Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Helena's standout: the median household earns $115K. Overall it grades A−, ranked 15th of 187 in Alabama. Residents are healthier than 91% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and it reports less crime per resident than 85% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 69% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Only 28 of Alabama’s 308 towns score lower on cost of living. Helena Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Only 3 of the 138 Alabama towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Helena.
Where Helena beats most towns.
16,793 counted in 2010 and 20,914 in 2020; an estimated 23,388 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 5.5% since 2020, after 24.5% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Helena is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 808 in 1920, a low of 421 in 1950, 20,914 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1933 and 5 maps from 1905 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Helena. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaBryant–Denny Stadium
16 mi Stadium & arenaLegion Field
17 mi Stadium & arenaProtective Stadium
17 mi MuseumSloss Furnaces
17 mi Stadium & arenaLegacy Arena9 mi Theme parkAlabama Adventure & Splash AdventureBryant–Denny Stadium: Joel יוֹאֵל, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Legion Field: USGS, Public domain · Protective Stadium: Unknown, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sloss Furnaces: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Legacy Arena: AuburnShuffle, CC0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Helena, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Helena.
Helena reports less crime than Hoover or any other graded neighbor, has less tooth loss than most of Alabama and has household incomes well above the Alabama norm.
Its widest gap with Alabama is tooth loss: 7.2% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 15.4% statewide.
10% of Helena adults report frequent physical distress, below both the Alabama town median (15%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). 18% of adults get no exercise outside work in Helena. Helena beats the Alabama average on 22 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2.
| Helena | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 30% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 24% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 15% | 12% |
| What stands out | Helena | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.2% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.9% | 19.2% |
| More binge drinkers | 17.9% | 14.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Shelby County school district. Three of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Helena High School, with 1,383 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helena MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 957 | B+ |
| Helena High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,383 | B+ |
| Helena Intermediate SchoolTop results in townGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 955 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
62% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48.8% across Alabama. The median property tax bill is $1,383, against $788 across Alabama, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Helena home is worth about $365,000, up 2.6% in a year, 53% above the Alabama typical home. Helena’s median rent is $1,574 a month, against $940 a month in Alabama’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
7.4 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Cahaba Lily Park, at 36 acres.
| Helena | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.6% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Joe Tucker Park | 0.7 mi | 26 |
| 2. Helena Sports Complex | 0.4 mi | 25 |
| 3. Historic Lee Springs Park | 0.4 mi | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its A tops all 4 graded towns on its borders; Hoover (B) comes closest. At 6.9 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 98% of Alabama’s graded towns.
Helena’s violent crime rate is 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Jobs based here grew from 1,837 in 2013 to 3,161. 19.5% of workers work from home, against 8.8% across Alabama.
Most working residents leave Helena for work: only 4% work in town. 3.2% of Helena residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Helena has added 1,324 jobs, to 3,161 in 2023.
| Helena | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 20% | 6.7% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.2% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $115,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Since 1983, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Helena.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Helena has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Helena is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
5 within 15 miles of the center of Helena
About 5 of every 100 Helena residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Alabama.
Where Helena’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Alabama, United States
Helena () is a city in Jefferson and Shelby counties in the state of Alabama. Helena is considered a suburb of Birmingham and part of the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area. As of 2025, the population estimate is 23,388. Helena initially incorporated in 1877, but reincorporated in 1917 after errors were discovered in the initial incorporation papers. Due to this, the U.S. Census Bureau did not record Helena's population separately until 1920.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Helena.
At #15 in AL, it grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Hoover (A−) comes closest. Bessemer next door grades lower for schools (D− to Helena’s B−) and higher for cost of living (B+ to C+).
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Helena grades A− overall, better than 84% of U.S. towns and #15 of 187 in Alabama. It grades A for health, A for safety and B− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
That is 5.1 years of the area's median household income ($71,498 across the Birmingham, AL metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
