Neighborhood

Helena West Side

Montana US

AI Summary•Updated May 2026

Area

13.87 mi²

ZIP Code

59601

County

Lewis and Clark County

State

Montana

Redfin — median sale & volumeZillow ZORI — asking rentFEMA National Risk Index v1.20OpenStreetMap — POIFBI UCR — state crimeEPA — radon zonesWashU ACAG — satellite PM2.5EPA FRS / BTS — hazard screeningUS Census ACS / TIGER 2024

Verified Price · Median Sale

$419,875

YoY-2.9%

Gross Rental Yield

4.6%

Listed rent · ZORI annualized

Red Flag Index

Moderate

49 / 100

Walkability Score

Minimal

OpenStreetMap POI density · national percentile

Education Score

71 / 100

Excellent · better than 71% of U.S. districts

Pre-pandemic SEDA (2018/19) · district proxy

AI Score

Fair

DistrictScore attractiveness · national model

Helena West Side Property Prices & Rental Yield

Verified Redfin sale data and Zillow ZORI asking rent.

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Market Economics Snapshot

May 2026

Metric	Value	YoY
Median Sale Price	$419,875	-2.9%
Price / Sq Ft (Verified)	$254/sqft	-2.1%
Asking Rent (Median)	$1,605/mo	+0.2%
Gross Rental Yield	4.6%	—
Liquidity Score	33 / 100	Moderate
Homes Sold (Period)	104	-12.6%

Is Helena West Side Safe? Natural-Hazard Risk

FEMA National Risk Index composite across eight hazards, plus inherited Montana crime context.

Red Flag Breakdown

49 / 100

Moderate Risk

Composite is weighted by expected impact — frequent low-damage hazards (hail, wind) weigh less than flood or wildfire.

Wildfire100Very High

Earthquake80Very High

Strong Wind40Moderate

Flood20Low

Tornado20Low

Heat20Low

Hail20Low

Hurricanen/an/a

7/8 hazards scored · FEMA NRI v1.20

Crime (state-level): Montana averaged 20.4 crimes and 4.2 violent per 1,000 residents (-10.5% YoY) in 2024(FBI UCR). Compare the state to the country, not states as a ranking — full Safety & Crime data lives on the state page.

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What Stands Out AI Insight

Active transaction volume — 104 homes sold last period

Wildfire risk is Very High (100/100)

Earthquake risk is Very High (80/100)

Insights are generated from Helena West Side's live DistrictScore metrics.

Helena West Side Environment & Safety

Satellite PM2.5 air-quality history, FBI UCR crime trend (Montana-level, the finest official aggregation), EPA radon potential and point-source hazard screening.

Air Quality — PM2.5

2015–2024

11.2 µg/m³ Above EPA annual standard+20.4% since 2015

EPA 9WHO 5

20152024

Annual mean fine-particle (PM2.5) concentration at the Helena West Side centroid, satellite-derived (ACAG). References: WHO guideline 5 µg/m³ · EPA annual standard 9 µg/m³. Latest year ranks worse than 100% of U.S. neighborhoods.

Montana Crime Trend

FBI UCR

20132024

All crimes / 1k

Violent / 1k

Year	Crimes / 1k	Violent / 1k	YoY
2024	20.4	4.2	-10.5%
2023	22.9	4.5	-2.7%
2022	23.7	4.3	-3.6%
2021	25.0	4.7	-1.2%
2020	25.9	4.7	-1.4%
2019	26.5	4.2	—

Reported at the state level — the finest official US crime aggregation; Helena West Side inherits the Montana figures.

Radon Potential

EPA

Zone 1

Zone 1 — Highest potential · Helena West Side

EPA radon zones estimate indoor radon potential county-wide (Zone 1 highest, Zone 3 lowest). Testing is recommended in all zones.

Environmental Hazards

EPA / BTS

Industrial odor1 nearbyHigh

Point-source screening near Helena West Side: EPA Superfund National Priorities List & Facility Registry (2026), BTS aviation noise (2020, 24-hour average level). Superfund shows distance to the nearest listed site; odor shows detected sources within the screening radius. Only detected sources are listed; the bar shows severity vs. all U.S. neighborhoods.

