Health Profile of Helena, Montana
Helena Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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A
Helena Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Helena | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.2 | 79.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 4.7% | 8.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.3% | 14.7% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Helena is 80.2 years, about 1.2 years longer than the Montana average of 79.0 years. The uninsured rate is 4.7%, lower than the Montana average of 8.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.3% of residents, lower than the Montana average of 14.7%.
Population by Age
Older residents
8,249 residents in Helena are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 557 133 men · 424 women
- 75–84 1,281 527 men · 755 women
- 65–74 2,205 1,081 men · 1,124 women
- 50–64 4,206 1,931 men · 2,275 women
Younger residents
4,033 residents in Helena are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 1,241 626 boys · 616 girls
- 7–12 1,207 629 boys · 577 girls
- 3–7 910 478 boys · 432 girls
- 0–3 674 358 boys · 316 girls
About 1,111 residents in Helena (5.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.2 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Helena | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.4% | 10.8% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.8% | 7.7% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.7% | 7.6% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 28.4% | 31.4% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Helena is about 26% lower than in Montana. The rate of diabetes in Helena is about 22% lower than in Montana.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Helena | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 14.4% | 18.8% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 21.0% | 19.9% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 18.2% | 22.5% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Helena is about 23% lower than in Montana. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Helena is about 19% lower than in Montana.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 24,620 cigarettes a day, 738,590 a month, or 9.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 270,816 minutes a day and 98.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Helena is 80.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.35 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Helena | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 3.70 | 4.05 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 3.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Helena is very good — well within WHO health guidelines, with minimal health risk from air pollution.
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Helena, Montana has an overall health index grade of A, making it somewhat better than Montana, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Helena, Montana.
How healthy is Helena, Montana?
Helena, Montana has a Map AI Health Index grade of A, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A grade means residents are much healthier than the U.S. average.
How long do people live in Helena, Montana?
People in Helena, Montana can expect to live 80.2 years on average, 1.2 years longer than the Montana average of 79.0.
What percentage of Helena, Montana residents are uninsured?
4.7% of residents in Helena, Montana have no health insurance, about 1 in 21 people, 3.9 points below the Montana rate of 8.6%.
How common is obesity in Helena, Montana?
28.4% of adults in Helena, Montana are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 2.9 points below the Montana rate of 31.4%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Helena, Montana go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 24,620 cigarettes a day, 738,590 a month, or 9.0 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 270,816 minutes a day and 98.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Helena is 80.2 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 2.35 lifetimes a year.
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