The 10 Worst Small Towns In Idaho For 2022


Using science and data, we can tell you which teeny specks in ID are the pits.

Editor’s Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don’t freak out we updated this article for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the worst small places to live in Idaho.

Most Americans have never been to Idaho. However, as the people who live there know, Idaho is an awesome state.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Idaho has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Gem State. Don't shoot the messenger, this is all using data.

After analyzing more than 65 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:

These are the worst small towns in Idaho for 2022:

  1. Fort Hall
  2. Gooding
  3. Kellogg
  4. Glenns Ferry
  5. Marsing
  6. Lapwai
  7. Homedale
  8. Heyburn
  9. Wendell
  10. Kamiah

So what is the worst small town to call home in Idaho for 2022? According to the most recent census data, Fort Hall is the worst small town to live in Idaho.

Of course, many of these cities would rank highly if they were in other states, since Idaho has its stuff figured out.

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 2022

1. Fort Hall

Fort Hall, ID

Source: Wikipedia
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,733
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $149,700 (30th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 15.2% (2nd worst)
More on Fort Hall:  Data | Photos

2. Gooding

Gooding, ID

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 3,487
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $89,100 (3rd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 17.0% (worst)
More on Gooding:  Data | Photos

3. Kellogg

Kellogg, ID

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 2,221
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 8)
Median Home Value: $116,400 (13th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 12.5% (6th worst)
More on Kellogg:  Data | Photos

4. Glenns Ferry

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,294
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $80,400 (worst)
Unemployment Rate: 1.7% (49th worst)
More on Glenns Ferry:  Data

5. Marsing

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,379
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $152,500 (32nd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 5.5% (20th worst)
More on Marsing:  Data

6. Lapwai

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,291
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 2)
Median Home Value: $98,000 (4th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 14.1% (3rd worst)
More on Lapwai:  Data

7. Homedale

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,688
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 3)
Median Home Value: $84,900 (2nd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 0.8% (60th worst)
More on Homedale:  Data

8. Heyburn

Heyburn, ID

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 3,365
Rank Last Year: 25 (Up 17)
Median Home Value: $136,600 (24th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 13.3% (4th worst)
More on Heyburn:  Data | Photos

9. Wendell

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,736
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 3)
Median Home Value: $111,900 (8th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 2.5% (47th worst)
More on Wendell:  Data

10. Kamiah

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,334
Rank Last Year: 9 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $150,300 (3worst)
Unemployment Rate: 7.4% (18th worst)
More on Kamiah:  Data

How do you decide if a place is lousy or not?

In order to rank the worst small towns to live in Idaho, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. It isn't a stretch to assume that people like low crime, solid education, things to do and a stable economy.

So we scraped the internet for those criteria, and it spit out the answer. Like magic.

How we determined the worst small towns to live in Idaho for 2022

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using FBI crime data and the Census's 2016-2020 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 a lot - 65 to be exact.

Additional note: We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets its crime numbers from the cities themselves. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased.

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.

If you're curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Idaho, according to science:

  1. Robie Creek (Pop. 1,380)
  2. Ketchum (Pop. 2,843)
  3. Iona (Pop. 2,608)

For more Idaho reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Worst Small Towns In Idaho

Rank Town Population Unemployment Rate Home Value
1 Fort Hall 2,733 15.2% $149,700
2 Gooding 3,487 17.0% $89,100
3 Kellogg 2,221 12.5% $116,400
4 Glenns Ferry 1,294 1.7% $80,400
5 Marsing 1,379 5.5% $152,500
6 Lapwai 1,291 14.1% $98,000
7 Homedale 2,688 0.8% $84,900
8 Heyburn 3,365 13.3% $136,600
9 Wendell 2,736 2.5% $111,900
10 Kamiah 1,334 7.4% $150,300
11 Wilder 1,740 0.8% $120,800
12 Plummer 1,006 2.7% $115,100
13 Ponderay 1,195 2.9% $160,200
14 St. Anthony 3,552 12.3% $135,000
15 Parma 1,990 8.8% $131,100
16 Bonners Ferry 2,639 3.4% $173,500
17 Osburn 1,552 8.8% $112,600
18 Wallace 1,076 4.4% $104,300
19 Carey 1,265 10.7% $165,800
20 Hansen 1,327 0.7% $109,600
21 Montpelier 2,512 5.5% $115,600
22 Salmon 3,135 5.1% $130,200
23 Cottonwood 1,047 8.9% $122,700
24 Aberdeen 2,449 6.5% $107,700
25 Buhl 4,462 4.0% $114,400
26 Soda Springs 2,994 5.0% $128,900
27 Filer 2,845 4.2% $166,600
28 Shoshone 1,620 4.2% $125,000
29 Pinehurst 1,655 2.7% $156,800
30 Paul 1,543 3.5% $140,200
31 American Falls 4,295 5.0% $144,000
32 Ashton 1,185 5.4% $122,500
33 Moyie Springs 1,013 9.7% $237,700
34 Victor 2,317 0.0% $289,700
35 Greenleaf 1,123 4.5% $173,000
36 Tyhee 1,335 12.9% $240,200
37 Orofino 3,109 4.4% $175,400
38 St. Maries 3,219 9.3% $157,900
39 Priest River 1,799 1.6% $168,300
40 Grangeville 3,195 3.5% $141,700
41 Kimberly 3,977 1.5% $174,700
42 Hagerman 1,148 2.7% $119,800
43 Riverside 1,131 2.1% $166,700
44 Grace 1,266 1.7% $122,700
45 New Plymouth 1,641 8.0% $146,800
46 Rigby 4,209 4.8% $157,100
47 Spirit Lake 2,419 4.8% $191,400
48 Mountain Home Afb 3,151 11.6% $1,000
49 Bellevue 2,430 5.1% $320,100
50 Mccall 3,485 0.8% $289,700
51 Shelley 4,455 7.4% $162,300
52 Groveland 1,091 7.7% $229,400
53 Malad City 1,945 1.5% $141,700
54 Sun Valley 1,581 2.9% $913,800
55 Ucon 1,430 4.6% $166,900
56 Driggs 2,454 0.8% $376,700
57 Sugar City 1,783 3.4% $209,000
58 Lincoln 3,380 5.5% $159,100
59 Kootenai 1,063 1.3% $224,000
60 Moreland 1,246 0.0% $186,200
61 Genesee 1,209 4.2% $199,700
62 Dalton Gardens 2,773 1.4% $423,000
63 Robie Creek 1,380 0.0% $275,000
64 Ketchum 2,843 0.9% $655,300
65 Iona 2,608 0.8% $216,500

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