Barn, Kleffner Ranch, 1980
East Helena’s story
138 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,039 in 1930, 1,944 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 1888 and 4 maps from 1899 on.
- 1888East Helena is settled
Population
2,325
2025 Census estimate · +20% since 2020
Typical home
$445K
+2.6% in a year
Household income
$60K
median
Median age
35.6
years
Jobs based here
1,088
Balanced
Is East Helena a good place to live?
East Helena’s best subject grades are a B+ for the outdoors and civic life; its weakest is a C− for incomes. 5.9% of working residents work locally in East Helena, against 39% in Montana’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. East Helena is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 69% of U.S. towns. East Helena has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
How East Helena grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Montana), ordered by how far East Helena is from typical.
Jobs & income$60K median household incomeC−Open →SafetyCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.3 of 20; 6.2% of households have no car; 2.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Cost of livingC+Open →SchoolsBOpen →HealthSt. Peters Health 3.6 miles awayBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 43% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trailsB+Open →History2 notable people born hereB−Open →Civic life5.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market82 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.6; 24% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to East Helena: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in East Helena, and how to reach them.
PowerNorthWestern Energy14.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of East Helena water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpElkhorn LandfillDrop-offTown site
Register to voteIn personMontana has no online registration; you can register in person up to and including Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLewis and Clark County Election AdministratorLewis and Clark County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2021
ZIP code5963559635 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in East Helena.
SafetyC
More crime per resident in East Helena than in 75% of U.S. towns
East Helena’s violent crime rate is 3.4 per 1,000 residents, where Montana’s towns sit at 4.3 and U.S. towns at 1.6.
25%of U.S. towns report more crimeCSafety Grade
| East Helena | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.4 per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.1 per 1,000 residents | 14.9 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
East Helena3.4
Montana4.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
East Helena12.1
Montana14.7
U.S.15.5
25th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
8
violent crimes reported in 2025
28
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
SchoolsB
Public schools in East Helena beat 61% of Montana districts
Its public schools are run by the East Helena K-12 school district. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is East Helena High School, with 563 students.
61%of MT districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Valley Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 471 | C+ |
| East Helena High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 563 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MT on state tests
Climate
East Helena has four seasons and pleasant summers
East Helena has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 15° and about 37 inches of snow falls in a winter.
37″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–35°
Spring32–57°
Summer50–81°
Fall33–58°
Sep 30
typical first frost
May 9
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
More than half of East Helena’s working residents commute to Helena
Most working residents leave East Helena for work: only 6% work in town. 17% of residents live below the poverty line in East Helena. Jobs based in East Helena fell to 1,088 in 2023, 643 fewer than in 2013.
6%work in town
| East Helena | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $67,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In East Helena6%
Helena53%
Helena West Side5%
Bozeman3%
Helena Valley Southeast3%
6 mi
median commute distance
1,088
jobs based in East Helena
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB
On CDC estimates, East Helena is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns
East Helena tracks Montana closely on all 32 CDC measures. 28% of East Helena adults have been diagnosed with depression.
58%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| East Helena | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 25% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 72% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Montana
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
St. Peters Health
3.6 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Moderate risk in East Helena, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in East Helena.
43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingEarthquakes
2
paid flood claims since 1981
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade C+
East Helena’s typical home value is about $445K
The typical East Helena home is worth about $445,000, up 2.6% in a year, close to the Montana typical home.
$445KZillow home value
| East Helena | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 67% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,090 a month | $1,000 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
East Helena$445K
Montana$467K
Market temperature
82
days on market
+2.6%
value change, 1 year
10
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
3%conserved
| East Helena | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3% | 9.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
3%
conserved · 78 of 2,619 acres
2.9 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kennedy Park | — | 5 |
| 2. Main Street Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about East Helena
20pages on East Helena
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 61% of MT districts · 6 schoolsSafetyC3.4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthBBetter than MT on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC+$445K typical home · up 2.6% in a yearWork & commuteC−$60K median household income · 1,088 jobs hereNatural hazardsB−FEMA risk higher than 43% of U.S. communities · cold waves
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of East Helena
Helena College University of MontanaCommunity college · Public · Helena4.6 mi$4,146 in-state tuitionCarroll CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Helena5.8 mi$41,484 tuition
About 2 of every 100 East Helena residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
About East Helena
City in Montana, United States
East Helena is a city in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, United States, approximately 5 miles (8 km) east of downtown Helena. The population was 1,944 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Helena Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Lewis and Clark and Jefferson counties; its population is 83,058 according to the 2020 Census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,888 ft
- ZIP code
- 59635
- Area code
- 406
East Helena’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with East Helena.
Helena Valley SoutheastHelenaEast Helena
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Helena | — | — | C+ | C | B | B |
| Helena Valley Southeast | #19 | C+ | C+ | — | B+ | B− |
| Helena | #12 | B− | C | D | B+ | A− |
East Helena has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Helena Valley Southeast reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare East Helena with a neighbor →
Questions about East Helena
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is East Helena, MT expensive?
That is 5.7 years of the area's median household income ($78,528 across the Helena, MT 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+.
What is East Helena, MT known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Herb Plews and Casey Anderson.