CitytisticsShortlist

Doney Park, AZ vs Helena Valley West Central, MT

Doney Park

Arizona

vs

Helena Valley West Central

Montana

Across 34 directional measures we can compare, Doney Park leads on 9 and Helena Valley West Central on 25. Counting measures is not an overall verdict: their importance depends on your priorities. Median rent is 9% higher in Helena Valley West Central, while median household income is higher in Doney Park.

Median gross rent
$1,212$1,327
Doney Park is 9% lower
Median household income
$104,967$90,082
Doney Park is 17% higher
Median home value
$613,300$367,200
Doney Park is 67% higher

The Citytistics read

  • After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household has about $91,700 a year left in Doney Park and $76,600 in Helena Valley West Central. Money goes further in Doney Park, by about $15,100 a year.
  • A household earning Doney Park's median of $104,967 would need about $104,500 in Helena Valley West Central to keep the same money after rent and local prices.
  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, pay outran rent by 12.2 points a year in Doney Park, and rent outran pay by 1.4 points a year in Helena Valley West Central.

How these are calculated

ArizonaMontanaHelena Valley West Central, MTDoney Park, AZDoney ParkHelena Valley West CentralDoney ParkHelena Valley West Central

Which fits you?

Both start on the Citytistics Index (CTX). Move the sliders to weigh what matters to you and the score becomes your own mix.

Your weights

Top 2 of 2 matching places. Places in the top 1% show their national rank.

#PlaceCTXAffordabilityEconomyEducationSafetyCommuteAmenitiesGrowth
01Helena Valley West Central, MTComposite 59.2 / 100
74
586767n/a8330n/a
02Doney Park, AZComposite 50.6 / 100
53
545459n/a7022n/a

CTX is the Citytistics Index: better than that share of the places we rate. It tops out at 99, so the top 1% show their national rank (#1 is best). Change any weight to rank on your own mix. How the CTX is built

Every measure

The dots show where each place sits among the 6,645 places we track. The bar is the median. A small dot after a value marks the better one.

MeasureDoney ParkHelena Valley West CentralAmong all places
Cost of living
Median gross rent1$1,212$1,327
Rent to income113.9%17.7%
Property tax rate10.4%0.8%
Home price to income15.8x4.1x
Prices vs US average2100.395.7
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3$1,729$1,653
HUD area median income4$106,000$122,400
Housing
Property tax paid (median)1$2,670$2,779
Median home value1$613,300$367,200
Home prices, 1-year change52.3%5.2%
Home prices, 5-year change561.9%68.7%
Homeownership193.1%85.2%
Renters paying 30%+151.6%29.0%
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,150$1,857
Vacant homes122.0%8.4%
Median year built119951986
Jobs and income
Median household income1$104,967$90,082
Income per person1$45,212$41,857
Unemployment15.7%3.8%
Average annual pay6$56,915$65,290
Pay growth, 1 year64.4%4.9%
Jobs666,29739,657
Poverty rate116.8%7.1%
Mean commute122 min20 min
Works from home119.8%14.8%
Commutes by transit10.0%n/a
People
Population16,2538,056
Median age141.939.3
Bachelor's or higher136.4%41.1%
High school or higher194.6%96.4%
Household size12.92.7
Born abroad14.6%2.2%
No health insurance19.3%6.4%
Homes with broadband190.7%95.3%
Moving
Moved here in the past year112.3%4.0%
Moved from another state14.5%3.2%
Net movers per 1,000 people7-12.74.0
Income of households moving in7$61,422$68,328
Income of households moving out7$63,200$64,263
Local life
Restaurants and bars per 10k830.223.5
Shops per 10k838.138.5
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k87.911.4
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k822.830.6
Child care centers per 10k80.83.4
Parks per 10k93.211.2
Playgrounds per 10k93.25.0
Grocery stores per 10k90.00.0
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k94.86.2
Libraries per 10k90.00.0
Named paths and bike trails98.410.7
Transit stops per sq mi90.00.0
Nearest National Park Service site107.036.9
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1051
National Register listings1116083
Schools
Public schools126436
Public school students1216,4019,786
Students per teacher1214.816.2
Climate
July average high1390°F78°F
January average low1323°F16°F
Average temperature1353°F41°F
Annual precipitation1312.7 in22.3 in
Hazards and air
Natural hazard risk1494.271.3
Hurricane risk140.0n/a
Tornado risk1424.38.9
Wildfire risk1499.492.8
Heat wave risk1463.935.4
Median air quality index154644
Good air days1570.1%71.5%

Data bundle checked 2026-11-14; individual source vintages vary. Rent needed at the 30% line: Doney Park $48,480, Helena Valley West Central $53,080 a year.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. 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. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. 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.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 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
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. 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).

Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology.

Keep comparing

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