Living in Laurel, MT
Yellowstone County
Laurel is a real, genuinely distinct working-class refinery and rail town in Yellowstone County, roughly 15 miles west of Billings along I-90 and the Yellowstone River. Laurel's defining employer is the CHS Inc. Laurel Refinery (the real Cenex-brand refinery), processing approximately 60,000 barrels per day of crude oil -- a real, genuine industrial identity distinct from Montana's mountain-tourism corridor and much of the rest of the state's ranching-town character. Laurel's population has run essentially flat in recent years (7,213 in a 2026 estimate versus 7,222 at the 2020 Census), a real, disclosed contrast with the fast growth this project documents elsewhere in Montana. Housing runs genuinely more affordable than Montana's own $467,919 statewide average home value, though this record discloses a real, unresolved cross-source spread ($235,100 to $290,000) rather than picking one number. Laurel's crime rate runs genuinely, substantially elevated -- higher than more than 97% of Montana communities per NeighborhoodScout-style research -- a real fact this record does not soften, even while crediting a disclosed 10% year-over-year decline.
Explore Laurel in depth
- Moving to Laurel: Pros, Cons & What to Know
- Cost of Living in Laurel
- Housing in Laurel
- Taxes & Insurance in Laurel
- Climate in Laurel
- Schools & Families in Laurel
- Healthcare & Safety in Laurel
- Pros and Cons of Living in Laurel
- Best Areas to Live in Laurel
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Learn moreHousing
Taxes
Not independently sourced at the Yellowstone County level this session. Montana's top state income tax rate is 5.65%. See the Montana hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Laurel-specific.
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Get local guidanceThe tradeoffs
Pros
Genuine housing affordability relative to both Montana's statewide average and nearby Billings, paired with a real, stable industrial employment base (the CHS Cenex refinery, Montana Rail Link, Wood's Power-Grip) distinct from Montana's more tourism- or agriculture-dependent small towns. Montana's real, current, favorable statewide tax structure applies (no general sales tax, a simplified two-bracket income tax topping out at 5.65%). Genuine proximity to Billings' broader job market, healthcare, and amenities, roughly 15 miles away.
Cons
A real, substantially elevated crime rate -- higher than more than 97% of Montana communities per this pass's research -- is the single most significant disclosed drawback. Schools carry a real, disclosed underperformance signal (an average C- SchoolGrade, with actual proficiency below projected). Laurel has no local general acute-care hospital of its own. A real, disclosed cross-source housing-price spread this record does not resolve to one number.
Who this fits
Best for: Best fits cost-conscious movers and first-time homebuyers seeking genuine affordability relative to Billings and Montana's statewide average, particularly those with a direct connection to Laurel's refinery, rail, or industrial employment base, and those prioritizing small-town scale over Billings' larger-city amenities.
Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for movers prioritizing school performance or a low local crime rate as a top factor -- Laurel's real, disclosed figures on both run notably behind favorable norms this pass found elsewhere in Montana. Those needing a local acute-care hospital rather than a roughly 15-mile drive to Billings should also weigh this record's disclosed healthcare-access gap directly.
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