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Helena West Side, MT Eviction Risk Score Jefferson County · Montana · Pop. 1,417

Updated
● Low Risk

Helena West Side, MT sits at 2.5/10 — Low risk. 28.3% rent burden, 25.4% renters, ~29-day typical timeline.

★☆☆ Limited data · 82%
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Score vs. benchmarks
Helena West Side
2.5
Jefferson County
3.1
Montana avg
3.2
National avg
4.4
9.4%Tenant-law probabilityi
$943–2,977Typical eviction costi
29 daysTypical timelinei
$1,361HUD 2BR FMR '25i
28.3%Rent burdeni
25.4%Rentersi

Location & regional heat

Low risk
High risk
Heat = surrounding cities. Click any dot to compare.

Sub-score breakdown

Each component on a 1–10 scale. Ticks mark the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles nationally.

Local political climatei
4.0
Regional political climatei
4.0
State political climate
1.7
Economic stressi
1.9
Supply constrainti
3.8
Rent-control riski
1.3
Eviction process difficulty
1.2
Tenant organizing strengthi
4.1
Housing court bias
2.0
Own rentals in or near Helena West Side?
Free consultation — local rent-control exposure, notice requirements, and eviction defense risk.

About eviction risk in Helena West Side, MT

Helena West Side, MT has an eviction risk score of 2.5 out of 10, placing it in the low-risk tier for landlords operating in Jefferson County and the state of Montana. The score combines local political climate, court disposition patterns, cost-of-eviction estimates, tenant organizing strength, and the likelihood of new tenant-protective legislation in the next legislative cycle.

Census ACS 2023 5-year estimates show median gross rent as a percentage of household income is 28.3% — a core driver of eviction filings, because households above 30% of income on rent are statistically more likely to miss a payment after any income shock. About 25.4% of occupied units here are renter-occupied.

Economic stress: poverty rate 4.0%, unemployment 0.0%. Higher values correlate with higher eviction filing rates and longer court timelines.

Political climate: In 2020, Jefferson County voted Republican by 33.2 points — classified as strongly landlord-leaning for purposes of rent-control or just-cause expansion risk.

What this score means for landlords

At 2.5/10, Helena West Side is a lower-risk environment. Standard screening, documented notices, and prompt action on non-payment typically resolve quickly. Still follow your state's specific notice and service requirements.

Nearby Cities — Eviction Risk Comparison

City Distance Population Risk score
Unionville, MT 3.7 mi 412 2.9
Helena, MT 4.5 mi 33,639 4.2
Helena Valley West Central, MT 5.2 mi 8,056 3.4
South Hills, MT 6.3 mi 620 2.0
East Helena, MT 9.3 mi 1,702 5.3
Rimini, MT 9.6 mi 118 2.2
Helena Valley Northwest, MT 9.6 mi 5,183 3.0
Montana City, MT 10 mi 3,092 2.4

Landlord Guides & Research Tools

Deepen your research with these guides. The metrics powering this score feed directly into each breakdown.

Landlord Guides for Montana

Eviction Costs — Montana →
Filing fees, attorney fees, lost rent, sheriff lockout
Eviction Process — Montana →
Step-by-step timeline, notices, statute cites
Rent Control — Montana →
Statewide caps, local ordinances, just-cause
Tenant Screening — Montana →
5-point protocol, legal rules, protected classes
Tenant Protections — Montana →
Just cause, retaliation, habitability, entry