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Helena West Side, MT Area Profile

Helena West Side, Montana Area, MT

Cost of Living

A quick read on everyday affordability around Helena West Side, with the main cost drivers separated for scanning.

Composite Index

95.8

Grocery Index

9.1

Housing Index

8.6

Transportation Index

7.2

Cost of living summary
MetricValue
Composite cost index95.8
Grocery index9.1
Housing index8.6
Transportation index7.2

What to Watch

  • The first pass on Helena West Side should separate fixed housing costs from bills that move month to month.
  • Home values are elevated enough that taxes and financing terms can move the total cost.
  • Use Helena, MT as a same-state comparison point before treating one MT value as typical.
View Montana cost of living report

Utilities

Monthly utility patterns and baseline household costs for power, water, gas, and fuel.

Electric Rate Consumption

Monthly electric index
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
222834456274485667826157

Water Consumption

Monthly water index
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
664844363026343733554958

Gas Rate (CCF)

Monthly gas index
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
283643526147556349455257
Everyday utility costs
MetricValue
Electricity rate$0.135/kWh
Gasoline price$3.28/gal
Water bill avg$48/mo
Gas rate$1.18/CCF
View Montana utilities report

Demographics

Population, age mix, education, and income context for understanding the local community.

Population Age Pyramid

Age mix index
Age bandMaleFemale
0-96864
10-197571
20-348378
35-499290
50-6410097
65-748488
75+7279

Income Distribution

Income bracket index
BracketIndex
Under $35k72
$35k-$49k88
$50k-$74k100
$75k-$99k79
$100k+52

Annual Income Distribution

Median household$63,200
Per capita$33,900
Poverty rate9.8%
Community snapshot
MeasureEstimate
Population1,584
Median age35.2
Bachelor+48.3%

Schools

School performance and classroom context in a compact local snapshot.

Test Score Trends

Test score trend
201920202021202220232024
424851575964

Grocery Index

9.1

Housing Index

8.6

Transportation Index

7.2

Utility Index

7.9

School snapshot
IndicatorValue
Math proficiency53%
Reading proficiency58%
Student-teacher ratio14:1

Helpful Context

  • Year-to-year school figures can move more in smaller places, so compare Helena West Side with nearby districts too.
  • A single score rarely explains the full school picture for Helena West Side; program fit and attendance zones matter too.
  • Nearby city pages can help separate Helena West Side-specific signals from broader Montana patterns.

Local Economy

A simple labor-market snapshot showing local job mix, wages, and workforce size.

Industry Job Types

Industry job mix
IndustryShareIndex
Manufacturing31%74
Agriculture26%64
Healthcare19%52
Retail14%39
Other Services10%31
Local economy snapshot
MetricValue
Unemployment3.5%
Median wage$67,692
Labor force264

Climate

Winter avg: 15 degrees F - Summer avg: 82 degrees F - Snowfall: 43 in

Local Takeaways

  • Compare Helena West Side with Helena, MT to see whether wages and housing are moving in the same direction.
  • The median household income value is $67,692 when ACS data is available for this place.
  • Use the economy card with housing and taxes to judge whether Helena West Side works for a specific household budget.

Real Estate

Home values, property taxes, and rental context in one housing-focused snapshot.

Median Home Value Trend

Median home value trend
201920202021202220232024
$154k$161k$172k$181k$186k$189k

Property Tax Breakdown

  • County levy: 42%
  • School district: 34%
  • City/other: 24%
Housing and tax snapshot
IndicatorValue
Median home value$411,800
Median property tax paid$3,009
Estimated state sales tax rate7.39%
Rent (2-bed)$781/mo
View Montana property tax report

Climate

A compact view of weather patterns and natural-risk context for the area.

Avg High (Jul)82°F
Avg Low (Jan)8°F
Humidity72%

Climate Snapshot

Reference
Now--
Condition--
Wind--
Today--

Climate context is provided for planning and comparison.

Climate snapshot
MeasureValue
Sunny days196
Annual snowfall43 in
NOAA hazard risk scoreModerate

Planning Notes

  • For Helena West Side, weather risk is best read with insurance, roof age, drainage, and commute routes together.
  • Utility planning matters because electricity is relatively favorable compared with higher-rate markets.
  • Compare climate and insurance sections together before using Helena West Side as a relocation shortlist.

Insurance

Location-based risk and cost pressure signals that can affect insurance pricing.

Risk IndexModerate
Weather RiskMedium
Cost PressureLow
Insurance summary
IndicatorEstimate
Insurance cost index95
NOAA hazard risk scoreModerate
Primary local riskWinter weather

What Affects Rates

  • Insurance pricing for Helena West Side still depends on the address, structure age, roof condition, and carrier appetite.
  • Local claims history, coverage limits, deductibles, and property condition can outweigh broad MT averages.
  • Compare with Helena, MT for a broader read on Montana insurance pressure.
View Montana insurance report

Helena West Side Facts

A compact fact sheet for Helena West Side with the strongest available public-data fields.