Walkability & Amenities in Helena West Side

Amenity density and pedestrian access from OpenStreetMap points of interest.

Walkability & Amenities

OpenStreetMap POI

10

Minimal

Walkability Score

0

Grocery

3

Dining

2

Schools

0

Universities

2

Hospitals

0

Pharmacies

7

Parks

0

Rail Transit

0

Coworking

POI counts are amenities within Helena West Side's boundary plus a 400 m walk buffer. Rail transit excludes bus stops.

Helena West Side vs City vs Montana

How Helena West Side benchmarks against its city and state medians.

Benchmark vs City & State

Across Helena West Side, the median sale price sits about 16% below the statewide median. Gross rental yield is 4.6%, against 4.1% statewide. Over the past 12 months, prices fell 2.9%. Transaction liquidity sits in line with the statewide median.

Area	Median / Sq Ft	Gross Yield	Liquidity
Helena West Side	$254/sqft	4.6%	33
Montana	$302/sqft	4.1%	34

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Buying Property in the US as a Foreigner

Federal & Montana tax facts for non-resident buyers, plus the latest local market news.

Buying as a Foreigner

US Tax & Ownership

Applies to everyone7

Capital Gains (Federal)

Long-term capital gains taxed federally at 0/15/20%, plus a 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax on higher incomes (2026).

Property Tax

Property tax: ~0.59% average effective rate (statewide average; set and collected locally).

State Income Tax

State income tax up to 5.9%; rental income is taxed at these rates.

State Capital Gains

Capital gains taxed as income, with a partial state exclusion or credit.

Transfer Tax

Real estate transfer tax: none statewide (local tax may apply).

Assessment Cap

No Proposition 13-style assessment cap; property is reassessed at market value.

Mansion Tax / Rent Control

No statewide mansion tax or statewide rent control.

US citizens & tax residents7

Primary-Home Exclusion

Selling your main home: exclude up to $250k of gain (single) / $500k (married) if you owned and lived there 2 of the last 5 years.

1031 Like-Kind Exchange

A 1031 like-kind exchange defers capital gains tax on investment property; 45 days to identify, 180 to close. Real estate only.

Depreciation Recapture

Residential rentals depreciate over 27.5 years; on sale, recaptured depreciation is taxed up to 25% (Section 1250).

Mortgage Interest Deduction

Mortgage interest is deductible on up to $750k of home debt. The SALT cap rose to $40,000 for 2025-2029 (reverts to $10k in 2030).

Opportunity Zones

Opportunity Zones are now permanent (2025): reinvested capital gains get deferral plus a basis step-up, and are tax-free after 10 years.

Rental Income (Resident)

Rental income is reported on Schedule E; passive-loss rules (Section 469) limit deducting rental losses against other income.

1031 State Conformity

Conforms to 1031 but tracks deferred in-state gain after an out-of-state exchange.

Foreign buyers (non-residents)5

FIRPTA (Foreign Sellers)

FIRPTA: the buyer withholds 15% of the gross sale price when a nonresident sells US property. It is an advance deposit, not the final tax.

Non-Resident Capital Gains

Nonresident sellers pay US capital gains tax (generally 15-20%) on the net gain via Form 1040-NR; FIRPTA withholding is credited.

Non-Resident Rental Tax

Nonresident rental income is taxed at 30% of gross by default, or on net income at graduated rates via a Section 871(d) election (W-8ECI).

Estate Tax (Non-Resident)

Nonresidents get only a $60,000 US estate-tax exemption (vs $13.99M for residents); US property above it is taxed up to 40%. Treaties may help.

ITIN Requirement

Nonresidents without an SSN need an ITIN (Form W-7) to file US tax returns, claim FIRPTA refunds, and report rental income.

Talk to a US real-estate tax advisor

FIRPTA, ITIN & Montana property-tax guidance for foreign buyers

Latest Real-Estate News

New Fed chairman may leave mortgage rates mostly unchanged

Guaranteed Rate • Jun 18, 2026

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Eye On Housing • Jun 18, 2026

U.S. commercial property prices hit record as deal patterns shift

Altus Group • Jun 18, 2026

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