Is East Helena, MT a Good Place to Live?
East Helena is a small town of 1,829 in Montana, with a median household income of $54,485 and a 7.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 94 (US average = 100), which is 6% below the national average.
Strengths: East Helena stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether East Helena is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All East Helena city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 94.4East Helena's overall cost of living index is 94.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in East Helena costs roughly 6% less than the average American city.
| Metric | East Helena, MT | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $241,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $982 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 63.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $54,485 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeEast Helena's violent crime rate is 136.0 per 100,000 residents — 64% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
East Helena is served primarily by East Helena K-12. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18.4:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | East Helena, MT | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | East Helena K-12 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 3 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 18.4:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 25.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
East Helena sees average highs of 32.4°F in January and 86.1°F in July, with 11.4 inches of annual precipitation and 37.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | East Helena, MT |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 32.4°F |
| Average High — July | 86.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 11.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 37.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | East Helena, MT | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,829 | — |
| Median Age | 40.4 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 7.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 20.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 93.1% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 2.2% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 15.3% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 15.0% | 16.8% |