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Helena

A city of 21,769 people in Alabama
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Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

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About Helena

City in Alabama, United States
1845Established
20,914Population
21.2 sq miArea
417 ftElevation

Helena () is a city in Jefferson and Shelby counties in the state of Alabama. Helena is considered a suburb of Birmingham and part of the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area. As of 2025, the population estimate is 23,388. Helena initially incorporated in 1877, but reincorporated in 1917 after errors were discovered in the initial incorporation papers. Due to this, the U.S. Census Bureau did not record Helena's population separately until 1920.

Official town website ↗

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

Town numbers

ZIP code35080
Area code205
Living in Helena

Housing in Helena

$364K▲ 2.5% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Helena home is worth about $364,000, up 2.5% in a year, 51% above the Alabama typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s
Days on market46
Sale-to-list99.1%
Sold in May35
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Helena

A

Safety Grade A

Helena reports less crime per resident than 87% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

Violent crime per 1,000
Helena 0.7
Alabama 3.5
U.S. 3.3
Property crime per 1,000
Helena 3.4
Alabama 15
U.S. 15.5
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Schools in Helena

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B−

School Grade B-

The public schools Helena’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 50% of Alabama’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

#34Best public schoolsof 180 in AL
DistrictShelby CountySchools6

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within AL. Ratings are from neighbors.

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Helena

Alabama · AL
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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01