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Michigan›Roscommon County

St. HelenMI

A town settled in 1874, now home to 2,929 people.

Is St. Helen a good place to live?

33% of residents live below the poverty line in St. Helen, above both Michigan’s towns (8.9%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Among 323 Michigan towns, just 10 have a lower midpoint home value than St. Helen. St. Helen’s trail density is 2.1 miles per square mile, where Michigan’s towns sit at 0.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4. We don’t grade St. Helen yet; the figures below are still real.

A commuter town

94% of working residents leave St. Helen for work

Where St. Helen’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

7% → Richfield Township Richfield Township 7% 6% → Higgins Township Higgins Township 6% 5% → West Branch West Branch 5% 4% → West Branch Township West Branch Township 4% 3% → Roscommon Township Roscommon Township 3% 3% → Grayling Grayling 3% St. Helen · 6% stay
133jobs based in St. Helen
6%of working residents work in town
48 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2021

Getting set up

Moving to St. Helen: who provides what

St. Helen is unincorporated, so Roscommon County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOgemaw Township water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesRoscommon CountyRoscommon County provides services here
SchoolsRoscommon Area Public SchoolsWhich school depends on your addressNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Michigan you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections hereRichfield Township ClerkRichfield Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4865648656 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in St. Helen.

Housing

St. Helen’s typical home value is about $130K

A home in St. Helen typically sold within 47 days of listing. Values rose 1.7% in the 12 months to September 2026. Also worth knowing: in St. Helen, the rent at the middle of the market is $741 a month.

$130KZillow home value
St. HelenMichigan townsU.S. towns
Median rent$741 a month$1,046 a month$1,185 a month
Households that own their home85%84%73%

Typical home value

St. Helen$130K
Michigan$264K
Market temperature
BalancedA seller's marketBuyer’sSeller’s
47
days on market
95.2%
sale-to-list price
+1.7%
value change, 1 year
12
homes sold in September

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Work & commute

With only 0.2 jobs per working resident, most people in St. Helen work out of town

St. Helen had 133 jobs in 2021, down 38 from 2011. Commuting out is the norm here: 6% of working residents work locally. The mean commuting time locally is 30 minutes. Half of commuters travel less than 48 miles.

6%work in town
St. HelenMichigan townsU.S. towns
Median household income$45,000$77,000$80,000
Average trip to work30 minutes25 minutes25 minutes

Where working residents work

In St. Helen6%
Richfield Township7%
Higgins Township6%
West Branch5%
West Branch Township4%
48 mi
median commute distance
133
jobs based in St. Helen
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2021 · ACS

Climate

Snowy winters and pleasant summers: that is St. Helen’s year

St. Helen’s typical July afternoon high comes in at 80°F.

66″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter14–30°
Spring30–54°
Summer54–78°
Fall37–57°
Sep 23
typical first frost
May 19
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

A larger share of adults smoke cigarettes in St. Helen than in most of Michigan or the rest of the country

The share of adults in St. Helen who binge drink: 14%. The town does better than the Michigan average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 18. Among adults locally, 18% have diabetes and 21% report frequent physical distress. Only 8 of the 702 Michigan towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than St. Helen.

St. HelenMichigan townsU.S. towns
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)23%15%14%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)18%12%12%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)21%14%14%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)47%36%35%
32 measures vs. Michigan
1 better13 too close to call18 worse
What stands outSt. HelenMI
More adults treating high blood pressure82.1%77.6%
More adults with COPD15.9%8.1%
Mymichigan Medical Center West Branch
9.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

2.2% of St. Helen is conserved land

14 miles of trail wind through 5 parks and preserves.

2.2%conserved
2.2%
conserved · 92 of 4,210 acres
14 mi
of trails · 2.1 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Au Sable State Forest - Roscommon Unit13.6 mi1,012
2. Richfield Township Park—15
3. Richfiled Township Park and Boat Launch—13

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Natural hazards

St. Helen has a moderate natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding

Of the losses FEMA expects in St. Helen, 70% come from inland flooding and 11% from cold waves. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in just over half of U.S. communities.

49risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
49Moderate riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about St. Helen

16pages on St. Helen
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of St. Helen; the nearest are

About St. Helen

Census-designated place & unincorporated community in Michigan, United States

St. Helen is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,735 at the 2020 census. St. Helen is located within Richfield Township.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
5.9 sq mi
Elevation
1,191 ft
ZIP code
48656

Questions about St. Helen

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is St. Helen, MI a good place to live?

We don’t grade St. Helen yet; the figures below are still real.