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Cost of living, pay and housing

48.28° N · 114.24° W · GEOID 3035622

Helena Flats

Flathead County, Montana · part of the Kalispell, MT metro

Limited data population under 5,000

MontanaHelena Flats, MTHelena FlatsHelena Flats

The short answer

Helena Flats is home to 857 people. Median household income is $93,625 a year and median rent is $1,167 a month, 15.0% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $582,400, about 6.2x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,167
15% below the median place
Median household income
$93,625
17% above the median place
Median home value
$582,400
82% above the median place
Unemployment
2.9%
40% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Helena Flats

  • Household income has grown 13.5% a year across the last five survey releases, faster than in 98% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 27 Montana places.
  • The median home is worth 6.2 years of the median household's income, more than in 91% of places its size.
  • 87% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 85% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 27 Montana places.
  • The median rent takes only 15.0% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 83% of places its size. It is the 3rd-lowest of 27 Montana places.

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 86 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

01

Moving to Helena Flats

Flathead County gains about 13.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in5,976
Moved out4,688
Net+1,288

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Montana, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within MontanaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$92K
Leavers$70K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Flathead County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.9% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 3.4% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Flathead County report $91,500 a year in income on average; those leaving, $70,100, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$46,700 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,167 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,744 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $582,400.
Getting to work
16 minutes each way on average; 15.8% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Birch Bay, WA matches it on character. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people6
13.3
above the median place (median -0.6)
Moved from another state1
3.4%
69% above the median place
Income of households moving in6
$91,544
30% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureHelena FlatsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.9%15% below
Moved from another state1County figure3.4%69% above
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure13.3above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$91,54430% above
Income of households moving out6County figure$70,1120% below
02

What it costs to live here

Property tax rate is 0.5%, 46% below the median place.

Helena Flats15.0%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$46,680
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
15.0%
26% below the median place
Home price to income
6.2x
64% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
15%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$80,000
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Helena Flats, $1,167 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Helena Flats.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Helena Flats? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax rate1
0.5%
46% below the median place
Homeownership1
86.9%
31% above the median place
Median home value1
$582,400
82% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureHelena FlatsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,16715% below
Rent to income115.0%26% below
Property tax rate10.5%46% below
Home price to income16.2x64% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$1,6824% above
HUD area median income3County figure$101,5005% below
Property tax paid (median)1$2,88012% below
Median home value1$582,40082% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure2.0%36% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure77.1%50% above
Homeownership186.9%31% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure50.7%0% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,7447% below
Vacant homes1County figure14.4%104% above
Median year built119901% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Mean commute1
16 min
35% below the median place
Median household income1
$93,625
17% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureHelena FlatsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$93,62517% above
Income per person1$43,8759% above
Unemployment1County figure2.9%40% below
Average annual pay5County figure$60,5628% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure3.8%3% above
Jobs5County figure51,03566% below
Poverty rate1County figure9.3%13% below
Mean commute116 min35% below
Works from home1County figure15.8%27% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 98.5%, 7% above the median place.

High school or higher1
98.5%
7% above the median place
Median age1
44.6
14% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
26.8%
17% below the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureHelena FlatsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population18576646th largest
Median age144.614% above
Bachelor's or higher126.8%17% below
High school or higher198.5%7% above
Household size12.52% below
Born abroad1County figure2.8%68% below
No health insurance1County figure10.0%56% above
Homes with broadband192.6%0% above
05

Life in Helena Flats

160 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 6 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars29.5 +42%
Shops44.4 +47%
Arts, recreation and fitness12.2 3.0×
Doctors' offices and clinics30.1 +49%
Child care centers4.2 +83%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7
12.2
198% above the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k7
29.5
42% above the median place
Shops per 10k7
44.4
47% above the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureHelena FlatsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools9County figure48above (median 9)
Public school students9County figure14,957205% above
Students per teacher9County figure15.21% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure29.542% above
Shops per 10k7County figure44.447% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure12.2198% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure30.149% above
Child care centers per 10k7County figure4.283% above
National Register listings8County figure160above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Average temperature is 40°F, 26% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Helena Flats. Larger places are fetched first.

Average temperature10
40°F
26% below the median place
Tornado risk11
4.6
94% below the median place
July average high10
76°F
13% below the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureHelena FlatsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high10County figure76°F13% below
January average low10County figure17°F33% below
Average temperature10County figure40°F26% below
Annual precipitation10County figure35.9 in18% below
Natural hazard risk11County figure86.57% below
Tornado risk11County figure4.694% below
Wildfire risk11County figure95.556% above
Heat wave risk11County figure57.237% below
Median air quality index12County figure415% below
Good air days12County figure73.7%8% above
08

Helena Flats in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 17% of the median income in 2030, up from 15% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,167/mo (2021)$1,720/mo$1,350 to $2,200/mo+4.4%
Median household income$93,625 (2024)$124,500$105,000 to $147,000+4.8%
Median home value$582,400 (2024)$911,000$661,000 to $1,255,000+7.7%

The median home would be worth 7.3 years of the median income in 2030, against 6.2 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Helena Flats

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Birch Bay, WA$1,222$86,854Compare
Hawaiian Paradise Park, HI$1,310$88,348Compare
Blaine, WA$1,450$84,030Compare
Kanab, UT$986$85,486Compare
Kanab, UTBlaine, WAHawaiian Paradise Park, HIBirch Bay, WAHelena Flats, MTHelena FlatsBirch BayHawaiian Paradise ParkKanabHelena FlatsBirch BayHawaiian Paradise ParkKanab

Common questions

Is Helena Flats a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Household income has grown 13.5% a year across the last five survey releases, faster than in 98% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 27 Montana places. The median home is worth 6.2 years of the median household's income, more than in 91% of places its size. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Helena Flats expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 15.0% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $582,400.

What salary do you need to live in Helena Flats?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $46,680 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Helena Flats?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Birch Bay, WA, Hawaiian Paradise Park, HI, Blaine, WA and Kanab, UT.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  9. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  10. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  11. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  12. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Helena Flats with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Helena Flats itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/helena-flats-montana

Citytistics. “Helena Flats, Montana.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/helena-flats-montana/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.