Helena, MT

Census Place

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2024 Population
33,639
US Senator
Steve Daines
Republican Party
US Senator
Tim Sheehy
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
40.5
0.248% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
8.83%
3.04% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$71,036
2.44% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$387,300
9.07% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
16,672
2.03% 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.

99.6% of the residents in Helena, MT are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Helena, MT are Carroll College (356 degrees awarded in 2023) and Helena College University of Montana (233 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Helena, MT was $387,300, and the homeownership rate was 52.6%.

Most people in Helena, MT drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 13.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Helena, MT was 2 cars per household.

United StatesMontanaLewis and Clark County, MTHelena, MTLewis and Clark & Cascade Counties--Great Falls & Helena City PUMA, MTCentral Montana--Havre & Livingston City PUMA, MT

Population & Diversity

Helena, MT is home to a population of 33.6k people, from which 99.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.62% of Helena, MT residents were born outside of the country (544 people).

In 2024, there were 23.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (29.1k people) in Helena, MT than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.23k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 1k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.6%
2024 Citizenship
99.4%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.6% 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 99.4%, 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.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Helena, MT
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    29.1k ± 475
  2. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    1.23k ± 259
  3. White (Hispanic)
    1k ± 302
4.67%
Hispanic Population
1.57k people

In 2024, there were 23.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (29.1k people) in Helena, MT than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.23k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 1k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

4.67% of the people in Helena, MT are hispanic (1.57k people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Montana.
Most Common Origin
  1. Canada
    3,832 ± 1,517 people
  2. Mexico
    2,638 ± 1,259 people
  3. Germany
    1,932 ± 1,078 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Montana was Canada, the natal country of 3,832 Montana residents, followed by Mexico with 2,638 and Germany with 1,932.

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Foreign-Born Population

1.62%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
544 people
1.75%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
579 people

As of 2024, 1.62% of Helena, MT residents (544 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Helena, MT was 1.75%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Helena, MT compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    686 ± 173
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    500 ± 143
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    323 ± 104

Helena, MT has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.37 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Helena, MT employs 16.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Helena, MT were Health Care & Social Assistance (2,913 people), Public Administration (2,667 people), and Retail Trade (1,704 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($80,757), Finance & Insurance ($76,250), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($74,525).

Employment

Occupations

16.7k
2024 Value
± 1,019
2.03%
1 Year growth
± 8.53%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Helena, MT grew at a rate of 2.03%, from 16.3k employees to 16.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Helena, MT, are Management Occupations (2,231 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,524 people), and Business & Financial Operations Occupations (1,425 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Helena, MT.

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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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

16.7k
2024 Value
± 1,019
2.03%
1 Year growth
± 8.53%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Helena, MT grew at a rate of 2.03%, from 16.3k employees to 16.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Helena, MT, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,913 people), Public Administration (2,667 people), and Retail Trade (1,704 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Helena, MT, though some of these residents may live in Helena, MT and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$57,347
Median earning men ± $6,076
$45,553
Median earning women ± $3,328

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($120,644), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($73,854), and Public Administration ($69,438).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($63,036), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($61,417), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($59,355).

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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.

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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

Voting results are not available for Helena, MT. Showing the available data for Montana.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (58.4%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (38.5%)
    Democratic Party
  3. 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.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Montana

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Montana.
Steve Daines
Senator from Montana2
Assumed office on January 3, 2015
Tim Sheehy
Senator from Montana1
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.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Helena, MT awarded 589 degrees. The student population of Helena, MT in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,063 male students and 1,525 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Helena, MT are White (449 and 76.4%), Unknown (70 and 11.9%), Two or More Races (31 and 5.27%), and Hispanic or Latino (27 and 4.59%).

The largest universities in Helena, MT by number of degrees awarded are Carroll College (356 and 60.4%) and Helena College University of Montana (233 and 39.6%).

The most popular majors in Helena, MT are Registered Nursing (89 and 15.1%), General Studies (76 and 12.9%), and General Health Services (30 and 5.09%).

The median tuition cost in Helena, MT for private four year colleges is $39,152.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Helena, MT, the percentage of applicants admitted was 72.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 21%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 2,588 (41.1% men and 58.9% 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.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 2,588 students enrolled in Helena, MT, 41.1% men and 58.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,938 records, of which 60.5% were women and 39.5% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Business Administration & Management
    27 degrees awarded
  2. Registered Nursing
    60 degrees awarded
  3. General Health Services
    30 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Helena, MT was General Business Administration & Management with 27 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. Carroll College
    356 degrees awarded
  2. Helena College University of Montana
    233 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Carroll College with 356 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 238 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Helena, MT, which is 0.678 times less than the 351 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 449 degrees mean that there were 6.41 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 70 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($39,152) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,200) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

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.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Helena, MT was $387,300 in 2024, which is 1.16 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $355,100 to $387,300, a 9.07% increase. The homeownership rate in Helena, MT is 52.6%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Helena, MT have an average commute time of 13.7 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

$387,300
Median Property Value 2024
±$12,665
$8,303
Median Property Taxes
±$622

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.

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Rent vs Own

52.6%
Homeownership
2024
62.6%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 52.6% of the housing units in Helena, MT were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 53.8%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$71,036
Median Household Income
± $3,116
15.8k
Number of Households
± 926

In 2024, the median household income of the 15.8k households in Helena, MT grew to $71,036 from the previous year's value of $69,341.

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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Helena, MT is from Montana.
0.46
2023 Wage GINI in Montana
0.463
2022 Wage GINI in Montana

In 2023, the income inequality in Montana was 0.46 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.635% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Montana was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (64.4%)
  2. Worked At Home (16.2%)
  3. Carpooled (9.2%)

In 2024, 64.4% of workers in Helena, MT drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (16.2%) and those who carpooled to work (9.2%).

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.

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Commute Time

13.7 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Helena, MT have a shorter commute time (13.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.563% 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.

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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.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

8.83% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Helena, MT (2.86k out of 32.4k 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 Males 65 - 74 and then Males 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Helena, MT is White, followed by Native American 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.

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Health

95.4% of the population of Helena, MT has health coverage, with 47.7% on employee plans, 16.3% on Medicaid, 14.6% on Medicare, 14.4% on non-group plans, and 2.33% 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, 47.5% were men and 52.5% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.5% under 18 years, 22.2% between 18 and 34 years, 35.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.5% were men and 52.5% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

4.63%
Uninsured
47.7%
Employer Coverage
16.3%
Medicaid
14.6%
Medicare
14.4%
Non-Group
2.33%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Helena, MT grew by 14.7% from 4.03% to 4.63%.

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.

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