There are all types when it comes to being a snob in Idaho. You’ve got your Wine Snobs, Book Snobs, and, of course, Clothes Snobs. Then there are the Technology Snobs, Car Snobs, and yes, even City Snobs — as in, I’m better than you because I live in (insert snooty city here).
How can we tell which Idaho cities are the snobbiest? By measuring snobby things, that’s how.
We used Saturday Night Science to look at things like expensive homes, high incomes, and overly educated populations by city in Idaho. These are the criteria you’d argue with a friend over a foodie dinner about who’s snobbier.
After analyzing 34 of the state’s most populous areas over 5,000 people, we came up with this ranking of the ten snobbiest places in the state of Idaho.
The Idahoan in these places aren’t snobby, they just know they’re better than you.
$122,894 median income · $781,181 median home · #1 income in Idaho
Located in
Ada County, Idaho
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$100,795 median income · $526,994 median home · #2 income in Idaho
Located in
Ada County, Idaho
Meridian is a city located in Ada County in the US state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census, the population of Meridian was 75,092 making it the third largest city in Idaho after Boise and Nampa. A 2015 estimate placed the population at approximately 90,739. Meridian is the state’s fastest-growing city, with an 81.5 percent increase in population since 2000.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$90,760 median income · $900,673 median home · #6 income in Idaho
Located in
Blaine County, Idaho
Hailey is a city in and the county seat of Blaine County, in the Wood River Valley of the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho.
The city is named after John Hailey, a two-time Congressional delegate from the Idaho Territory.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$97,936 median income · $577,031 median home · #3 income in Idaho
Located in
Canyon County, Idaho
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$85,056 median income · $472,610 median home · #10 income in Idaho
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$89,013 median income · $499,966 median home · #7 income in Idaho
Located in
Canyon County, Idaho
Middleton is a city in Canyon County, Idaho, United States. The population was 5,524 at the 2010 census, up from 2,978 in 2000. It is part of the Boise City-Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$72,289 median income · $632,345 median home · #19 income in Idaho
Located in
Bonner County, Idaho
Sandpoint is the largest town in, and the county seat of, Bonner County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 7,365 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$86,121 median income · $416,580 median home · #9 income in Idaho
Located in
Bonneville County, Idaho
Ammon is an edge city of Idaho Falls in Bonneville County, Idaho, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the population of Ammon was 13,816.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$82,958 median income · $636,614 median home · #12 income in Idaho
Located in
Kootenai County, Idaho
Hayden is a city in Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. Located in the northern portion of the state, it is a suburb of nearby Coeur d’Alene and its population was 13,294 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$96,219 median income · $455,595 median home · #5 income in Idaho
Located in
Ada County, Idaho
Kuna is a city in Ada County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Boise City-Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 15,210 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Idaho’s statewide median.
Idaho statewide median: $77,800
Idaho statewide median: $473,335
On the map
Where the snobs live in Idaho
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the snobbiest cities in the Gem State
Do you think we’d just come up with this list willy-nilly? Not a chance – we only use Saturday Night Science around here.
We gathered up all of the places in Idaho with populations of 5,000 people or more. This left us with a total of 34 places. Then, we looked at each place in terms of these snoot-er-iffic criteria (And no, it’s not a word. English snob.):
- Median home price (Higher is snobbier)
- Median household income (Higher is snobbier)
- Percent of population with a college degree (Higher is snobbier)
Incomes and college education levels come from the American Community Survey. Home prices come from Zillow.
Turned out this simple criteria was much better at sniffing out the snobby places then more snobby criteria like:
- Libaries per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Museums per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Private schools per capita (Higher is snobbier)
From there, we ranked each of our 34 places in each category with scores from one to 34. We then averaged each place’s ranking into one overall score, where the lowest score went to the snobbiest place in Idaho. So let’s all flip a table in honor of Eagle (with our pinkies up, of course.)
Before you get upset and ruin your blowout or something drastic here, let’s remember that this is all in good fun. Would we live in one of these 10 places if we had the chance? Of course, we would.
And it’s not like your real estate agent would ever point out how snobby the town you’re moving to is. We’re here to keep you grounded, even if you’re wearing a monocle.
