Where Helena Ranks Among America’s State Capitals

Here's some background information on Montana's capital, Helena.

• Estimated population: 34,729 (July 1, 2024 - 2025 estimates haven't been released yet)
• It's the 5th smallest state capital (Only ahead of Montpelier, Vermont, Pierre, South Dakota, Augusta, Maine, and Frankfort, Kentucky)
• It's the 6th biggest city in Montana
• Helena got its start as a gold mining camp in 1864.
• "By 1888, Helena had more millionaires per person than any other city in the world." - Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Did I cite an encyclopedia made for kids? Yes. Yes, I did.

How does Helena stack up against the other 49 state capitals in livability rankings?

Helena Ranked 26th in "Best State Capitals to Live In."

WalletHub released its ranking of all 50 state capitals on livability factors.

Helena ranked 26th, just ahead of Olympia, Washington and behind Albany, NY. Helena scored the best in the "Quality of Education and Health" category, ranking 8th, and scored the worst under the "Affordability" umbrella, checking in at 35.

READ MORE: Remember Robert Duvall's Montana Masterpiece

I'm surprised Helena ranked that low in affordability. It seems like it isn't that expensive to live there, but what do I know?

Best and Worst State Capitals to Live In

Austin, Texas, ranked as the best state capital to live in, followed by Raleigh, North Carolina, Atlanta, Georgia, and Madison, Wisconsin.

The worst capital was Jackson, Mississippi. The rest of the top 5 were Augusta, ME, Trenton, NJ, Baton Rouge, LA, and Little Rock, AR.