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 Moderate-density area
- $92,985
- Median income Above-median income area
- $408,600
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 38.9%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 59602 (Helena, MT) rose +3.2% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 318.9 in 2023 to 329.0 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 59602 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Helena, Lewis and Clark County, Montana, with 24,285 residents across 1379.8 square miles, a density of 18 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 59602 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $92,985 (33% above the average Montana ZIP), while per-capita income is $43,317. The poverty rate is 7.4%, with unemployment at 4.3%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $408,600 (25% above the average Montana ZIP), while 84.1% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,464.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 38.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41, and the average commute is 21 minutes. No nearby ZIP peer set is available for this delivery area, so the Montana and national benchmarks above are the appropriate context for 59602.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 59602
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Helena, MT
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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, 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; 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 ZIP avg
$43,317
Per Capita Income
7.4%
Poverty Rate
4.3%
Unemployment Rate
20.6 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 59602 ranks among Montana ZIPs
Helena, MT household income vs. every Montana ZIP code
Median household income among 321 reporting Montana ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$92,985 Top 12% higher than 88% of 321 Montana ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Montana 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
12,445housing units
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 ZIP avg
$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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 59602, both outside MT so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (24,285 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Lewis and Clark County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 59602 in?
ZIP code 59602 (Helena) is located in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. Lewis and Clark County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/lewis-and-clark-mt.
What is the population of ZIP code 59602?
ZIP code 59602 in Helena, MT has a population of 24,285 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 59602?
The median household income in ZIP 59602 is $92,985, which is 22% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 59602?
The median home value in ZIP 59602 is $408,600, which is 47% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 59602?
The largest racial group in ZIP 59602 is White at 91.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 59602?
ZIP code 59602 has 643 business establishments employing approximately 5,313 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 59602?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 59602 are: Construction (155), Professional, scientific, and technical services (73), Retail trade (67). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 59602?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 59602 increased by 3.2% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 229%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 59602?
In ZIP code 59602, 62.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 38.9% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 59602?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 59602 is 20.6 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 59602?
In ZIP code 59602, approximately 84.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 15.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 59602?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 59602 is 7.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
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- See how ZIP 59602 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.