Helena West Side, MT facts
FactValueSource context
Population1,584ACS place estimate
Median household income$67,692ACS household estimate
Median home value$411,800ACS housing estimate
Median age35.2ACS demographic estimate
Bachelor+ share48.3%ACS education estimate
Residential electric rate$0.135/kWhEIA state residential rate

Helpful Context

  • For Helena West Side, income sits in the middle range, making recurring bills worth watching.
  • City-specific ACS values are used when the place matches; state-level API values fill statewide measures.
  • Use these facts as a fast MT screen before checking address-level records or provider quotes.

Helena West Side Local Data Brief

This section is generated from cached city metrics and clearly labeled state-level benchmarks. It is meant to make the Helena West Side page less generic and more useful for comparing housing, income, utilities, taxes, insurance, demographics, and nearby alternatives.

Helena West Side, MT local metrics and source context
MetricValueHow to read it
Population1,584Helena West Side is treated as a very small-community place for comparison.
Median household income$67,692Income sits in the middle range, making recurring bills worth watching.
Median home value$411,800Home values are elevated enough that taxes and financing terms can move the total cost.
Two-bedroom rent$781/moRent gives a renter-side affordability baseline beside owner costs.
Median property tax paid$3,009Property tax should be read with mortgage, insurance, and home value.
Residential electric rate$0.135/kWhThis is a state-level EIA benchmark, not a city utility quote.
Unemployment3.5%This is a state-level BLS labor-market benchmark.
Median age35.2Age mix can affect housing demand, commute needs, and school planning.
Bachelor+ share48.3%Education mix can help frame labor-market and school-context questions.

Affordability Summary

Population is 1,584, so Helena West Side should be compared with similar-size places before using broader Montana averages. Median household income is $67,692, so the best affordability read for Helena West Side is income versus housing, taxes, utilities, and insurance together.

Median home value is $411,800, so ownership costs in Helena West Side should be checked with mortgage, property tax, insurance, and maintenance assumptions. Two-bedroom rent is $781/mo, so renters can compare Helena West Side against ownership costs and nearby rental markets.

Housing and Income Context

For Helena West Side, income sits in the middle range, making recurring bills worth watching. Home values are elevated enough that taxes and financing terms can move the total cost.

Use the home value, rent, and income fields together before deciding whether Helena West Side looks more favorable for renting, buying, or comparing with Helena, MT.

Utility Cost Context

The residential electricity benchmark is $0.135/kWh, so Helena West Side households should treat usage, home size, heating, and cooling as the practical bill drivers. The electricity value shown for Helena West Side is a Montana state-level EIA benchmark, so it should not be read as a local provider tariff.

For Helena West Side, utility planning is stronger when the electric benchmark is paired with home age, square footage, insulation, HVAC equipment, and household occupancy.

Property Tax Context

Median property tax paid is $3,009, so Helena West Side buyers should still verify parcel-specific tax records before budgeting. Parcel boundaries, exemptions, school districts, and reassessment rules can move the actual bill for a Helena West Side address.

Compare the property tax field with home value rather than reading it by itself; a lower tax bill can still pair with a different assessment base or exemption profile.

Insurance and Risk Context

Insurance costs in Helena West Side depend on address-level factors such as roof condition, structure age, coverage limits, claims history, deductible choice, and carrier underwriting.

Home value, tax burden, and insurance exposure should be reviewed together for Helena West Side, especially when comparing with Helena, MT.

Population and Demographics

Median age is 35.2, so Helena West Side may have different school, commute, healthcare, and housing demand patterns than a statewide average. Bachelor+ share is 48.3%, so Helena West Side education context can be useful when reading labor-market and school sections.

Unemployment is 3.5%, so Helena West Side wage and job-market context should be compared with commute options and regional employment centers.

Nearby Montana comparison pages
PlacePopulationHome valueElectric benchmark
Helena, MT33,126$355k$0.135/kWh
Helena Valley West Central, MT8,224$353k$0.135/kWh
Helena Valley Northwest, MT5,070$359k$0.135/kWh
East Helena, MT1,855$254k$0.135/kWh

Source Notes

  • City-specific Census ACS values are used when a matching place row exists in the cached city metrics file.
  • Electricity and unemployment fields are state-level EIA and BLS benchmarks, so they are labeled as planning context rather than city quotes.
  • The page should be used as a comparison screen before checking provider rates, parcel records, insurance quotes, school boundaries, and address-level details for Helena West Side.

