Cost of living in Helena Valley West Central research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Helena Valley West Central is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Montana, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Helena Valley West Central is 108, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Helena Valley West Central is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Helena Valley West Central ranks as the #15 cheapest in Montana out of 25.
Helena Valley West Central ranks as the #3,467 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Helena Valley West Central is $480,052.
The median income in Helena Valley West Central is $89,040.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Helena Valley West Central has an overall cost of living index of 108, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Montana, Helena Valley West Central has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Montana's index of 101.
The standard of living in Helena Valley West Central ranks as #15 most affordable out of the 25 places we measured in Montana. By definition, that implies Helena Valley West Central ranks as the #10 most expensive place in the Treasure State.
For more reading on life in Helena Valley West Central, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Helena Valley West Central. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Helena Valley West Central is 89.
The Groceries index in Helena Valley West Central is 101.
The Health index in Helena Valley West Central is 95.
The Housing index in Helena Valley West Central is 137.
The Transportation index in Helena Valley West Central is 101.
The Utilities index in Helena Valley West Central is 95.
| Living Expense | Helena Valley West Central | Montana | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 108 | 101 | 100 | |
| Services | 89 | 104 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 101 | 102 | 100 | |
| Health | 95 | 99 | 100 | |
| Housing | 137 | 100 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 101 | 107 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 95 | 95 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Montana, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Helena Valley West Central is $480,052.
The Median Rent in Helena Valley West Central is $1,225.
The Median Income in Helena Valley West Central is $89,040.
The Home Value To Income in Helena Valley West Central is 5.4x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Helena Valley West Central is 0.17x.
| Statistic | Helena Valley West Central | Montana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $480,052 | $460,050 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,225 | $1,031 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $89,040 | $69,922 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.4x | 6.6x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.17x | 0.18x | 0.21x |
| Item | Helena Valley West Central | Montana |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.16 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $12.99 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $16.78 | $18 |
| Haircut | $15.71 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $37.87 | $45.56 |
| Item | Helena Valley West Central | Montana |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.31 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.59 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.55 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.61 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.03 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.57 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $4.19 | $3.7 |
| Item | Helena Valley West Central | Montana |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $105.94 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $115.67 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $112.63 | $113.29 |
| Item | Helena Valley West Central | Montana |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.37 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $69.17 | $59.92 |
| Item | Helena Valley West Central | Montana |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $176.82 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $182.36 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Helena Valley West Central. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Helena, MT has a cost of living index of 103, 1.0x Helena Valley West Central.
Helena Valley Southeast, MT has a cost of living index of 99, 0.9x Helena Valley West Central.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Helena Valley West Central |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helena, MT | 33,126 | 103 | 1.0x |
| Helena Valley Southeast, MT | 9,533 | 99 | 0.9x |