You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Idaho. Best sururbs in Idaho. Best counties in Idaho.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Gem State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Idaho based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Idaho ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 15 Best Small Towns To Live In Idaho For 2025
- Ketchum
- Dalton Gardens
- Iona
- Sun Valley
- Ucon
- Robie Creek
- Genesee
- Malad City
- Sugar City
- Kimberly
- Groveland
- Lincoln
- Driggs
- Ashton
- Shelley
What’s the best small town in Idaho? Ketchum is the best small town in Idaho based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Ketchum, chances are, you’re not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.
But for the rest of you–keep reading, and we’ll get to just why these small towns made our list.
For more reading on the Gem State check out:
The 15 Best Small Towns In Idaho For 2025
1. Ketchum
/10
Population: 3,551
Median Income: $87,658 (4th Best)
Median Home Value: $756,200 (2nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
2. Dalton Gardens
/10
Population: 2,526
Median Income: $84,375 (5th Best)
Median Home Value: $673,800 (3rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.4%
3. Iona
/10
Population: 2,882
Median Income: $83,750 (7th Best)
Median Home Value: $364,400 (12th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.9%
4. Sun Valley
/10
Population: 1,383
Median Income: $82,045 (9th Best)
Median Home Value: $845,600 (1st Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
5. Ucon
/10
Population: 1,537
Median Income: $83,864 (6th Best)
Median Home Value: $311,700 (16th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0%
6. Robie Creek
/10
Population: 1,240
Median Income: $117,946 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $524,400 (6th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.9%
7. Genesee
/10
Population: 1,312
Median Income: $78,125 (11th Best)
Median Home Value: $298,800 (20th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
8. Malad City
/10
Population: 2,441
Median Income: $75,500 (13th Best)
Median Home Value: $210,300 (38th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.8%
9. Sugar City
/10
Population: 2,011
Median Income: $71,944 (16th Best)
Median Home Value: $308,000 (17th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2%
10. Kimberly
/10
Population: 4,883
Median Income: $76,587 (12th Best)
Median Home Value: $289,500 (21st Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.6%
11. Groveland
/10
Population: 1,204
Median Income: $71,268 (17th Best)
Median Home Value: $362,800 (13th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.7%
12. Lincoln
/10
Population: 3,759
Median Income: $80,818 (10th Best)
Median Home Value: $307,800 (18th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0%
13. Driggs
/10
Population: 2,655
Median Income: $82,434 (8th Best)
Median Home Value: $457,800 (8th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.8%
14. Ashton
/10
Population: 1,329
Median Income: $66,250 (23rd Best)
Median Home Value: $222,300 (33rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 7.8%
15. Shelley
/10
Population: 4,987
Median Income: $63,864 (25th Best)
Median Home Value: $267,200 (24th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 7.7%
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Idaho
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Idaho possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2019-2023 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 63 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 63, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Idaho. Top of that list — Ketchum.
This is our tenth time ranking the best small places to live in Idaho.
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these 15 small towns in Idaho are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Idaho are Ketchum, Dalton Gardens, Iona, Sun Valley, Ucon, Robie Creek, Genesee, Malad City, Sugar City, and Kimberly.