Helena West Side Cost Drill-Down

This dashboard keeps the fast local overview on one page, while the linked category reports go deeper into one decision at a time. For Helena West Side, the strongest local signals in the current cache are population 1,584, median household income $67,692, median home value $411,800, rent $781/mo, property tax paid $3,009, and the Montana residential electric benchmark $0.135/kWh.

Helena West Side category drill-down links and metric context
CategoryPrimary valueSecond valueWhy it matters here
Cost of living $67,692 $411,800 Helena West Side affordability is mostly a housing-versus-income read: income sits in the middle range, making recurring bills worth watching and home values are elevated enough that taxes and financing terms can move the total cost.
Utility costs $0.135/kWh $781/mo Helena West Side utility planning should pair the Montana electric benchmark with home size, cooling load, appliance use, and occupancy.
Property taxes $3,009 $412k Helena West Side tax planning should compare the tax-paid field with home value, exemptions, assessment rules, and parcel-level records.
Insurance costs 35.2 48.3% Helena West Side insurance context should be read with housing age, replacement cost, roof condition, claim history, and nearby risk patterns.

Budget Fit

Helena West Side should be read as a very small-community place where income, home value, rent, taxes, utilities, and insurance need to be checked together. Income sits in the middle range, making recurring bills worth watching, and home values are elevated enough that taxes and financing terms can move the total cost.

Monthly Bills

The electricity value on this page is a Montana state-level EIA benchmark, not a city utility tariff. For Helena West Side, that benchmark becomes useful when paired with home square footage, cooling load, HVAC age, insulation, and household usage.

Ownership Costs

Median property tax paid is $3,009 and median home value is $411,800. That makes the ownership read stronger than a single price estimate because taxes, insurance, maintenance, and financing terms can move the real monthly cost.

Comparison Angle

Use Helena, MT as a local comparison before using a broad MT average. The nearby table below keeps the comparison tied to home value, taxes, and electric benchmarks instead of alphabetical city links.

Labor and Demographics

Unemployment is 3.5%, median age is 35.2, and bachelor-plus share is 48.3%. These fields help frame school demand, commute patterns, wage fit, and service-provider availability around Helena West Side.

Source Discipline

City-specific ACS values are used where the place matches the cache. State-level EIA and BLS fields are labeled as benchmarks, so this page does not pretend those values are address-level or city-utility quotes.

Nearby comparison context for Helena West Side
PlaceDistanceHome valueProperty taxElectric benchmark
Helena, MT 5 mi $355k $3,367 $0.135/kWh
Helena Valley West Central, MT 6 mi $353k $2,611 $0.135/kWh
Helena Valley Northwest, MT 10 mi $359k $2,582 $0.135/kWh
East Helena, MT 10 mi $254k $2,230 $0.135/kWh
Montana City, MT 10 mi $519k $3,304 $0.135/kWh

Data Freshness

This Helena West Side, Montana dashboard was generated on 2026-06-18. The city metrics cache was refreshed on 2026-06-16; the nearby-city coordinate cache was refreshed on 2026-06-17.

  • City metrics: Census ACS place fields are city-specific where a matching place record exists.
  • State benchmarks: EIA electricity and BLS unemployment values are state-level context, not city provider tariffs or city labor surveys.
  • Nearby comparisons: Distance uses cached Census Gazetteer place coordinates when available.

Regional Data Explorer

Zoom out from Helena West Side to nearby cities, Montana Area, and Montana benchmarks.

Open Explorer
Nearby Cities Montana Hub Montana Cost Benchmarks

Benchmark Preview

Helena West Side 95.8
Home value
$189k
Property tax
$2,190
Electric rate
$0.154/kWh
County Avg 97.4
Home value
$178k
Property tax
$2,240
Electric rate
$0.158/kWh
MT Avg 101.2
Home value
$286k
Property tax
$3,180
Electric rate
$0.162/kWh

Local Service Cost Guides

Use these contractor-cost guides with the Helena West Side dashboard to compare local housing, utility, tax, climate, and repair-cost context.

Plumber Rates for Helena West Side $85-$165/hr planning range. Leak, drain, fixture, water heater, and emergency plumbing cost planning. Opens the deepest available state guide for Helena West Side, Montana. Open state guide HVAC Installation for Helena West Side $5,500-$14,500 planning range. AC, furnace, heat pump, ductwork, and seasonal system replacement planning. Opens the deepest available national guide for Helena West Side, Montana. Open national guide Roof Replacement for Helena West Side $8,000-$24,000 planning range. Roof replacement, leak repair, flashing, ventilation, and storm-exposure planning. Opens the deepest available national guide for Helena West Side, Montana. Open national guide Electrician Rates for Helena West Side $90-$175/hr planning range. Panel, outlet, EV charger, lighting, wiring, and inspection cost planning. Opens the deepest available national guide for Helena West Side, Montana. Open national guide

Data note: City-profile values are local estimates for comparison and planning context.