Butte-Silver Bow vs Helena
Butte-Silver Bow, 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.
Butte-Silver Bow 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 | Butte-Silver Bow | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $57k | $65k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $54k |
| Home Value | $197k | $332k |
| Monthly Rent | $786 | $969 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.10% | 0.96% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.73% | 10.81% |
| Unemployment | 4.5% | 3.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 20°F | 23°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 64°F | 70°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.8 in | 11.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 15.2 in | 37.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 244 days | 244 days |
| Summer Humidity | 44°F | 44°F |
| Comfortable Days | 25 days | 49 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 69.4 | 47.1 |
| Air Quality | 46 AQI | 47 AQI |
| School Quality | 54.5 | 48.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1094/100k | 2183/100k |
| Property Crime | 4400/100k | 3269/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 34,638 | 32,529 |
| Median Age | 40.2 | 39.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.14 | 0.15 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.06 | 0.91 |
| Political Leaning | D+15 | R+34 |
| White (%) | 89.6% | 88.1% |
| Black (%) | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.7% | 4.8% |
| Asian (%) | 0.5% | 0.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 13 min |
| Walkability | 8.8/20 | 9.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 239 mi | 269 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 83.2% | 85.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 0.00 | 72.55 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | 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 Butte-Silver Bow or Helena more affordable?
- Butte-Silver Bow has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Butte-Silver Bow's $49k and Helena's $54k. Median rent is $786 in Butte-Silver Bow versus $969 in Helena.
- Is Butte-Silver Bow or Helena safer?
- Butte-Silver Bow has the lower violent crime rate. Butte-Silver Bow reports 1094/100k and Helena reports 2183/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Butte-Silver Bow or Helena?
- The median home value is $197k in Butte-Silver Bow and $332k in Helena, so homes are more affordable in Butte-Silver Bow.