If you’re curious, here are the worst small towns in Idaho:
- Gooding
- Fort Hall
- Kellogg
For more Idaho reading, check out:
Best Small Towns In Idaho
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ketchum, ID | 3,551 | $87,658 | 0.0% | |
| 2 | Dalton Gardens, ID | 2,526 | $84,375 | 1.4% | |
| 3 | Iona, ID | 2,882 | $83,750 | 0.9% | |
| 4 | Sun Valley, ID | 1,383 | $82,045 | 0.0% | |
| 5 | Ucon, ID | 1,537 | $83,864 | 2.0% | |
| 6 | Robie Creek, ID | 1,240 | $117,946 | 0.9% | |
| 7 | Genesee, ID | 1,312 | $78,125 | 3.4% | |
| 8 | Malad City, ID | 2,441 | $75,500 | 1.8% | |
| 9 | Sugar City, ID | 2,011 | $71,944 | 4.2% | |
| 10 | Kimberly, ID | 4,883 | $76,587 | 0.6% | |
| 11 | Groveland, ID | 1,204 | $71,268 | 2.7% | |
| 12 | Lincoln, ID | 3,759 | $80,818 | 5.0% | |
| 13 | Driggs, ID | 2,655 | $82,434 | 0.8% | |
| 14 | Ashton, ID | 1,329 | $66,250 | 7.8% | |
| 15 | Shelley, ID | 4,987 | $63,864 | 7.7% | |
| 16 | Tyhee, ID | 1,475 | $89,500 | 6.3% | |
| 17 | Filer, ID | 2,837 | $53,508 | 1.6% | |
| 18 | Riverside, ID | 1,126 | $103,125 | 0.0% | |
| 19 | Grangeville, ID | 3,443 | $59,013 | 0.5% | |
| 20 | Grace, ID | 1,345 | $69,286 | 3.4% | |
| 21 | Bellevue, ID | 2,571 | $72,242 | 5.9% | |
| 22 | Kootenai, ID | 1,076 | $69,457 | 4.4% | |
| 23 | Mccall, ID | 3,847 | $60,197 | 4.7% | |
| 24 | Orofino, ID | 3,254 | $57,171 | 4.1% | |
| 25 | Heyburn, ID | 3,678 | $70,078 | 4.1% | |
| 26 | Greenleaf, ID | 1,152 | $64,375 | 4.7% | |
| 27 | Paul, ID | 1,615 | $62,830 | 2.0% | |
| 28 | Victor, ID | 3,024 | $73,664 | 0.0% | |
| 29 | New Plymouth, ID | 1,863 | $59,875 | 8.4% | |
| 30 | Pinehurst, ID | 2,014 | $66,447 | 1.4% | |
| 31 | Hagerman, ID | 1,198 | $59,250 | 2.9% | |
| 32 | Spirit Lake, ID | 1,768 | $60,938 | 4.2% | |
| 33 | St. Maries, ID | 3,032 | $52,468 | 5.9% | |
| 34 | Bonners Ferry, ID | 2,615 | $54,107 | 0.8% | |
| 35 | Moreland, ID | 1,386 | $60,048 | 0.0% | |
| 36 | American Falls, ID | 4,636 | $58,376 | 7.2% | |
| 37 | Moyie Springs, ID | 1,420 | $61,783 | 4.9% | |
| 38 | Priest River, ID | 2,058 | $57,712 | 0.9% | |
| 39 | Salmon, ID | 3,196 | $40,875 | 6.2% | |
| 40 | Wallace, ID | 1,127 | $50,526 | 5.6% | |
| 41 | Osburn, ID | 1,728 | $44,583 | 3.7% | |
| 42 | Wilder, ID | 1,690 | $55,938 | 0.9% | |
| 43 | Soda Springs, ID | 3,150 | $47,480 | 2.4% | |
| 44 | Hansen, ID | 1,414 | $47,396 | 1.0% | |
| 45 | Buhl, ID | 4,624 | $46,217 | 4.3% | |
| 46 | Marsing, ID | 1,245 | $57,973 | 1.9% | |
| 47 | Wendell, ID | 2,940 | $54,850 | 2.7% | |
| 48 | Parma, ID | 1,836 | $47,798 | 3.4% | |
| 49 | Lapwai, ID | 1,041 | $60,197 | 6.4% | |
| 50 | Ponderay, ID | 1,456 | $50,119 | 5.8% | |
| 51 | Aberdeen, ID | 2,418 | $67,813 | 7.7% | |
| 52 | Cottonwood, ID | 1,138 | $56,250 | 8.6% | |
| 53 | Kamiah, ID | 1,053 | $35,433 | 5.6% | |
| 54 | Plummer, ID | 1,055 | $52,188 | 4.2% | |
| 55 | Montpelier, ID | 2,681 | $52,212 | 4.3% | |
| 56 | Carey, ID | 1,197 | $50,938 | 7.2% | |
| 57 | Glenns Ferry, ID | 1,443 | $51,625 | 0.3% | |
| 58 | Shoshone, ID | 1,985 | $56,050 | 8.6% | |
| 59 | Homedale, ID | 3,006 | $49,764 | 5.7% | |
| 60 | St. Anthony, ID | 3,818 | $52,446 | 7.9% | |
| 61 | Kellogg, ID | 2,232 | $44,352 | 12.3% | |
| 62 | Fort Hall, ID | 2,343 | $40,757 | 10.1% | |
| 63 | Gooding, ID | 3,731 | $36,889 | 14.0% |