Housing data for St. Helens, OR
St. Helens, OR has an estimated 14,258 residents and 5,679 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Columbia County.
38.0% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,413 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+5.2%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 14,258 (±26)
- Housing units
- 5,679 (±285)
- Households that rent
- 38.0%
- Median gross rent
- $1,413
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +5.2%
What stands out in St. Helens
Households that rent: 38.0% (±5.9 points) in St. Helens, higher than in Columbia County (23.9%).
Households that moved in since 2020: 27.2% (±5.8 points) in St. Helens, higher than in Columbia County (18.2%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 6.4% (±3.3 points) in St. Helens, higher than in Columbia County (2.7%).
Homes heated by fuel oil: 0.5% (±0.4 points) in St. Helens, lower than in Columbia County (2.4%).
- Renters and owners in St. Helens
- How long people stay in St. Helens
- Types of homes in St. Helens
- Heating fuel in St. Helens
Housing in St. Helens at a glance
- Median rent: $1,413 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,194 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 54.1% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 38.0% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $82,865 median household income
- Home values: $394,200 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,733 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,916 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 6.4% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 62.2% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 45.9% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 2.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 48.2% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 30.3 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 288 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +5.2% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 27.2% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 4.4% of homes have more than 1 person per room
St. Helens against Columbia County, its state and the nation
| St. Helens | Columbia County | Oregon | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 14,258 (±26) | 53,493 (exact) | 4,254,293 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 5,679 (±285) | 22,167 (±36) | 1,857,992 (±637) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 38.0% (±5.9 points) | 23.9% (±2.7 points) | 36.7% (±0.4 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,413 (±$148) | $1,373 (±$123) | $1,525 (±$10) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $82,865 (±$4,204) | $87,458 (±$4,578) | $83,011 (±$573) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $394,200 (±$18,693) | $421,600 (±$12,804) | $477,600 (±$1,400) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,916 (±$211) | $3,137 (±$104) | $3,876 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 45.9% (±6.3 points) | 48.4% (±3.8 points) | 49.1% (±0.4 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 30.3 minutes (±3.2) | 31.7 minutes (±1.4) | 23.0 minutes (±0.2) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 92.2% (±3.0 points) | 93.3% (±1.3 points) | 92.4% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 39.8 years (±2.7) | 43.3 years (±0.4) | 40.4 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
St. Helens covers 4.9 square miles of land, about 2,936 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How St. Helens has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 13,559 (±26) | 14,258 (±26) | +5.2% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 5,571 (±231) | 5,679 (±285) | +1.9% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $901 (±$59) | $1,413 (±$148) | +56.8% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $228,500 (±$7,474) | $394,200 (±$18,693) | +72.5% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $51,199 (±$4,510) | $82,865 (±$4,204) | +61.8% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,388 (±$53) | $1,733 (±$121) | +24.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $2,313 (±$92) | $2,916 (±$211) | +26.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 38.8% (±4.0 points) | 38.0% (±5.9 points) | −0.8 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.7% (±2.5 points) | 2.0% (±3.1 points) | +0.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in St. Helens
In 2025, the St. Helens Police Department reported 288 violent and 972 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Places near St. Helens
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia City | 3.0 mi | $1,365 | $460,000 | 9.9% |
| Warren | 4.2 mi | — | $523,400 | 2.4% |
| Woodland | 5.3 mi | $1,367 | $438,800 | 43.8% |
| La Center | 6.8 mi | $1,876 | $584,600 | 24.9% |
| Scappoose | 7.3 mi | $1,750 | $455,700 | 25.4% |
| Ridgefield | 7.5 mi | $2,335 | $613,500 | 18.0% |
| Duluth | 9.6 mi | $1,630 | $733,600 | 15.7% |
| Felida | 11 mi | $2,419 | $674,000 | 4.3% |
Places in Oregon most like St. Helens
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood Village | $1,535 | $311,500 | $85,413 | 38.7% |
| Silverton | $1,580 | $484,800 | $79,960 | 38.9% |
| Amity | $1,579 | $377,700 | $87,396 | 40.3% |
| Prineville | $1,355 | $425,900 | $72,980 | 39.9% |
| Dallas | $1,209 | $389,100 | $71,549 | 32.1% |
| Philomath | $1,477 | $421,300 | $83,672 | 31.8% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Oregon.
HUD Fair Market Rent for St. Helens, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,527 | $1,633 | $1,878 | $2,550 | $3,069 |
HUD income limits for St. Helens, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $26,950 | $44,950 | $71,900 |
| 2 people | $30,800 | $51,350 | $82,150 |
| 3 people | $34,650 | $57,750 | $92,400 |
| 4 people | $38,500 | $64,150 | $102,650 |
| 5 people | $41,600 | $69,300 | $110,900 |
| 6 people | $44,700 | $74,450 | $119,100 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $79,550 | $127,300 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $84,700 | $135,500 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $128,300.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
What you can do on Seayora in St. Helens
One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.
Own or manage a rental?
List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for St. Helens beside you.
Create a landlord account · See what landlords get
Looking for a place to rent?
Browse homes for rent near St. Helens, save the ones you like and apply online.
Browse rentals · Create a renter account
Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?
Get found by owners and renters near St. Helens, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.
Questions about St. Helens
What is the average rent in St. Helens, OR?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in St. Helens is $1,413 (±$148) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in St. Helens?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in St. Helens, OR is $1,169 (±$101) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in St. Helens rent-burdened?
54.1% of renting households in St. Helens pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in St. Helens?
St. Helens has an estimated 2,055 (±332) renting households, 38.0% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in St. Helens?
The median household income in St. Helens is $82,865 (±$4,204) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in St. Helens, OR?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $394,200 (±$18,693) for owner-occupied homes in St. Helens (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is St. Helens growing?
In St. Helens, the number of residents went from 13,559 in 2015–2019 to 14,258 in 2020–2024 (+5.2%), a measurable increase.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — St. Helens city, Oregon
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — St. Helens city, Oregon
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — St. Helens city, Oregon
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — St. Helens city, Oregon
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — St. Helens city, Oregon
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — St. Helens city, Oregon
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — St. Helens city, Oregon
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: St. Helens Police Department (ORI OR0050300)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for St. Helens city, Oregon (place:64600, in state:41).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .