United States › Helena METRO AREA · 2020 ACS
Helena Metro Helena, MT · 3 counties · 89,832 residents · 6,308 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS 2024 ACS
The short version
With 89,832 people, Helena is a metro area. The foreign-born share is 2%. The median age is 42.7, about 4 years above the US median. Growth has run 28% since 2000, or 19,682 more people. Getting to work takes 18 minutes on average. 72% of homes are owner-occupied.
At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 42.7
US median: 38.8
More educated
40% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 64%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth from 38.5 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
55K 66K 76K 87K 97K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Helena Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $66,202
+17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,662 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $18,532 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 28.6% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 10.6% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Public administration 5.3%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 4.1%
Professional, scientific, technical 2.6%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.6%
Transportation & warehousing 0.9%
Education & health services 0.4%
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$265,552
+64%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $107,581 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$847
+26%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $449 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 72.5% in 2000
28.5% rent
from 2.56 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
from 3.5 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 94.6%(66,349)
Hispanic / Latino 1.5%(1,050)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 88.1%(79,138)
Hispanic / Latino 3.4%(3,090)
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 33 more ancestry groups with data from 30.0% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 90.8% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 9.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 12.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 72.6% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 5.7% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 67.6% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 39.6% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 11.0% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 28.9%(11,189)
Women 15+
Never married 22.6%(8,852)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 11.0% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
US average: 35.2%
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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later) 25.3%(2,095)
Gulf War (1990s) 23.3%(1,933)
Share of the 8,283 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.
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In this metro
Largest cities HelenaCENTRAL 35,138 Helena Valley Southeast 9,108 Helena Valley West Central 8,056 Helena Valley Northwest 5,183 Helena Valley Northeast 4,659 Montana City 3,092 East Helena 2,325 Townsend 2,272 Clancy 1,874 Wheatland 1,661 Helena West Side 1,417 Boulder 1,305 Whitehall 1,131 Lincoln 908 Spokane Creek 740 South Hills 620 The Silos 579 Jefferson City 533 Unionville 412 Toston 368 Basin 352 Rader Creek 310 York 182 Craig 172 Augusta 165 Marysville 160 Rimini 118 Winston 81 Milford Colony 40 Radersburg 35 The 30 most populous of 35 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.
What's inside
3 component counties Drill deeper
Metros similar to Helena Head to head
Compare Helena side by side HELENA VS
Corvallis
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Home value $513,000 +93%
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HELENA VS
Cheyenne
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HELENA VS
Dubuque
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HELENA VS
Columbus
Income $79,901 +21%
Home value $232,800 −12%
Population 85,729 −12%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Helena, MT? Helena, MT has about 89,832 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Helena, MT? The typical household in Helena, MT earns about $66,202 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Helena, MT expensive? In Helena, MT, the median home is worth about $265,552, and the typical rent is about $847 a month.
How educated are people in Helena, MT? About 40.4% of adults age 25 and over in Helena, MT hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Helena, MT? About 8.9% of people in Helena, MT live below the federal poverty line.
Has Helena, MT grown since 1990? Yes, Helena, MT has grown since 1990. The population has added about 31,080 residents, a change of about 53 percent over that period.
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