OKMap-doton-Helena, 2004
Helena’s story
132 years in pictures
Census counts: 760 in 1910, a low of 443 in 2000, 1,537 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1969 on.
- 1894Helena is settled
HelenaOK
A town of 1,527, settled in 1894.
Population
1,527
2025 Census estimate · −0.3% since 2020
Typical home
$93K
−7.2% in a year
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
48.1
years
Jobs based here
226
A commuter town
Is Helena a good place to live?
The best of Helena’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A for schools; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. 3.7% of residents are under 18 in Helena, below both Oklahoma’s towns (25%) and U.S. towns (22%). No town in Oklahoma scores higher than Helena on cost of living. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 86% of the country. Helena has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Helena stand out
Where Helena beats most towns.
Typical home value
Helena$93K
Oklahoma$221K
Cost of livingA+
1.4 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 99% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
TIMBERLAKE schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Timberlake HS | 9–12 | 84 |
SchoolsA
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
A commuter town
89% of working residents leave Helena for work
Where Helena’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
226jobs based in Helena
11%of working residents work in town
52 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Helena grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Helena is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →Hazard riskcold waves tops the listDOpen →SchoolsAOpen →HealthFairview Regional Medical Center Authority 21.9 miles awayDOpen →Jobs & income$62K median household income; 226 jobs based hereDOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksC+Open →HistoryB−Open →Civic life1.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 48.1; 4% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Helena: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Helena, and how to reach them.
PowerOG&E12.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHelena water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Helena’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Oklahoma you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person until 25 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 25 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSecretary, Alfalfa County Election BoardAlfalfa County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Feb 2018
ZIP code7374173741 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 Helena.
SchoolsA
Helena’s public schools outperform 87% of Oklahoma districts
Its public schools are run by the Timberlake school district. Its one school is below.
87%of OK districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timberlake HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 84 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade A+
A typical Helena home is worth about $93K
The typical Helena home is worth about $93,000, down 7.2% in a year, 58% below the Oklahoma typical home. 85% of households own their home in Helena, where Oklahoma’s towns sit at 62% and U.S. towns at 73%.
$93KZillow home value
Typical home value
Helena$93K
Oklahoma$221K
−7.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthD
For health, Helena earns a D
24% of Helena adults smoke cigarettes. Helena beats the Oklahoma average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 47% of Helena adults have high blood pressure.
14%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Helena | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 40% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 41% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 26% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Oklahoma
2 better23 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Helena | OK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with depression | 19.6% | 25.5% |
| Fewer adults with asthma | 9.5% | 11.5% |
| More smokers | 24.3% | 16.3% |
Fairview Regional Medical Center Authority
21.9 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 D
Helena faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 82% of U.S. communities.
82risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesDroughtIce storms
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Most of Helena’s workers commute out: the town has 0.6 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Helena for work: only 11% work in town. The average trip to work in Helena is 26 minutes. The top destinations are Oklahoma City (14%), Enid (13%) and Cherokee (4%).
11%work in town
| Helena | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 22% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 18% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Helena11%
Oklahoma City14%
Enid13%
Cherokee4%
Wichita3%
52 mi
median commute distance
226
jobs based in Helena
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Helena has four seasons and hot summers
Helena has chilly winters and hot summers. Helena’s July high is 95°F.
13″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–49°
Spring46–71°
Summer68–93°
Fall48–72°
Oct 31
typical first frost
Apr 9
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Helena
16pages on Helena
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Helena; the nearest are
Northwestern Oklahoma State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Alva27.9 mi$5,970 in-state tuitionNorthern Oklahoma CollegeCommunity college · Public · Tonkawa54.9 mi$5,083 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Helena residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
About Helena
Town in Oklahoma, US
Helena is a town in southeastern Alfalfa County, Oklahoma, United States. Residents pronounce the town's name with a long E: "Heh-LEE'-nuh." As of the 2020 census, Helena had a population of 1,537.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,411 ft
- ZIP code
- 73741
- Area code
- 580
Questions about Helena
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Helena, OK expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.