Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,126, established in 1880. Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
The best of Helper’s subject grades are an A for history and the outdoors; the weakest is a D for incomes. On incomes, just 4 of Utah’s 173 towns do worse. Helper’s trail density is 2.8 miles per square mile, above both Utah’s towns (1.1) and U.S. towns (0.4). Only 3 of Utah’s 173 towns score higher on history. Helper has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Helper beats most towns.
Where Helper’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Utah), ordered by how far Helper is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 402 in 1900, a peak of 2,850 in 1950, 2,112 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1886 and 2 maps from 1914 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Helper, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 13, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Helper.
The typical Helper home is worth about $287,000, up 3.8% in a year, 46% below the Utah typical home. At $846 a month, Helper’s median rent is against $1,538 a month in Utah’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
| Helper | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $846 a month | $1,538 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 79% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Carbon District. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sally Mauro SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 293 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within UT on state tests and graduation
The median household income in Helper is $57,000. Only 8 of the 120 Utah towns we compare have a higher share of residents below the poverty line than Helper. The average trip to work in Helper is 30 minutes.
| Helper | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 6.2% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.5% | 8.4% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Helper has cold winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Helper’s July high is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Helper beats the Utah average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 15% of Helper adults report frequent physical distress. Only 2 of the 119 Utah towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Helper.
| Helper | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 11% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 8.4% | 12% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 72% | 79% |
| What stands out | Helper | UT |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 73.7% | 65.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 7% | 4.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. City Park | — | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 53% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Helper since 1997.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Helper. Close and well known come first.
20 mi Canyon & gorgeNinemile Canyon
27 mi Park & preserveJurassic National Monument
7 mi MuseumUSU Eastern Prehistoric Museum
in town MuseumWestern Mining and Railroad MuseumNinemile Canyon: Scott Catron, CC BY 2.5 · Jurassic National Monument: Rmwarnick at English Wikipedia, Public domain · USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum: S.W. Clyde, Attribution · Western Mining and Railroad Museum: An Errant Knight, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of Helper; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Helper residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Utah.
3 places in Helper on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Utah, United States
Helper is a city in Carbon County, Utah, United States, approximately 110 miles (180 km) southeast of Salt Lake City and 7 miles (11 km) northwest of the city of Price. The population was 2,112 at the 2020 census. The city is located along the Price River and U.S. Route 6/U.S. Route 191, a shortcut between Provo and Interstate 70, on the way from Salt Lake City to Grand Junction, Colorado. It is the location of the Western Mining and Railroad Museum, a tourist attraction that also contains household and commercial artifacts illustrating late 19th and early 20th-century living conditions.. Helper is at the western end of the Book Cliffs, the longest continuous escarpment in the world.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Helper.
| Town | UT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helper | — | — | C+ | C+ | C+ | B |
| Spring Glen | — | — | C+ | — | C+ | C+ |
Helper and Spring Glen have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Spring Glen reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Helper with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
