Population 240 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Helena
Household size in Helena
| Period | Helena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.95 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.63 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.20 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.46 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.49 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Helena run small, averaging 2.46 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. That is in line with the rest of Arkansas. Household size has dropped from 2.95 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Helena
| Period | Helena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.4 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.2 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.2 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.6 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +11.2 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Helena is 43.6 years old, older than the national median of 40.1.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Helena
| Period | Helena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.8% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.9% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 22.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.6% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −19.2 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Helena than nationally: 13.6%, against 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Helena
Renters in Helena
| Period | Helena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.7% | 32.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 53.0% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 62.6% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 53.9% | 33.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | +10.2 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Helena: 53.9% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among owners, 53.3% have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Helena
| Period | Helena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.3% | 13.4% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.2% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 34.6% | 14.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.2% | 13.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Helena: 20.2% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Helena
| Period | Helena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Helena run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Helena
| Period | Helena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $471 | $660 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $530 | $718 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $522 | $785 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $674 | $1,007 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$203 | +$346 | +$606 |
The median renter in Helena pays $674 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 43.0% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Helena
Bachelor's degrees in Helena
| Period | Helena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 20.6% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 21.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.6% | 23.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.7% | 26.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.3 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Helena: 16.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Helena
| Period | Helena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.0% | 82.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 63.0% | 84.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 67.3% | 86.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 79.9% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +6.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in five adults in Helena never finished high school, well above the national share: only 79.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Helena
| Period | Helena | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.4% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 23.0% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.6% | 5.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −13.7 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Helena runs well above the national rate: 7.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Helena compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helena | 2.46 | 43.6 | 13.6% | 53.9% | 20.2% | 1975 | $674 | 16.7% | 79.9% | 7.7% |
| Helena Crossing | 2.63 | 41.2 | 13.8% | 54.9% | 15.5% | 1973 | $769 | 18.7% | 81.2% | 4.4% |
| Helena-West Helena | 2.67 | 36.1 | 22.2% | 56.9% | 28.9% | 1972 | $865 | 15.2% | 81.5% | 13.7% |
| West Helena | 3.00 | 33.5 | 16.5% | 35.5% | 21.0% | 1981 | $865 | 18.1% | 81.1% | 7.6% |
| Southland | 2.93 | 34.5 | 18.9% | 51.9% | 11.4% | 1979 | $795 | 11.7% | 74.5% | 13.2% |
| Barton | 3.18 | 36.1 | 6.5% | 13.7% | 21.1% | 1984 | $850 | 20.8% | 84.0% | 0.6% |
| Oneida | 2.25 | 54.7 | 10.8% | 48.3% | 33.5% | 1979 | $506 | 21.8% | 79.0% | 2.2% |
| Lexa | 2.52 | 39.1 | 22.4% | 39.7% | 21.5% | 1984 | $988 | 15.9% | 75.3% | 4.6% |
| Friars Point | 2.32 | 36.9 | 37.8% | 52.5% | 15.1% | 1987 | $446 | 11.1% | 85.8% | 6.5% |
| Long Lake | 2.28 | 39.1 | 32.8% | 50.1% | 17.4% | 1987 | $487 | 13.9% | 86.3% | 6.2% |
| Lake View | 2.22 | 55.2 | 10.9% | 49.2% | 33.9% | 1979 | $496 | 21.8% | 78.9% | 2.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Retreat, WI · Monkton Boro, VT · Monroe City, TX · Monti, IA · Moody, MO · Morgan, CO · Morris, WV · Navarro, TX · Nellie, OH · Nellis, WV
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Helena. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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