Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Helena Valley Northwest, Montana
A $359,000 home here costs
$2,684per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,846. The real number is $838 higher every month — 45% 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 Northwest against Lewis and Clark County and Montana
| Measure | Helena Valley Northwest | Lewis and Clark County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $358,600 | $358,200 |
| Median property tax | $2,582 | $2,886 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.720% | 0.806% |
| Median gross rent | $1,640 | $1,062 |
| Population | 5,070 | 72,580 |
The weather behind that power bill
Helena Valley Northwest 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 Northwest?
A $359,000 home in Helena Valley Northwest, Montana costs approximately $2,684 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,846 principal and interest, $215 property tax, $124 homeowners insurance, $200 utilities and $299 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Helena Valley Northwest?
Helena Valley Northwest has an effective property tax rate of 0.720%, based on a median home value of $358,600 and median real estate taxes of $2,582. That is lower than the Lewis and Clark County average of 0.806%.
What is the average home price in Helena Valley Northwest?
The median owner-occupied home value in Helena Valley Northwest, Montana is $358,600, against $358,200 across Lewis and Clark County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Helena Valley Northwest?
Median gross rent in Helena Valley Northwest is $1,640 a month, against $2,684 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 Northwest — 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.