Helena, MT: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Helena (; ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. Its population was 32,091 at the 2020 census, making it the sixth-most populous city in Montana, but the fifth-least populous state capital in the U.S. It is the principal city of the Helena, Montana metropolitan area, which includes all of Lewis and Clark, and Jefferson counties; the MSA's population was 83,058 at the 2020 census. Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold rush on July 14, 1864, following the discovery of gold at Last Chance Gulch by the Four Georgians. It was formally established on October 30, 1864. Due to the gold rush, Helena became a wealthy city, with…

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

How Helena ranks

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#1Most trails in MT #4Most remote workers in MT #5Most educated in MT All MT rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code59601, 59602, 59604

Area code406

Living in Helena

Housing in Helena

$480K▲ 3% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Helena home is worth about $480,000, up 3% in a year, close to the Montana typical home.

A balanced market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market54

Sold in May23

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Helena

D

Safety Grade D

Helena reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 91% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Helena 5.8

Montana 4.2

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Helena 28.9

Montana 14.7

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Schools in Helena

All Helena schools →

B⁺

School Grade B+

The public schools Helena’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 66% of Montana’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

#11Best public schoolsof 40 in MT

DistrictHelena ElemSchools22

Four Georgians School BElementary · Grades PK–5 · 482 students Bryant School C-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 288 students Jefferson School A+Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 245 students Central School B-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 242 students Kessler Elementary School B-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 235 students Smith School B+Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 217 students

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 MT. Ratings are from neighbors.