Helena, MT

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population

93,906

US Senator

Steve Daines

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Sheehy

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

42.6

0.472% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

8.12%

4.98% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$78,528

6.06% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$401,200

10.4% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Helena, MT reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.4% of the residents in Helena, MT are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Helena, MT was $401,200, and the homeownership rate was 73.2%.

Most people in Helena, MT drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 20 minutes. The average car ownership in Helena, MT was 2 cars per household.

Helena, MT borders Bozeman, MT, Butte-Silver Bow, MT, Great Falls, MT, and Kalispell, MT.

United States Montana

Population & Diversity

Helena, MT is home to a population of 93.9k people, from which 99.4% are citizens. As of N/A, NaNk% of Helena, MT residents were born outside of the country (N/A people).

In 2024, there were 27.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (83.5k people) in Helena, MT than any other race or ethnicity. There were 3.06k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 1.66k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.4%

2024 Citizenship

99.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.4% of Helena, MT residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Helena, MT was 99.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Helena, MT compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Helena, MT

White (Non-Hispanic)
83.5k ± 458
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
3.06k ± 338
White (Hispanic)
1.66k ± 270

3.79%

Hispanic Population

3.56k people

3.79% of the people in Helena, MT are hispanic (3.56k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Helena, MT as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Montana.

Most Common Origin

Canada
4,118 ± 1,573 people
Mexico
2,905 ± 1,322 people
Philippines
1,984 ± 1,093 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Montana was Canada, the natal country of 4,118 Montana residents, followed by Mexico with 2,905 and Philippines with 1,984.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,383 ± 329
Gulf War (2001-)
2,380 ± 378
Gulf War (1990s)
1,053 ± 201

Helena, MT has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Helena, MT.

Health

94.2% of the population of Helena, MT has health coverage, with 47% on employee plans, 14.1% on Medicaid, 14.5% on Medicare, 15.8% on non-group plans, and 2.77% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Montana see 1,200 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,200 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1350 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 250 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Montana.

1,200 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Montana

Primary care physicians in Montana see an average of 1,200 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,200 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Montana in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.3% under 18 years, 17.5% between 18 and 34 years, 39.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.84%

Uninsured

47%

Employer Coverage

14.1%

Medicaid

14.5%

Medicare

15.8%

Non-Group

2.77%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Helena, MT declined by 3.73% from 6.07% to 5.84%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Helena, MT changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

Employment

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Montana.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Montana (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Median Earnings by Industry

$58,842

Median earning men ± $2,757

$42,899

Median earning women ± $2,823

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($77,177), Information ($72,813), and Public Administration ($71,483).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($61,610), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($53,953), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($52,928).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Montana.

Y-Axis

2.24%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 508k people employed in Montana. This represents a 2.24% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 11.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Montana.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

387
Construction
226
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
213
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$379k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$170k
Finance and Insurance
$163k
Construction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Montana went to Donald J. Trump with 58.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.96%).

Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy are the senators currently representing the state of Montana. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Montana is currently represented by 2 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Helena, MT. Showing the available data for Montana.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (58.4%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (38.5%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (1.96%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Montana went to Donald J. Trump with 58.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.96%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Montana for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Montana

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Montana.

Steve Daines

Senator from Montana

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Tim Sheehy

Senator from Montana

Assumed office on January 3, 2025

Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy are the senators currently representing Montana.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Montana over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Helena, MT awarded 542 degrees. The student population of Helena, MT in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 1,139 male students and 1,571 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Helena, MT are White (417 and 76.9%), Unknown (51 and 9.41%), Two or More Races (33 and 6.09%), and Hispanic or Latino (23 and 4.24%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $40,132.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Helena, MT, the percentage of applicants admitted was 70.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 21.6%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 2,710 (42% men and 58% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 2,710 students enrolled in Helena, MT, 42% men and 58% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,061 records, of which 59.2% were women and 40.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Helena, MT was N/A with N/A degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Helena, MT according to their major.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 219 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Helena, MT, which is 0.678 times less than the 323 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 417 degrees mean that there were 8.18 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 51 degrees awarded.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($40,132) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,352) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,516) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Helena, MT was $401,200 in 2024, which is 1.21 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $363,400 to $401,200, a 10.4% increase. The homeownership rate in Helena, MT is 73.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Helena, MT have an average commute time of 20 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Helena, MT is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$401,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,036

$28,562

Median Property Taxes

±$1,179

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Helena, MT the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Helena, MT compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

73.2%

Homeownership

2024

66.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 73.2% of the housing units in Helena, MT were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 72.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Helena, MT compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$78,528

Median Household Income

± $3,115

39k

Number of Households

± 1,433

In 2024, the median household income of the 39k households in Helena, MT grew to $78,528 from the previous year's value of $74,040.

The following chart displays the households in Helena, MT distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Helena, MT is from Montana.

0.458

2024 Wage GINI in Montana

0.46

2023 Wage GINI in Montana

In 2024, the income inequality in Montana was 0.458 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.613% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Montana was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Montana in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Montana across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (69.5%)
Worked At Home (13.9%)
Carpooled (10.8%)

In 2024, 69.5% of workers in Helena, MT drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (13.9%) and those who carpooled to work (10.8%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

20 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Helena, MT have a shorter commute time (20 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, N/A% of the workforce in Helena, MT have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Helena, MT compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Helena, MT distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Helena, MT have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

8.12% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Helena, MT (7.49k out of 92.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Helena, MT is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.