Housing in Helena

A typical Helena home is worth roughly $382,000

Typical home value

$382K

MI $266K

Estimate

2-bedroom rent

$1,010

a month, utilities in · HUD

Median tax bill

$3,507

MI $2,904

What kind of housing town is Helena?

Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.

Pricier than MI43% above the Michigan typical home.A second-home town31% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes.

★ What stands out · Affordability

A typical home costs 5.3 years of income

More than across Michigan (3.7 years). Try your own numbers below.

You could afford about

$280,000

Typical Helena home $382K

That’s $102K short of a typical Helena home.

The typical home, each month

$2,300

Loan $1,890Tax $290Insurance $110

A two-bedroom rents for about $1,010 a month here, $1,290 less than owning.

Where your budget reaches nearby

Forest Home$307K Milton$528K Custer$237K Clearwater$218K Rapid City$371K

An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Helena’s typical property tax (0.92% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.

The homes

83% of Helena households own their home

Half of Helena’s homes were built before 1977.

Owners and renters

Own 83%Rent 17%

Michigan: 73% own.

1977

typical home built · MI 1972

$3,507

median property tax bill · MI $2,904

0.92%

of a home’s value, a year in tax · MI 1.25%

31%

of homes are seasonal or vacation homes

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024.

Renting

A two-bedroom rents for about $1,010

Renters already here pay a median of $803, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.

Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included

Studio$710

1 bedroom$790

2 bedrooms$1,010

3 bedrooms$1,250

4 bedrooms$1,410

17%

of households rent · MI 27%

renter households

17%

of renters spend 30%+ of income on rent · MI 50%

17%

of the median income, for a two-bedroom

$803

median rent paid today · Census

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Kalkaska County, MI HUD Metro FMR Area): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Next door

Helena vs. its neighbors

Helena is the 2nd priciest of 6 neighboring towns. Tap one to see its housing page.

Milton$528K Helena$382K Rapid City$371K Forest Home$307K Custer$237K Clearwater$218K

Compare more

Town	Typical value	1-yr change	2-bed rent	Median income
Helena	$382K*	—	$1,010	$72,228
Forest Home	$307K*	−2%†	$970	$81,111
Milton	$528K*	—	$1,330	$88,971
Custer	$237K*	+2.6%†	$1,080	$83,750
Clearwater	$218K*	+8.3%†	$1,140	$74,663
Rapid City	$371K	−0.2%	$1,110	$73,021

Typical value: Zillow Home Value Index; * Census median home value where Zillow has none. † FHFA price index change where Zillow has none. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. New homes: Census building permits.

Neighbors talk housing

What Helena buyers, sellers and renters are saying.

Town Square →

Weigh in

Is Helena still affordable for young families?

Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.

Start the conversation

Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer.