Lewis And Clark County · Montana · West · 34k residents
Helena, MT: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Helena: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Montana median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,260/wk. Montana's corporate income tax rate is 6.75%. Commercial electricity averages 11.9¢/kWh.
Compare Helena side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,260/wk
Corporate income tax
6.75%
Bachelor's degree or higher
50.6%
Commercial electricity
11.9¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Helena's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
17/100
Cooling
Ranks Helena's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $387,300 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $275 |
| Property tax rate | 0.7% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $883/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,151/mo |
| State & local income tax | 3.29% |
| Sales tax | 0% |
| Corporate income tax | 6.75% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,260/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.6% |
| Commercial electricity | 11.9¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 48.3/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $99,370 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $98,690 |
| Wage: General manager | $101,510 |
| Wage: Customer service | $46,680 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $39,760 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $56,800 |
| Wage: Electrician | $78,760 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $35,990 |
| Cost of living index | 96 |
| Groceries index | 100 |
| Utilities | $130/mo |
| Transit pass | $35/mo |
| Gas price | $3.30/gal |
| Healthcare index | 98 |
| Childcare (per child) | $950/mo |
| Median household income | $71,036 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% |
| Population | 34k |
| Crime index | 48/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 |
| Walkability | 30/100 |
| Disaster risk | 71/100 |
| Avg. commute | 19 min |
| Sunny days / year | 190 days |
| July high | 86°F |
| January low | 14°F |
| Annual snowfall | 37 in |
| Home price YoY | +2.9% |
| Home price MoM | 0.0% |
| Rent YoY | +3.1% |
| Rent MoM | +0.2% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | -0.7% |
| Building permits YoY | -50.4% |
| Ocean coast | 490 mi |
| Big lake | 132 mi |
| Mountains | 34 mi |
| Major airport | 71 mi |
| Ski resort | 77 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Butte-Silver Bow, MT · 35k
- Great Falls, MT · 60k
- Bozeman, MT · 56k
- Missoula, MT · 77k
- Kalispell, MT · 29k
Similar size
- Billings, MT · 119k
Real listings in Helena
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Helena a good place to run a business?
- Montana's corporate income tax rate is 6.75%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,260/wk; commercial electricity averages 11.9¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Helena, MT?
- Helena indexes at 96 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,151/mo and a acs median home value of $387,300.
- How much does a house cost in Helena?
- The acs median home value in Helena is $387,300 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Helena?
- A two-bedroom in Helena rents for about $1,151/mo.