools, making it similar to that Disney Channel depiction I described above!
It’s an area where people feel totally safe to raise their family and have direct access to family friendly amenities, while also being in close driving proximity to everything else they need, from work to school, entertainment and everyday necessities.
Schooling
If you do have kiddos and plan to make the move to Heights, the school your child attends will be determined by which area of Heights you reside in. Since the community is pretty expansive, there are 5 elementary schools in the area including:
Alkali Creek
Bench
Bitterroot
Eagle Cliffs
Sandstone
The middle schools for Heights include:
Castle Rock
Medicine Crow
And for high school, all students will come together to attend Skyview.
Happenings in Heights
For the Foodie:
The Vig Alehouse & Casino - a sports bar style restaurant serving up delicious food and drinks alongside their popular trivia nights
Blues BBQ - if you’ve never had BBQ from a gas station, just hear me out 🤣 this is hands down the best BBQ in Billings and has been a crowd favorite since 2004
Off Main Deli & Bakery - do you ever have those days where you just want your mom to make you a sandwich? yeah, same 😅 because mom can’t always come to the rescue, Off Main Deli does the trick with their piled high sandwiches, your favorite chip choice and cookies the size of your head!
For the Family:
Lake Elmo State Park - this public recreation area is a popular spot for those looking to swim, boat, paddleboard or picnic! It makes for a dreamy day date, is welcoming for the whole family or is perfect for the solo adventurer
Castle Rock Park - fun fact: Heights is home to over 12 community parks, so you won’t run short of places to get outside and soak in the mountainous Montana air. Castle Rock Park is a popular option offering sports fields, playgrounds and of course plenty of picnic spots!
So, what’s it gonna cost ya?
Compared to other areas in Billings, Heights is one of the more cost effective options for people. What I mean by that is you get more bang for your buck in this area, but it may be less crafted than some of the other desirable areas like Northwest.
The perk of Heights is that it's a family friendly design making the average cost of a single family home ranging between $380,000 - $412,000 as of August 2024.
Since the area is so expansive, you can typically find a home that fits all of your wants and needs that also fits your budget so you can proudly live your best suburb life!
Ready to get Stuck in the Suburbs?
Overall, Heights is the perfect fit for family oriented people that value community and prefer to live in an area that feels semi-secluded while still being in close proximity to daily lifestyle needs.
If you’re ready to get stuck in the suburbs, I’m always here to start the conversation and see how we can make it happen for you!
P.S. Want a peek into all of the neighborhoods that Billings, Montana has to offer? Download the Ultimate Community Guide to take a look under the hood to what life could be like for you in this beautiful side of the state.
