Best Urban Planning Schools Near Helena, MT (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Helena, Montana is home to about 33,126 residents. Median household income is $69,341 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Helena, MT metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $106,500 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Helena

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer urban planning programs near Helena, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Helena city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

No school data available.

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Montana schools on the Montana urban planning page.

Urban Planning Wages Near Helena

Helena is part of the Helena, MT metro area (BLS area code 25740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Montana statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Urban and Regional Planners $82,690 Helena, MT $86,405
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $81,940 Helena, MT $85,622
Surveyors $79,230 Helena, MT $82,790
Geographers N/A MT statewide –
Social and Community Service Managers $84,040 Helena, MT $87,816
Management Analysts $103,140 Helena, MT $107,774
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $72,220 MT statewide $75,465
Managers, All Other $106,500 Helena, MT $111,285

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Helena at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 33,126 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $69,341 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 50.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Helena-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying urban planning roles near Helena?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Helena are: Managers, All Other ($106,500), Management Analysts ($103,140), Social and Community Service Managers ($84,040). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Montana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Butte instead of Helena?

Butte, MT is 56.8 miles from Helena and has its own set of local urban planning programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Helena an affordable place to study urban planning?

Helena’s median household income of $69,341 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Helena while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Montana public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Urban Planning Programs

Other Programs Available in Helena

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Helena:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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