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Living in
St. Helens.
About
Life in St. Helens
Living in St. Helens means settling into a quiet county-seat town about 28 miles northwest of Portland that's genuinely affordable compared to the metro area—median home values around $394,200 and median household income at $82,123 give you actual breathing room financially, especially if you're coming from pricier Oregon communities. You'll find a town of about 14,000 people with a genuine small-town feel—it's a real place where people actually live their lives, not a bedroom community that empties out on weekdays, and the median age of 38 suggests a mature, settled population with families rooted here.
St. Helens at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
39.8 yrs
Poverty Rate
10.0%
Foreign-Born
3.9%
Broadband Internet
92.2%
of households
Population Growth
+4.5%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics3.9% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in St. Helens: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In St. Helens, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (31.4%), and 6.0% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
22.0%
of residents
65 and Older
15.8%
of residents
Households with Kids
35.6%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
22.5%
of households
Married Couples
45.4%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.57
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 7% below OR average
Rent, home values, and income in St. Helens
In St. Helens, rent runs 7% below the OR average, and home values are 17% below the OR average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
53.2%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
19.2%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
105.4
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$2,916
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
62.0%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1985
median year built
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.8 pts above OR average
Unemployment in St. Helens
Unemployment in Columbia County, which includes St. Helens, is 0.8 percentage points higher than the OR average.
Unemployment rate
St. Helens: Columbia County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Columbia County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What St. Helens Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute30.3 min avg
How St. Helens residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In St. Helens, most residents drive alone to work (64%), and 49% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 21 mi
Portland International Airport (PDX)
Medium hub9.1M passengers boarded in 2025
- 112 mi
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Major hub25.4M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 13% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in St. Helens runs 13% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
287.6
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
972.5
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
St. Helens Police Department
Natural DisastersFlood most common — 3 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Low
70.7 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Columbia County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Columbia County, which includes St. Helens, the most common type is flood, with 3 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | Heavy Snow | None reported |
| 2024 | 1 | Frost/Freeze | None reported |
| 2022 | 1 | Flood | $25,000 |
| 2021 | 1 | Flood | None reported |
| 2020 | 1 | Tornado | $40,000 |
| 2019 | 1 | Flood | $30,000 |
| 2018 | 1 | Funnel Cloud | None reported |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
9 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Columbia County, county-wide
Air Quality27 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Columbia County, which includes St. Helens, is typically good — 338 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
27
Good Days
338
per year
Moderate Days
26
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Columbia County, county-wide
Climate79°F summers, 34°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
St. Helens has mild summers (avg high 79°F) and mild winters (avg low 34°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
62°/41°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
79°/53°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
64°/43°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
48°/34°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
46.8"
Annual Snowfall
3.0"
Hot Days/Year
20
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
59
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
166
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°F | 34°F | 6.54" |
| Feb | 51°F | 34°F | 4.62" |
| Mar | 56°F | 37°F | 4.54" |
| Apr | 61°F | 40°F | 3.08" |
| May | 68°F | 46°F | 2.49" |
| Jun | 73°F | 51°F | 1.37" |
| Jul | 81°F | 55°F | 0.48" |
| Aug | 82°F | 54°F | 0.52" |
| Sep | 76°F | 50°F | 1.56" |
| Oct | 64°F | 43°F | 3.60" |
| Nov | 53°F | 37°F | 6.26" |
| Dec | 46°F | 34°F | 7.25" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in St. Helens
Uninsured
5.4%
of residents
No hospitals inside St. Helens's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 12.4 mi away · Vancouver
Rainier Springs
Psychiatric · 12.9 mi away · Vancouver
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education19.4:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in St. Helens
St. Helens's student/teacher ratio is 19.4:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 16.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
6
within city limits
Private Schools
0
within city limits
College Degree Rate
16.9%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
19.4:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Parks & Recreationclosest: Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, 18 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for St. Helens
St. Helens has 3 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (18 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
National Historic Site
18 mi awayLewis and Clark National Historical Park
National Historical Park
60 mi awayMount Rainier National Park
National Park
87 mi awayPublic Libraries in St. Helens
St. Helens Public Library
375 S 18th St, Ste A, St. Helens
Cities Near St. Helens
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to St. Helens?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
St. Helens FAQ
Is St. Helens, Oregon affordable?⌄
St. Helens's median rent is $1,413/month, which is close to the national average. The median household income is $82,865/year. Median home value is $394,200.
Is St. Helens, Oregon safe?⌄
St. Helens's violent crime rate was 288 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is below the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 973 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in St. Helens, Oregon?⌄
Columbia County, which includes St. Helens, has an unemployment rate of 6.0%, which is above the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in St. Helens, Oregon?⌄
The cost of living in St. Helens is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,413/month and median household income is $82,865/year. The median home value is $394,200. About 53% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in St. Helens, Oregon?⌄
The average commute in St. Helens is 30 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from