Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety33#619/924
Economy97#30/925
Housing65#320/925
Health83#155/925
Healthcare82#166/923
Environment75#231/917
Education94#58/925
Infrastructure75#236/925
Community96#42/925
Leisure & amenities93#68/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Helena, MT metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Child poverty rate · low7.0%
98/100Montana 11.7%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
New business applications · high24.5 /1k
97/100Montana 26.1 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Physical inactivity · low17.8%
96/100Montana 21.9%United States 26.5%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Food insecurity · low10.1%
96/100Montana 12.4%United States 15.6%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Poverty rate · low8.1%
96/100Montana 10.4%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high10.0 /10k
95/100Montana 13.7 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Comfortable days · low22.7%
6/100Montana 22.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Suicide rate · high27.8 /100k
8/100Montana 30.3 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100k2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high135 mi
10/100Montana 117 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Distance to an emergency room · high13.1 mi
11/100Montana 12.2 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · high5.1×
12/100Montana 5.2×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Violent crime rate · high382 /100k
21/100Montana 419 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
90,182 (2020) → 97,153 (2025)
+7.7%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
New homes permittedImproving
2.4 /1k (2021) → 4.9 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+107%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
High ozone daysImproving
2 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Hot daysWorsening
1 days (2011-2020) → 3 days (2016-2025)
+87%5 yearsUS 41 days → 42 days
Drought exposureImproving
66% (2021) → 50% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−16 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
14.7 /1k (2020) → 24.5 /1k (2025)
+67%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Helena, MT metro area improved on 11 of 28 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 6 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved11

Gyms+55%1.0 /10k → 1.5 /10k
Child poverty−6.2 points13.1% → 7.0%
New businesses+67%14.7 /1k → 24.5 /1k
Poverty−1.9 points10.0% → 8.1%
Grocery stores+5.2%1.7 /10k → 1.7 /10k

Declined6

Price / income+1.4×3.7× → 5.1×
Commute+2.7 min17.3 min → 20.0 min
Libraries−8.9%1.1 /10k → 1.0 /10k
Restaurants−13%13.3 /10k → 11.5 /10k
Traffic deaths+14%15.6 /100k → 17.8 /100k

All 28 measures

Change of every measure of Helena, MT metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	9.8 /10k2020	10.0 /10k2025	+2.3%	Little change	34%
Average commute time	17.3 min2015-2019	20.0 min2020-2024	+2.7 min	Declined	7%
Bachelor's degree or higher	39.3%2015-2019	40.2%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Broadband subscriptions	82.5%2015-2019	90.1%2020-2024	+7.5 points	Improved	31%
Child poverty rate	13.1%2015-2019	7.0%2020-2024	−6.2 points	Improved	84%
Distance to an airport	67 mi2020	67 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	97%
Drug overdose deaths	9.7 /100k2020	9.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−3.4%	Little change	31%
Effective property tax rate	0.85%2015-2019	0.67%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	67%
Grocery stores	1.7 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	+5.2%	Improved	68%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.0 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+55%	Improved	90%
High school diploma or higher	95.4%2015-2019	94.5%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Home price to income ratio	3.7×2015-2019	5.1×2020-2024	+1.4×	Declined	4%
Homicide rate	2.8 /100k2020	2.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+3.9%	Little change	19%
Income adjusted for local prices	$53,4912019	$69,6372024	+30%	Improved	38%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4182015-2019	0.4332020-2024	+0.014	Within the margin of error	21%
Median household income	$66,4192015-2019	$78,5282020-2024	+18%	Improved	9%
New business applications	14.7 /1k2020	24.5 /1k2025	+67%	Improved	77%
Pharmacies	1.2 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	−7.2%	Declined	52%
Poverty rate	10.0%2015-2019	8.1%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Improved	70%
Property crime rate	1,950 /100k2020	1,467 /100k2025	−25%	Improved	32%
Public libraries	1.1 /10k2019	1.0 /10k2024	−8.9%	Declined	13%
Rent as share of income	26.2%2015-2019	25.8%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	65%
Rent-burdened households	39.8%2015-2019	40.5%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	53%
Restaurants and bars	13.3 /10k2020	11.5 /10k2025	−13%	Declined	7%
Traffic deaths	15.6 /100k2015-2019	17.8 /100k2020-2024	+14%	Declined	37%
Unemployment rate	5.1%2020	3.1%2025	−2 points	Improved	21%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.0%2015-2019	7.3%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	35%
Violent crime rate	416 /100k2020	382 /100k2025	−8.3%	Improved	38%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Helena, MT metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Helena, MT metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Helena, MT metro area itself moved −1.2 points in standing on average over the same 28 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

93,906 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

39,033 households (±408)

Helena, MT metro area
United States share

Under $25k10%4,018
$25k–50k19%7,409
$50k–75k18%7,211

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

39,033 households (±408)

Helena, MT metro area
United States share

Own73%28,562
Rent27%10,471

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

46,424 workers (±926)

