Cost of living in Helena research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Helena is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Alabama, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Helena is 102, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Helena is 1.0x higher than the national average.
Helena ranks as the #98 cheapest in Alabama out of 115.
Helena ranks as the #3,380 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Helena is $227,800.
The median income in Helena is $96,173.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Helena has an overall cost of living index of 102, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Alabama, Helena has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than Alabama's index of 88.
The standard of living in Helena ranks as #98 most affordable out of the 115 places we measured in Alabama. By definition, that implies Helena ranks as the #17 most expensive place in the Heart of Dixie.
For more reading on life in Helena, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Helena. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Helena is 100.
The Groceries index in Helena is 94.
The Health index in Helena is 93.
The Housing index in Helena is 109.
The Transportation index in Helena is 95.
The Utilities index in Helena is 100.
Living Expense | Helena | Alabama | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 102 | 88 | 100 | |
Services | 100 | 95 | 100 | |
Groceries | 94 | 97 | 100 | |
Health | 93 | 88 | 100 | |
Housing | 109 | 69 | 100 | |
Transportation | 95 | 90 | 100 | |
Utilities | 100 | 101 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Alabama, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Helena is $227,800.
The Median Rent in Helena is $1,101.
The Median Income in Helena is $96,173.
The Home Value To Income in Helena is 2.4x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Helena is 0.14x.
Statistic | Helena | Alabama | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $227,800 | $157,100 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,101 | $852 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $96,173 | $54,943 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.4x | 2.9x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.14x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Helena. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Birmingham, AL has a cost of living index of 87, 0.9x Helena.
Hoover, AL has a cost of living index of 110, 1.1x Helena.
Alabaster, AL has a cost of living index of 98, 1.0x Helena.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Helena |
---|---|---|---|
Birmingham, AL | 202,234 | 87 | 0.9x |
Hoover, AL | 91,371 | 110 | 1.1x |
Alabaster, AL | 33,133 | 98 | 1.0x |
Homewood, AL | 26,206 | 112 | 1.1x |
Bessemer, AL | 26,171 | 84 | 0.8x |
Pelham, AL | 24,134 | 99 | 1.0x |
Hueytown, AL | 16,694 | 91 | 0.9x |
Calera, AL | 16,126 | 97 | 1.0x |
Chelsea, AL | 14,710 | 107 | 1.0x |
Fairfield, AL | 10,108 | 85 | 0.8x |