Helena, MT · standard
ZIP Code 59601
Lewis and Clark County, Montana — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 29,283
- 82/sq mi
- $72,290
- Median income
- $386,500
- Median home value
- 50.9%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Helena pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, mixed-tenure area.
- Top 50%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 22%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 82
- people per sq mi
- 56%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 59601 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 59601 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 358.0 square miles in Helena, Lewis and Clark County, Montana. The area is home to 29,283 residents, producing a population density of 82 people per square mile, and falls within the Denver time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 59601 against Montana and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 59601 sits at $72,290 (3% above the Montana average), while per-capita income is $47,533. The poverty rate stands at 8.7% and the unemployment rate at 2.6%. On housing, the median home value is $386,500 (18% above the state average) with median rent at $1,046 per month, and 55.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 59601 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 50.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.6, and the average commute is 14 minutes. We also surface 1 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Lewis and Clark County, so you can benchmark 59601 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 59601
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 59601.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
283 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
204 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
201 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
191 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
141 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 59601, Helena, MT · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
29,283
Population
358.0
Area (sq mi)
82
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 59601?
41.6
Median Age
49.0%
Male
51.0%
Female
1.3%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$72,290
Median Household Income
+3% vs state
$47,533
Per Capita Income
8.7%
Poverty Rate
2.6%
Unemployment Rate
13.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 59601 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$72,290 Top 50% higher than 50% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. 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 · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
15,872
Total Housing Units
14,984
Occupied Units
888
Vacant Units
2.07
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$386,500
Median Home Value
+18% vs state
$1,046
Median Rent
1972
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+2.9%
YoY Change (2024)
352
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+252%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 59601 have increased 2.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +252% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +4.2% | 220 |
| 2021 | +16.3% | 256 |
| 2022 | +21.1% | 310 |
| 2023 | +10.2% | 342 |
| 2024 | +2.9% | 352 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 1,651 business establishments in ZIP 59601, employing approximately 18,302 people with a combined annual payroll of $983,713,000.
1,651
Businesses
18,302
Employees
$983.7M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 283 | 17.1% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 204 | 12.4% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 201 | 12.2% |
| Retail trade | 191 | 11.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 141 | 8.5% |
| Construction | 135 | 8.2% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 107 | 6.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 95 | 5.8% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 61 | 3.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 44 | 2.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 40 | 2.4% |
| Manufacturing | 39 | 2.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 33 | 2.0% |
| Information | 31 | 1.9% |
| Educational services | 31 | 1.9% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 11 | 0.7% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 59601 vs 59636 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 59636 | Fort Harrison, MT | 12 | 6.4 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Lewis and Clark County
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Frequently Asked Questions
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Helena, MT
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.