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Place dossier plate
SheetOK-HELENA-OK · Helena, OK 1,487 pop · income 42nd pct · 3 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Helena
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Helena on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Kenton · lowest
40,993
Kenton · lowest
40,993 median HH income
25.5% of the leader · rank #1
Helena · this city
64,286
Helena · this city
64,286 median HH income
40.0% of the leader · rank #2
Maxwell · near
64,286
Maxwell · near
64,286 median HH income
40.0% of the leader · rank #3
Discovery Har… · near
64,286
Discovery Har… · near
64,286 median HH income
40.0% of the leader · rank #4
Cornell · near
64,286
Cornell · near
64,286 median HH income
40.0% of the leader · rank #5
Onarga · near
64,286
Onarga · near
64,286 median HH income
40.0% of the leader · rank #6
Diablo Grande · highest
160,741
Diablo Grande · highest
160,741 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Helena on ACS population and median household income
. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 1,487.
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Helena places in the 42nd percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
42nd
percentile, household income
4th
percentile, home value
14th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Helena, OK
Oklahoma's Helena is a small town, with 1,487 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $64,286 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 13.8%. Typical homes in Helena are valued around $80,500, and the median resident age is 47.2 years. Educational attainment runs 3.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 8.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 58.8°F with 32.1 inches of precipitation per year and 12.7 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in Oklahoma run below the national norm: the state registers 87.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $995 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Oklahoma's average monthly utility costs around $205 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 55.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Helena's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from work and mobility to climate and hazard context to within-city variation to schools and households to housing and income to population change to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Helena, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, within-city Census tract profiles, annual population history, commute-mode shares.
No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Helena?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 60.5%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 58.8°F, with 32.1 inches of precipitation and 12.7 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Oklahoma is 55.5 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
Which cities make useful reference points for Helena?
Within Oklahoma, the closest population matches are Cleora (1,449 residents, $82,614 income); Locust Grove (1,445 residents, $44,853 income); Luther (1,443 residents, $57,500 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Waldoboro, ME (1,487 residents); Quincy, MI (1,487 residents); Lone Jack, MO (1,487 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Helena?
The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 3.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
Matched public schools
1
Bachelor's degree+
3.8%
Poverty estimate
13.8%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
How far does income reach against housing in Helena?
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 1.3 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 13.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
Household income
$64,286
Home value
$80,500
Value / income
1.3×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -5 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -0.3% change. No comparable local building-permit series is available here, so population change should not be read as a housing-supply measure. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
-0.3%
2025 estimate
1,527
2020 estimate
1,532
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Below median income · poverty 13.8% (High poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
87.8 (US=100)
Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Oklahoma average
D
City profile score · Helena, OK
43/100
4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living A+
87.8 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Household income D
$64,286
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
13.8%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share F
3.8%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime N/A
N/A
No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).
Helena profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 94/100 (A+) · 87.8 index
Household income: 41/100 (D) · $64,286
Poverty rate: 25/100 (F) · 13.8%
Bachelor's+ share: 0/100 (F) · 3.8%
How does Helena compare to other US cities?
Here's how Helena stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income42% higher than other cities
Home value4% pricier than other cities
Median rent14% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Helena against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Oklahoma only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Oklahoma-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Helena near the bottom of Oklahoma's cities
Among the 671 Oklahoma cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Helena ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Helena only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#168 of 639
74th percentile in Oklahoma
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 671
0th percentile in Oklahoma
Median Home Value
#462 of 628
26th percentile in Oklahoma
Poverty Rate
#300 of 671
55th percentile in Oklahoma
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#634 of 671
5th percentile in Oklahoma
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Oklahoma only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
42nd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Helena's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$80,500Among the most affordablemore affordable than 96% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Helena's home-value-to-income ratio: 1.3×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#136 of 15,516
More affordable than 99% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#134 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 1.3×, Helena sits in the affordable band:
national rank #136 of 15,516 and #134 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$64,286Helena, OK median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Helena, OK median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Helena, OK.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)3.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)13.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)8.4%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
1,487
Median Income
$64,286
Median Home Value
$80,500
Median Age
47.2
Poverty Rate
13.8%
Labor force participation
8.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
3.8%
Climate
Avg Temperature
58.8°F
Annual Precipitation
32.1"
Annual Snowfall
12.7"
Schools
Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Helena's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
1,532 residents
2021
1,529 residents
2022
1,529 residents
2023
1,527 residents
2024
1,533 residents
2025
1,527 residents
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
60.5%
Carpool
15.1%
Public Transit
1.7%
Walk
19.3%
Work from Home
0.8%
Other
2.6%
Based on 119 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Oklahoma statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $205
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Oklahoma at $205 (electricity about $115 , water and sewer about $40 ).
These are Oklahoma statewide averages, not a meter reading for Helena. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Oklahoma's BEA cost-of-living index is 87.8 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Helena is $995/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Oklahoma statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 55.5 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Oklahoma statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Helena sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Helena compares to similar-size Oklahoma cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.