With 33,639 people, Helena is a city in Montana. This is an unusually credentialed place: 51% of adults have a four-year degree. The average commute runs 14 minutes. 2% of residents were born outside the United States. Owners hold 53% of the housing stock. 7,859 more people live here than in 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $71,036, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.5
US median: 38.9
More educated
51% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 98%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Helena
What changed most since 1990
Median home value (2024 dollars)$151,924 → $387,300(+155%)US over the same years: +67%
White share95.0% → 86.4%(−8.5 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Hispanic share1.3% → 4.7%(+3.4 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Helena's population equals 46% of Lewis and Clark County's. Its number of households without a car equals 81% of the county's. Its number of veterans equals 35% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)25.5%(500)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.6%(443)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.6%(739)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.2%(102)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,964 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Helena, decade by decade
Helena population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
24,346
$61,111
$151,924
34.2%
12.1
2000
25,780
$62,694
$195,464
39.8%
14.7
2010
28,190
$66,625
$266,855
44.7%
19.8
2020
32,091
$72,812
$319,130
49.0%
30.7
2024
33,639
$71,036
$387,300
50.6%
30.6
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
