St. Helena, CA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·California·St. Helena

Napa County · Napa · population 5,257

Bargain huntersShrinkingSmall-town feel
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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32
Declining
Momentum score · 0–100

Where St. Helena stands

18% off 5-year peak. population shrinking 0.8% per year.

Median home $1,681,298
1-year -2.8%
5-yr CAGR -1.2%
vs 5-yr peak -18.5%
Population -0.8%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2022-05$1681k$1247k$1546k$1845k$2144k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
10/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
10/100
Poor remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
36 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
28 · w22%
Distance from peak
25 · w18%
Population growth
33 · w16%
Home 10-yr CAGR
40 · w10%
Long thesis

St. Helena has held up across the cycle: home values at $1,681,298 with -1.2% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

St. Helena's population is shrinking 0.8% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — if people are leaving, the buyer pool is shrinking faster than the inventory. That eventually shows up in price.

About St. Helena

St. Helena is a city in Napa County, California, with an estimated population of 5,257. It anchors the Napa metro area. The population has contracted 0.8% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in St. Helena is $1,681,298 as of 2026-04, down 2.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged -1.2% annual growth, and the market currently sits about 18% below its 5-year peak. The composite momentum score is 32 of 100 (Declining). The market is well off recent highs — patient long-term buyers may find opportunities, but resale liquidity is reduced.

▲ Bull case

○The data is the data: St. Helena has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 1-criteria momentum score on this page.

▼ Bear case

●Expensive AND not growing: median home $1,681,298 with only -2.8% YoY. You’re paying premium pricing for a flat trend.
●Cooling: -2.8% over the trailing year — momentum has stalled.
●18% off recent peak — buyers are getting through-the-cycle pricing, not the peak.
●Flat or shrinking population: -0.8% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
○Thin housing market: small population means fewer transactions and slower resale. Liquidity risk on exit.

Playbook

Buyer

Make sure you're not catching a falling knife. Verify local fundamentals — jobs, population trend, school enrollment — before assuming the bottom is in. Negotiate hard and walk away from anything that doesn't pencil.

Seller

Be realistic. Below-list pricing may be required; time is not your friend. If you can wait 2-3 years for the cycle to turn, consider holding.

Investor

Cap rates can look great in Declining markets, but verify tenant pool, income stability, and exit liquidity before committing. A 10% cap on a vacant property is 0%.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Napa County right now.

NWS active alerts (CA)California Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Napa County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like St. Helena

East Palo Alto, CA34 · CoolingFortuna, CA37 · CoolingCalistoga, CA32 · DecliningSausalito, CA39 · Cooling

Run the numbers for St. Helena

ToolCan I afford St. Helena?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a St. Helena rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare St. Helena to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolSt. Helena cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
60° / 41°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
82° / 60°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
258
~71% of year
Annual precip
22″ rain
8″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Very high
Earthquake
Very high
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current St. Helena listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Napa area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
65%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$91,500
California state median
Top industries (state-level)
TechEntertainmentAgriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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