Most Americans have never been to small town Idaho. However, as the Idahoan who live there know, small town Idaho is an awesome place to call home.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Idaho has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Gem State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.
After analyzing more than 66 of Idaho’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Idaho where you’d never want to live:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the worst small towns in Idaho for 2024:
- Kellogg
- Fort Hall
- Glenns Ferry
- Gooding
- St. Anthony
- Kamiah
- Wendell
- Hazelton
- Cottonwood
- Cascade
So what is the worst small town to call home in Idaho for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Kellogg is the worst small town to live in Idaho.
While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Kellogg home. Everyone
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.
And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Idaho or the worst places to live in Idaho.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
The 10 Worst Small Towns In Idaho For 2024
1. Kellogg
/10
Population: 2,294
Median Home Value: $266,705
Median Income: $38,316
Unemployment Rate: 14.5%
2. Fort Hall
/10
Population: 2,608
Median Home Value: $409,866
Median Income: $37,786
Unemployment Rate: 12.3%
3. Glenns Ferry
/10
Population: 1,327
Median Home Value: $253,277
Median Income: $36,413
Unemployment Rate: 2.4%
4. Gooding
/10
Population: 3,673
Median Home Value: $296,813
Median Income: $42,470
Unemployment Rate: 10.3%
5. St. Anthony
/10
Population: 3,730
Median Home Value: $260,087
Median Income: $44,313
Unemployment Rate: 8.1%
6. Kamiah
/10
Population: 1,210
Median Home Value: $307,584
Median Income: $34,803
Unemployment Rate: 6.1%
7. Wendell
/10
Population: 2,900
Median Home Value: $305,171
Median Income: $46,875
Unemployment Rate: 2.1%
8. Hazelton
Population: 1,094
Median Home Value: $352,421
Median Income: $44,468
Unemployment Rate: 7.2%
9. Cottonwood
/10
Population: 1,243
Median Home Value: $311,291
Median Income: $55,147
Unemployment Rate: 10.9%
10. Cascade
Population: 1,197
Median Home Value: $428,500
Median Income: $48,700
Unemployment Rate: 4.7%
Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Idaho is lousy or not?
To rank the worst small towns to live in Idaho, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.
We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.
Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (The lower, the worse)
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Education (Number of high school dropouts)
- High Crime
We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 66 to be exact.
We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Idaho.
There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Idaho
If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Gem State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The worst small towns in Idaho are Kellogg, Fort Hall, Glenns Ferry, Gooding, St. Anthony, Kamiah, Wendell, Hazelton, Cottonwood, and Cascade.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Idaho, according to science:
- Ketchum (Pop. 3,490)
- Iona (Pop. 2,746)
- Robie Creek (Pop. 1,237)
For more Idaho reading, check out:
Worst Small Towns In Idaho
| Rank | Town | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kellogg | 2,294 | 14.5% | $266,705 | $38,316 |
| 2 | Fort Hall | 2,608 | 12.3% | $409,866 | $37,786 |