Helena, MT metro area
United States share

Drive alone69%32,256
Carpool11%5,004
Public transit0.2%†77

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Helena, MT employ 9,970 people. 7 pay a median above the US median and 3 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Helena, MT by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Business Operations Specialists, All Other1,420 jobs	1,420	$80,410US $83,050	−3%	4.56×
Retail Salespersons1,130 jobs	1,130	$35,990US $35,410	+2%	1.01×
Fast Food and Counter Workers1,060 jobs	1,060	$28,330US $31,200	−9%	0.96×
Office Clerks, General1,010 jobs	1,010	$46,450US $45,010	+3%	1.43×
Registered Nurses990 jobs	990	$98,690US $97,550	+1%	1.02×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides960 jobs	960	$36,570US $35,800	+2%	0.78×
General and Operations Managers940 jobs	940	$101,510US $105,770	−4%	0.94×
Cashiers940 jobs	940	$34,750US $32,880	+6%	1.07×
Stockers and Order Fillers770 jobs	770	$39,760US $37,330	+7%	0.95×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners750 jobs	750	$36,990US $36,840	0%	1.18×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Helena, MT.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Helena, MT has 3,152 employer establishments, 329 for every 10,000 residents (1.32× the US rate of 248), with 30,338 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,729. The Census Bureau also counts 8,741 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 3,152; 8,741 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 329; US 248
Paid employees: 30,338
Average annual pay: $51,729; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Helena, MT by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	313	32.6	2.11×More than typical	1,437	$61,702	738
Ambulatory health care services	254	26.5	1.27×More than typical	1,881	$64,494	397
Construction of buildings	169	17.6	2.33×More than typical	1,055	$78,924	383
Lessors of real estate	166	17.3	1.41×More than typical	318	$41,267	1,108
Restaurants and other eating places	165	17.2	0.94×About typical	2,838	$22,126	21
Offices of other health practitioners	117	12.2	2.01×More than typical	446	$53,188	259
Building equipment contractors	115	12	1.99×More than typical	695	$65,291	84
Services to buildings and dwellings	92	9.6	1.42×More than typical	445	$34,724	412
Real estate agents and brokers	86	9	1.84×More than typical	106	$52,434	192
Full-service restaurants	80	8.3	1.09×About typical	1,517	$24,138	9
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	79	8.2	3.10×More than typical	802	$20,897	88
Management, scientific and technical consulting	79	8.2	1.23×About typical	209	$75,144	320

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 95,893 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $79.9M on contracts performed in Helena, MT metro area: $822 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $79.9M; −3% vs FY2025
Per resident: $822; US $1,994
Sole-source: 5.9%; US 30%
Single offer: 18%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Forest Service$24.8M31%
Department of the Army$22.9M29%
Department of Veterans Affairs$19.9M25%
Environmental Protection Agency$7.5M9.4%
Indian Health Service$1.6M2.0%
Federal Highway Administration$1.4M1.8%
Federal Aviation Administration$905.5K1.1%
Bureau of Reclamation$553.2K0.7%

Top recipients

WESTON SOLUTIONS INC$21.7M27%
HELICOPTER TRANSPORT SERVICES, LLC$12.4M16%
HYDROGEOLOGIC, INC.$5.6M7.0%
C K MAY EXCAVATING INC$3.8M4.8%
ACIERTO LLC$3.2M4.0%

Spending by fiscal year

30.1MFY2017
34.9MFY2018
33.7MFY2019
41.3MFY2020
39.6MFY2021
47MFY2022
61.9MFY2023
56.3M

Top industries (NAICS)

Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$29.5M37%
Nonscheduled air transportation · 4812$13.7M17%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$10.1M13%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$3.9M4.9%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$3.6M4.5%
Employment services · 5613

Largest awards

QUALITY INNOVATION NETWORK/QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS (QIN-QIO) TASK ORDER$23.7M
MOUNTAIN PACIFIC QUALITY HEALTH· Lewis and Clark County, MT· Health & medical· Nov 7, 2019 – Jan 5, 2026· 75FCMC20F0001
ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION SERVICES EAST HELENA, OPERABLE UNIT 2$21.7M
WESTON SOLUTIONS INC· Lewis and Clark County, MT· Facilities & utilities· Mar 19, 2026 – Mar 19, 2026· W9128F26FA055
HTS - T1 EU FOR HELENA, MT$18.5M
HELICOPTER TRANSPORT SERVICES, LLC· Lewis and Clark County, MT· Facilities & utilities· Mar 25, 2025 – Sep 29, 2026· 1202SA25K9204
THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE ALL SERVICES, SUPPLIES, MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT, TOOLS, LABOR, SUPERVISION, SAFETY, AND OTHER ITEMS TO COMPLETE THE EHRM INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AT THE VA MEDICAL CENTER IN FORT HARRISON, MONTANA.

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $736.3M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Helena, MT metro area: $7,579 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $736.3M; +1.3% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,579; US $12,955
Loan face value: $66.8M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$452.3M61%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$114.8M16%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$39.6M5.4%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$28.9M3.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$28.7M3.9%
10.912 · Environmental Quality Incentives Program$11.6M1.6%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$8.9M1.2%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$6.7M0.9%

Top recipients (organizations)

MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$29.1M4.0%
HELENA, MT
HELENA HOUSING AUTHORITY$5.9M0.8%
HELENA, MT
ROCKY MOUNTAIN DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, INC$3.2M0.4%
HELENA, MT
PUREVIEW HEALTH CENTER$2.7M0.4%
HELENA, MT
MONTANA PRIMARY CARE ASSOCIATION, INCORPORATED

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$529.6M72%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$125.2M17%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$29.7M4.0%
Department of Transportation
Natural Resources Conservation Service$12.7M1.7%
Department of Agriculture
Railroad Retirement Board

Assistance by fiscal year

562MFY2021
625.1MFY2022
644.3MFY2023
664.7MFY2024
726.7MFY2025
736.3MFY2026

County aggregates

90%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Helena, MT

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

HelenaPrincipal city33,639

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Montana

Areas based in Montana, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M25740

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved11

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Helena, MT metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Helena, MT

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Montana

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved11

Declined6

Look up any occupation

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought