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 Montana, 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 97, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Helena is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Helena ranks as the #14 cheapest in Montana out of 23.
Helena ranks as the #2,747 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Helena is $278,300.
The median income in Helena is $59,712.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Helena has an overall cost of living index of 97, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Montana, Helena has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Montana's index of 103.
The standard of living in Helena ranks as #14 most affordable out of the 23 places we measured in Montana. By definition, that implies Helena ranks as the #9 most expensive place in the Treasure State.
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 97.
The Groceries index in Helena is 102.
The Health index in Helena is 101.
The Housing index in Helena is 102.
The Transportation index in Helena is 97.
The Utilities index in Helena is 85.
Living Expense | Helena | Montana | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 97 | 103 | 100 | |
Services | 97 | 102 | 100 | |
Groceries | 102 | 101 | 100 | |
Health | 101 | 98 | 100 | |
Housing | 102 | 107 | 100 | |
Transportation | 97 | 111 | 100 | |
Utilities | 85 | 89 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Montana, 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 $278,300.
The Median Rent in Helena is $880.
The Median Income in Helena is $59,712.
The Home Value To Income in Helena is 4.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Helena is 0.18x.
Statistic | Helena | Montana | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $278,300 | $263,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $880 | $886 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $59,712 | $60,560 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 4.7x | 4.4x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.18x | 0.18x | 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:
Helena Valley Southeast, MT has a cost of living index of 94, 1.0x Helena.
Helena Valley West Central, MT has a cost of living index of 98, 1.0x Helena.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Helena |
---|---|---|---|
Helena Valley Southeast, MT | 9,316 | 94 | 1.0x |
Helena Valley West Central, MT | 8,550 | 98 | 1.0x |