Retirement Communities in Helena, Montana

CaringScore for Helena, MT

CaringScore was designed to help millions of Americans find the best places to retire, age in place, or receive eldercare. The CaringScore for retirement communities in Helena was based on more than 50 factors in three key categories: health, cost, and livability. By compiling and analyzing this data, Caring.com is able to rate the quality of life you or a loved one might expect should you choose retirement communities in Helena.

A CaringScore can range from 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and provides a quick way to compare cities, counties, and even specific zip codes. With a CaringScore of 5.4, Helena is on par with the national average for those seeking retirement communities.

The charts below highlight a few of the factors we used to calculate the CaringScore for Helena. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Helena, MT

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Helena, rates a region on a scale of 1 (less healthful) to 10 (more healthful). It's specifically tailored to anyone looking for retirement communities. The HealthScore for Helena is based on the availability of healthcare resources, air and water quality, the overall health of the local population, and other key factors. With a HealthScore of 5.9, Helena rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

Easy access to physicians -- especially geriatricians and other key specialists -- is important to older adults seeking retirement communities. At 255.3 physicians per capita, Helena scores 15.8 percent better than the national average. Helena trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 100.0 percent, with 0, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 19.3. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Helena is 78.6 years -- 0.9 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Helena -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 55.4 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Helena's environmental health -- trails the national average by 36.4 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Helena, MT	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	255.3	220.5
Geriatricians	0	1.3
Cardiologists	4.8	7.7
Oncologists	1.6	3.5
Orthopedists	12.8	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Helena, MT

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Helena, rates the cost of living for older adults on a scale of 1 (more expensive) to 10 (less expensive). It's specifically tailored to people looking for retirement communities. The CostScore for Helena is based on data such as the average monthly cost of retirement communities in the region, the cost of housing and healthcare, regional tax rates, and other key factors. With a CostScore of 5.2, Helena is on par with the national average for retirement communities.

Because of the broad range of housing, service, and healthcare options available at retirement communities, no average monthly cost data is available for Helena. The entry fee or purchase price for an independent living community can range from $50,000 to $500,000 or more, and typically requires an additional monthly service fee of $1,000 to $3,000 on average. The cost of living indices below provide the best proxy for comparing costs of retirement communities in Helena to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Helena is roughly equal to the national average. Average healthcare costs are 3.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing index is 98 of 10, which mirrors the rest of the country.

Cost of Living	Helena, MT
Aggregate Index	100
Healthcare Index	103
Housing Index	98
Food Index	108
Utilities Index	92
Transportation Index	100

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Helena, MT

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Helena. On a scale of 1 (less livable) to 10 (more livable), it's a rating of the quality of life in a region, specifically tailored to those looking for retirement communities. The LivabilityScore for Helena is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 4.8, Helena is on par with the national average for retirement communities.

Weather is an important factor in choosing the best place for retirement communities. The sun shines an average of 189 days each year in Helena, 7.8 percent fewer sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 11°F in January, winters tend to be colder in Helena than in other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 83°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Helena is 50.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 25.0 percent higher than average. At $45,869 per year, the population of Helena earns a lower than average median household income. Helena has an unemployment rate of 5.20 percent, roughly 42.9 percent lower than the national average. And about 15.00 percent of the population in Helena is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 14.0 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Helena	Nat'l Avg
Parks	99.4	136.1
Libraries	6.6	18.8
Places of Worship	113.1	220.5
Public Transit	0	110.4
Grocery Stores	176.5	97.7
Pharmacies	17.3	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65