Helena, MT · standard
ZIP Code 59602
Lewis and Clark County, Montana — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 24,285
- 18/sq mi
- $92,985
- Median income
- $408,600
- Median home value
- 38.9%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Helena pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 24%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 20%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 18
- people per sq mi
- 84%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 59602 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 59602 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 1379.8 square miles in Helena, Lewis and Clark County, Montana. The area is home to 24,285 residents, producing a population density of 18 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 59602 against Montana and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 59602 sits at $92,985 (33% above the Montana average), while per-capita income is $43,317. The poverty rate stands at 7.4% and the unemployment rate at 4.3%. On housing, the median home value is $408,600 (25% above the state average) with median rent at $1,464 per month, and 84.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 59602 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 38.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41, and the average commute is 21 minutes. Use the benchmarks above to see where 59602 sits relative to Montana and the national baseline rather than viewing the numbers in isolation. 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 59602
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 59602.
- Construction
Construction
155 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
73 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
67 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 57
Other services (except public administration)
57 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 49
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
49 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 59602, 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
24,285
Population
1379.8
Area (sq mi)
18
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 59602?
41.0
Median Age
49.7%
Male
50.3%
Female
2.1%
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?
$92,985
Median Household Income
+33% vs state
$43,317
Per Capita Income
7.4%
Poverty Rate
4.3%
Unemployment Rate
20.6 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 59602 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$92,985 Top 24% higher than 76% 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?
12,445
Total Housing Units
11,688
Occupied Units
757
Vacant Units
2.63
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$408,600
Median Home Value
+25% vs state
$1,464
Median Rent
1997
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
+3.2%
YoY Change (2024)
329
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+229%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 59602 have increased 3.2% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +229% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +3.1% | 207 |
| 2021 | +18.7% | 246 |
| 2022 | +22.6% | 301 |
| 2023 | +5.8% | 319 |
| 2024 | +3.2% | 329 |
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 643 business establishments in ZIP 59602, employing approximately 5,313 people with a combined annual payroll of $234,136,000.
643
Businesses
5,313
Employees
$234.1M
Annual Payroll
17
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 155 | 24.1% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 73 | 11.3% |
| Retail trade | 67 | 10.4% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 57 | 8.9% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 49 | 7.6% |
| Health care and social assistance | 44 | 6.8% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 40 | 6.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 39 | 6.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 24 | 3.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 23 | 3.6% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 19 | 3.0% |
| Manufacturing | 15 | 2.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 9 | 1.4% |
| Information | 9 | 1.4% |
| Educational services | 7 | 1.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 6 | 0.9% |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 3 | 0.5% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
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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.