Most of Helena is in Lewis and Clark County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $36.23 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 8 ZIP codes in Helena with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,150 to $1,420 a month. At the middle rent, $1,150, a full-time job would need to pay $36.23 an hour before taxes.
What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.
| ZIP | County | Studio rent | Pay needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 59601 | Lewis and Clark County | $1,150/mo | $36.23/hr |
| 59602 | Lewis and Clark County | $1,420/mo | $46.66/hr |
| 59604 | Lewis and Clark County | $1,150/mo | $36.23/hr |
| 59620 | Lewis and Clark County | $1,150/mo | $36.23/hr |
| 59623 | Lewis and Clark County | $1,150/mo | $36.23/hr |
| 59624 | Lewis and Clark County | $1,150/mo | $36.23/hr |
| 59625 | Lewis and Clark County | $1,150/mo | $36.23/hr |
| 59626 | Lewis and Clark County | $1,150/mo | $36.23/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Helena needs to pay at least $36.23 an hour before taxes, about $75,363 a year. That is the figure for Lewis and Clark County, where the typical studio rent is $1,150 a month.
Yes. Across the 8 ZIP codes in Helena with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,150 to $1,420 a month. At the middle rent of $1,150, the pay needed would be $36.23 an hour.
The minimum wage in Lewis and Clark County is $10.85 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 3.3 times that.
The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads