Uprootmap
Boise vs Helena
Boise and Helena
Photo: RTC / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Assumed income $83,730, same in both cities. Example, until you change it.
Other cities
So you know: homicide deaths in Helena are under the US rate in this release, 3.7 versus 6.5 per 100,000. CDC via County Health Rankings, CDC NVSS 2017–2023 (CHR 2025 release).
Why people look at Boise to Helena
IRS migration on this site does not list a filed flow from Boise to Helena above the cutoff in 2022-2023.
A one-bedroom asking rent is about $1,383 in Boise and $1,263 in Helena. Boise has a state tax on wages. Helena has a state tax on wages. Local pay in Helena is 96% of the national level for the same work, against 90% in Boise.
Helena averages 197 sunny days, with July highs around 89°F and January nights around 19°F. Boise is 206 sunny days, 91°F in July, 25°F in January. Commutes average 19 minutes in Helena and 21 in Boise.
These figures are projections built from available public data. Conditions change, and the numbers may not reflect current prices, taxes, or immigration rules. Check official sources before you make decisions.
Who already made this move
The IRS did not publish a large enough Boise → Helena pair for 2022-2023. That usually means fewer than a few dozen tax returns, not that nobody moved.
Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration. Not a moving company; not a recommendation.
The monthly number is take-home pay minus rent and the other bills. The gap between Boise and Helena changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this.
What the move itself costs
About 387 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.
- Full-service mover
- $1,950–$3,650
- Container or pod
- $1,350–$2,500
- Rent a truck
- $600–$1,100
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Dig into Helena
Questions
Is Helena cheaper than Boise after tax and rent?
Yes. Helena leaves about $149 more a month, so the cost of living is lower there for this household. A one-bedroom is about $1,383 in Boise and $1,263 in Helena.
Does Helena have state income tax?
Helena is in Montana, which taxes wage income.
Did people actually move from Boise to Helena?
Yes, when the IRS published that flow. The count and their average income are on this page. Leftover prices the same household in both cities.