The full plate
Table: The Snobbiest Cities In Idaho For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Snob Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Adult Highly Educated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eagle | 1.33 | 32,855 | $122,894 | $781,181 | 57.0% |
| 2 | Meridian | 4.33 | 130,138 | $100,795 | $526,994 | 44.0% |
| 3 | Hailey | 4.67 | 9,665 | $90,760 | $900,673 | 39.0% |
| 4 | Star | 6.00 | 14,745 | $97,936 | $577,031 | 35.0% |
| 5 | Rigby | 9.00 | 5,404 | $85,056 | $472,610 | 40.0% |
| 6 | Middleton | 10.00 | 10,649 | $89,013 | $499,966 | 30.0% |
| 7 | Sandpoint | 10.33 | 9,637 | $72,289 | $632,345 | 36.0% |
| 8 | Ammon | 10.67 | 19,064 | $86,121 | $416,580 | 43.0% |
| 9 | Hayden | 10.83 | 16,338 | $82,958 | $636,614 | 26.0% |
| 10 | Kuna | 11.00 | 27,158 | $96,219 | $455,595 | 28.0% |
| 11 | Coeur d’Alene | 11.50 | 56,447 | $72,338 | $599,946 | 32.0% |
| 12 | Rathdrum | 11.50 | 10,874 | $86,563 | $574,778 | 25.0% |
| 13 | Post Falls | 13.17 | 43,391 | $82,183 | $526,055 | 26.0% |
| 14 | Moscow | 14.67 | 26,286 | $57,022 | $467,640 | 51.0% |
| 15 | Kimberly | 14.83 | 5,111 | $97,799 | $448,259 | 19.0% |
| 16 | Idaho Falls | 17.17 | 67,725 | $73,110 | $395,035 | 32.0% |
| 17 | Chubbuck | 17.33 | 16,126 | $82,977 | $379,219 | 28.0% |
| 18 | Shelley | 18.17 | 5,092 | $77,563 | $429,812 | 21.0% |
| 19 | Rexburg | 18.67 | 40,543 | $50,617 | $420,170 | 42.0% |
| 20 | Nampa | 19.00 | 110,319 | $74,279 | $412,277 | 23.0% |
| 21 | Lewiston | 20.00 | 34,651 | $72,197 | $382,188 | 28.0% |
| 22 | Caldwell | 21.83 | 66,516 | $73,058 | $396,876 | 19.0% |
| 23 | Pocatello | 23.33 | 57,635 | $60,418 | $336,559 | 33.0% |
| 24 | Blackfoot | 23.50 | 12,782 | $64,032 | $369,865 | 25.0% |
| 25 | Fruitland | 23.67 | 6,663 | $65,457 | $409,435 | 17.0% |
| 26 | Preston | 23.83 | 5,928 | $61,039 | $431,655 | 16.0% |
| 27 | Emmett | 24.67 | 8,275 | $58,750 | $455,351 | 14.0% |
| 28 | Twin Falls | 25.33 | 54,164 | $61,205 | $367,064 | 24.0% |
| 29 | Jerome | 25.67 | 12,930 | $66,894 | $399,693 | 10.0% |
| 30 | Mountain Home | 26.50 | 16,493 | $63,125 | $358,404 | 21.0% |
| 31 | Burley | 28.00 | 11,958 | $67,468 | $330,751 | 15.0% |
| 32 | Payette | 30.33 | 8,536 | $55,208 | $368,362 | 12.0% |
| 33 | Weiser | 30.83 | 5,935 | $45,292 | $363,062 | 16.0% |
| 34 | Rupert | 33.33 | 6,190 | $54,741 | $326,313 | 9.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, Zillow research. 34 places with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
There You Have It – Now That You’re On Your High Horse
When it comes to snobbery, these places in Idaho are heading ever upward. Residents in these communities are well educated, well paid, and appear to have all the sophisticated culture and entertainment of an Ernst Lubitsch film right at their fingertips.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
The snobbiest cities in Idaho are Eagle, Meridian, Hailey, Star, Rigby, Middleton, Sandpoint, Ammon, Hayden, and Kuna. Not sold on Idaho? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