| 3 | Glenns Ferry | 1,327 | 2.4% | $253,277 | $36,413 |
| 4 | Gooding | 3,673 | 10.3% | $296,813 | $42,470 |
| 5 | St. Anthony | 3,730 | 8.1% | $260,087 | $44,313 |
| 6 | Kamiah | 1,210 | 6.1% | $307,584 | $34,803 |
| 7 | Wendell | 2,900 | 2.1% | $305,171 | $46,875 |
| 8 | Hazelton | 1,094 | 7.2% | $352,421 | $44,468 |
| 9 | Cottonwood | 1,243 | 10.9% | $311,291 | $55,147 |
| 10 | Cascade | 1,197 | 4.7% | $428,500 | $48,700 |
| 11 | Homedale | 2,926 | 4.0% | $331,742 | $50,125 |
| 12 | Shoshone | 1,687 | 8.6% | $288,703 | $44,375 |
| 13 | Plummer | 1,158 | 4.3% | $330,231 | $50,227 |
| 14 | Aberdeen | 2,611 | 9.2% | $243,421 | $62,944 |
| 15 | Wallace | 1,083 | 3.5% | $252,917 | $49,052 |
| 16 | Ponderay | 1,208 | 6.0% | $474,083 | $42,670 |
| 17 | Heyburn | 3,640 | 4.1% | $303,355 | $61,443 |
| 18 | Soda Springs | 3,124 | 2.5% | $286,713 | $44,301 |
| 19 | Marsing | 1,244 | 2.1% | $381,538 | $55,192 |
| 20 | American Falls | 4,573 | 7.8% | $285,048 | $55,465 |
| 21 | Parma | 1,937 | 7.2% | $445,458 | $48,702 |
| 22 | Lapwai | 1,310 | 9.6% | $373,088 | $58,558 |
| 23 | Moyie Springs | 1,293 | 6.3% | $465,206 | $59,096 |
| 24 | Osburn | 1,625 | 3.7% | $281,903 | $41,833 |
| 25 | Montpelier | 2,649 | 7.3% | $274,185 | $50,668 |
| 26 | Hansen | 1,462 | 0.5% | $311,999 | $41,625 |
| 27 | Ashton | 1,367 | 8.8% | $248,854 | $62,819 |
| 28 | Salmon | 3,147 | 6.2% | $330,301 | $45,130 |
| 29 | Bonners Ferry | 2,558 | 0.9% | $441,322 | $46,667 |
| 30 | Pinehurst | 1,993 | 4.0% | $294,089 | $52,109 |
| 31 | St. Maries | 2,410 | 5.3% | $334,118 | $47,564 |
| 32 | Filer | 2,766 | 3.3% | $375,547 | $48,559 |
| 33 | Wilder | 1,672 | 0.7% | $472,946 | $54,375 |
| 34 | Grangeville | 3,369 | 3.5% | $303,965 | $47,572 |
| 35 | Mountain Home Afb | 3,184 | 9.5% | $0 | $60,764 |
| 36 | Buhl | 4,577 | 4.0% | $337,649 | $51,307 |
| 37 | Carey | 1,244 | 4.6% | $465,281 | $50,000 |
| 38 | Paul | 1,334 | 1.6% | $317,178 | $59,853 |
| 39 | Driggs | 2,548 | 0.7% | $735,174 | $86,587 |
| 40 | Lincoln | 3,638 | 5.7% | $297,835 | $77,623 |
| 41 | Mccall | 3,731 | 1.6% | $748,440 | $57,788 |
| 42 | Priest River | 2,170 | 1.0% | $517,909 | $49,868 |
| 43 | Kootenai | 1,152 | 4.7% | $440,760 | $68,750 |
| 44 | Victor | 2,876 | 0.0% | $804,967 | $70,923 |
| 45 | Shelley | 4,878 | 9.4% | $305,862 | $64,783 |
| 46 | Orofino | 3,251 | 3.7% | $310,979 | $51,518 |
| 47 | Grace | 1,413 | 2.6% | $289,418 | $69,858 |
| 48 | Riverside | 1,074 | 0.0% | $267,838 | $94,583 |
| 49 | Groveland | 1,190 | 4.0% | $333,298 | $54,115 |
| 50 | Tyhee | 1,469 | 9.6% | $521,945 | $90,677 |
| 51 | Moreland | 1,343 | 0.0% | $320,499 | $56,391 |
| 52 | Kimberly | 4,696 | 0.6% | $415,885 | $72,063 |
| 53 | Mccammon | 1,017 | 5.1% | $398,490 | $74,583 |
| 54 | Sugar City | 2,055 | 4.4% | $370,313 | $56,439 |
| 55 | Hagerman | 1,198 | 2.0% | $390,490 | $66,250 |
| 56 | Bellevue | 2,554 | 2.5% | $622,490 | $70,089 |
| 57 | New Plymouth | 1,645 | 8.0% | $442,327 | $57,250 |
| 58 | Spirit Lake | 2,375 | 3.8% | $529,395 | $61,625 |
| 59 | Malad City | 2,219 | 0.4% | $308,760 | $68,594 |
| 60 | Ucon | 1,631 | 5.1% | $364,761 | $81,771 |
| 61 | Sun Valley | 1,383 | 0.0% | $1,272,849 | $67,386 |
| 62 | Genesee | 1,209 | 2.5% | $417,253 | $77,266 |
| 63 | Dalton Gardens | 2,510 | 2.4% | $620,992 | $87,902 |
| 64 | Ketchum | 3,490 | 0.9% | $1,324,859 | $87,478 |
| 65 | Iona | 2,746 | 1.9% | $412,829 | $87,619 |
| 66 | Robie Creek | 1,237 | 0.0% | $655,931 | $117,422 |
