Bozeman vs Helena
Bozeman, Montana versus Helena, Montana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Bozeman and Helena score about the same overall (46 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bozeman | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $74k | $65k |
| Cost of Living | $63k | $54k |
| Home Value | $546k | $332k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $969 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.66% | 0.96% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.74% | 10.81% |
| Unemployment | 2.8% | 3.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 23°F | 23°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 67°F | 70°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 20.0 in | 11.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 91.3 in | 37.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 225 days | 244 days |
| Summer Humidity | 47°F | 44°F |
| Comfortable Days | 23 days | 49 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 54.6 | 47.1 |
| Air Quality | 29 AQI | 47 AQI |
| School Quality | 35.6 | 48.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1154/100k | 2183/100k |
| Property Crime | 1798/100k | 3269/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 53,500 | 32,529 |
| Median Age | 28.2 | 39.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.21 | 0.15 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.13 | 0.91 |
| Political Leaning | Even | R+34 |
| White (%) | 86.8% | 88.1% |
| Black (%) | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.8% | 4.8% |
| Asian (%) | 2.3% | 0.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 15 min | 13 min |
| Walkability | 17.3/20 | 9.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 293 mi | 269 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 91.6% | 85.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 67.66 | 72.55 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bozeman or Helena more affordable?
- Helena has the lower cost of living: its index is $54k, compared with Bozeman's $63k and Helena's $54k. Median rent is $1k in Bozeman versus $969 in Helena.
- Is Bozeman or Helena safer?
- Bozeman has the lower violent crime rate. Bozeman reports 1154/100k and Helena reports 2183/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bozeman or Helena?
- The median home value is $546k in Bozeman and $332k in Helena, so homes are more affordable in Helena.