Housing and tax tradeoff: Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Helena vs Bend on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 6 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
HelenaBend
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on affordability, weaker on safety.
Potential dealbreaker: Bend, Oregon
Bend, Oregon needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on tax burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 32,091 | 87,014 |
| Center Elevation | 4,058 ft(1,237 m) | 3,629 ft(1,106 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $462,164 | $719,428 |
| Median Rent | $1,465 | $2,258 |
| Median Income | $64,798 | $82,671 |
| Rent Burden | 27% | 33% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 315 days/yr | 306 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 57°F | 60°F |
| Avg. Low | 34°F | 39°F |
| Comfort Score | 33/100Challenging | 46/100Mixed |
| Temp Swing | 52°F | 45°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 14"(36 cm) | 25"(64 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 36"(91 cm) | 59"(150 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 442024 modeled avg · 9 days > 100 | Typical: 402024 modeled avg · 8 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Walkability | 49 | 32 |
| Transit Score | N/A | 19 |
| Safety Score | 56 / 100 | 80 / 100 |
| School Rating | 8.9/10 | 6.2/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | minimalMinimal | minimalMinimal |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 2%Cable: 73% | Fiber: 9%Cable: 86% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 39.9 years | 39.5 years |
| College Educated | 51% | 48% |
| Remote Workers | 14% | 19% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move. | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Helena. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Bend. One featured slot per city |
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