Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Helena Valley Northeast, Montana
A $462,000 home here costs
$3,423per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,375. The real number is $1,048 higher every month — 44% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Helena Valley Northeast against Lewis and Clark County and Montana
| Measure | Helena Valley Northeast | Lewis and Clark County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $462,400 | $358,200 |
| Median property tax | $3,652 | $2,886 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.790% | 0.806% |
| Median gross rent | $1,221 | $1,062 |
| Population | 4,398 | 72,580 |
The weather behind that power bill
Helena Valley Northeast sits in Lewis and Clark County, which averages a high of 81.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 16.2°F in its coldest, with 17.09" of precipitation a year and 46% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 218 cooling and 7,893 heating degree days, which is what sets the $132 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Lewis and Clark County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Lewis and Clark County
Full Lewis and Clark County cost breakdown · Every county in Montana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Helena Valley Northeast?
A $462,000 home in Helena Valley Northeast, Montana costs approximately $3,423 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,375 principal and interest, $304 property tax, $159 homeowners insurance, $200 utilities and $385 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Helena Valley Northeast?
Helena Valley Northeast has an effective property tax rate of 0.790%, based on a median home value of $462,400 and median real estate taxes of $3,652. That is lower than the Lewis and Clark County average of 0.806%.
What is the average home price in Helena Valley Northeast?
The median owner-occupied home value in Helena Valley Northeast, Montana is $462,400, against $358,200 across Lewis and Clark County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Helena Valley Northeast?
Median gross rent in Helena Valley Northeast is $1,221 a month, against $3,423 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Helena Valley Northeast — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Montana.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.