The Town Files

The 12 Best Small Towns for Families in Idaho

Ranked on The Town Files lifestyle rankings among 36 towns of 500–10,000 people in Idaho. #1 is Hidden Springs, ID.

Map of the 12 towns123456789101112
Numbers match the ranking.
The 12 Best Small Towns for Families in Idaho1. Hidden Springs99th pct2. Iona99th pct3. Preston83rd pct4. Kimberly82nd pct5. Middleton75th pct6. Shelley71st pct7. Rathdrum70th pct8. Lincoln67th pct9. Rigby66th pct10. Dalton Gardens62nd pct11. Bellevue61st pct12. Montpelier60th pct
  1. 12Montpelier, Idaho

    Better for families than 60% of Idaho towns

    Montpelier is a city of 2,643 people in Bear Lake County, Idaho. It also ranks better for a vacation home than 86% of Idaho towns and better for first-time buyers than 72% of Idaho towns.

    2,643 people · Bear Lake County · median home $240,300 · income $61,375 · Jan low 7°F · 91 in snow

    Full Montpelier, Idaho profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

    Montpelier lifestyle rankingsFamilies60th pctQuiet67th pctFirst-time buyers72th pctWalkability49th pct
    The Town Files lifestyle rankings, percentile vs Idaho towns.
  2. 11Bellevue, Idaho

    Better for families than 61% of Idaho towns

    Bellevue is a city of 2,560 people in Blaine County, Idaho. It also ranks quieter than 90% of Idaho towns and better for a vacation home than 88% of Idaho towns.

    2,560 people · Blaine County · median home $539,000 · income $72,712 · Jan low 16°F · 72 in snow

    Full Bellevue, Idaho profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

    Bellevue lifestyle rankingsFamilies61th pctQuiet90th pctFirst-time buyers0th pctWalkability8th pct
    The Town Files lifestyle rankings, percentile vs Idaho towns.
  3. 10Dalton Gardens, Idaho

    Better for families than 62% of Idaho towns

    Dalton Gardens is a city of 2,537 people in Kootenai County, Idaho. It also ranks more upscale than 90% of Idaho towns and more of a college town than 88% of Idaho towns.

    2,537 people · Kootenai County · median home $803,600 · income $80,000 · Jan low 26°F · 27 in snow

    Full Dalton Gardens, Idaho profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

    Dalton Gardens lifestyle rankingsFamilies62th pctQuiet37th pctFirst-time buyers0th pctWalkability82th pct
    The Town Files lifestyle rankings, percentile vs Idaho towns.
  4. 9Rigby, Idaho

    Better for families than 66% of Idaho towns

    Rigby is a city of 5,038 people in Jefferson County, Idaho. It also ranks better transit than 100% of Idaho towns and more walkable than 92% of Idaho towns.

    5,038 people · Jefferson County · median home $336,200 · income $85,056 · Jan low 15°F · 66 in snow

    Full Rigby, Idaho profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

    Rigby lifestyle rankingsFamilies66th pctQuiet12th pctFirst-time buyers91th pctWalkability92th pct
    The Town Files lifestyle rankings, percentile vs Idaho towns.
  5. 8Lincoln, Idaho

    Better for families than 67% of Idaho towns

    Lincoln is a community of 4,556 people in Bonneville County, Idaho. It also ranks more walkable than 97% of Idaho towns and better transit than 91% of Idaho towns.

    4,556 people · Bonneville County · median home $377,500 · income $84,280 · Jan low 16°F · 66 in snow

    Full Lincoln, Idaho profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

    Lincoln lifestyle rankingsFamilies67th pctQuiet1th pctFirst-time buyers0th pctWalkability97th pct
    The Town Files lifestyle rankings, percentile vs Idaho towns.
  6. 7Rathdrum, Idaho

    Better for families than 70% of Idaho towns

    Rathdrum is a city of 9,211 people in Kootenai County, Idaho. It also ranks more walkable than 74% of Idaho towns and better for a vacation home than 74% of Idaho towns.

    9,211 people · Kootenai County · median home $444,100 · income $86,563 · Jan low 26°F · 27 in snow

    Full Rathdrum, Idaho profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

    Rathdrum lifestyle rankingsFamilies70th pctQuiet35th pctFirst-time buyers63th pctWalkability74th pct
    The Town Files lifestyle rankings, percentile vs Idaho towns.
  7. 6Shelley, Idaho

    Better for families than 71% of Idaho towns

    Shelley is a city of 4,785 people in Bingham County, Idaho. It also ranks more of a college town than 89% of Idaho towns and better transit than 82% of Idaho towns.

    4,785 people · Bingham County · median home $295,200 · income $77,563 · Jan low 12°F · 40 in snow

    Full Shelley, Idaho profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

    Shelley lifestyle rankingsFamilies71th pctQuiet24th pctFirst-time buyers56th pctWalkability76th pct
    The Town Files lifestyle rankings, percentile vs Idaho towns.
  8. 5Middleton, Idaho

    Better for families than 75% of Idaho towns

    Middleton is a city of 9,425 people in Canyon County, Idaho. It also ranks easier by car than 91% of Idaho towns and better for first-time buyers than 82% of Idaho towns.

    9,425 people · Canyon County · median home $403,100 · income $89,013 · Jan low 23°F · 10 in snow

    Full Middleton, Idaho profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

    Middleton lifestyle rankingsFamilies75th pctQuiet25th pctFirst-time buyers82th pctWalkability66th pct
    The Town Files lifestyle rankings, percentile vs Idaho towns.
  9. 4Kimberly, Idaho

    Better for families than 82% of Idaho towns

    Kimberly is a city of 4,626 people in Twin Falls County, Idaho. It also ranks more of a college town than 93% of Idaho towns and easier by car than 90% of Idaho towns.

    4,626 people · Twin Falls County · median home $339,400 · income $97,799 · Jan low 22°F · 24 in snow

    Full Kimberly, Idaho profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

    Kimberly lifestyle rankingsFamilies82th pctQuiet20th pctFirst-time buyers0th pctWalkability77th pct
    The Town Files lifestyle rankings, percentile vs Idaho towns.
  10. 3Preston, Idaho

    Better for families than 83% of Idaho towns

    Preston is a city of 5,591 people in Franklin County, Idaho. It also ranks easier by car than 77% of Idaho towns and more of a college town than 73% of Idaho towns.

    5,591 people · Franklin County · median home $350,300 · income $61,039 · Jan low 15°F · 52 in snow

    Full Preston, Idaho profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

    Preston lifestyle rankingsFamilies83th pctQuiet45th pctFirst-time buyers64th pctWalkability54th pct
    The Town Files lifestyle rankings, percentile vs Idaho towns.
  11. 2Iona, Idaho

    Better for families than 99% of Idaho towns

    Iona is a city of 2,717 people in Bonneville County, Idaho. It also ranks better transit than 98% of Idaho towns and more of a college town than 96% of Idaho towns.

    2,717 people · Bonneville County · median home $420,300 · income $84,914 · Jan low 16°F · 66 in snow

    Full Iona, Idaho profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

    Iona lifestyle rankingsFamilies99th pctQuiet18th pctFirst-time buyers0th pctWalkability66th pct
    The Town Files lifestyle rankings, percentile vs Idaho towns.
  12. 1Hidden Springs, Idaho

    Better for families than 99% of Idaho towns

    Hidden Springs is a community of 3,076 people in Ada County, Idaho. It also ranks more upscale than 99% of Idaho towns and better for retirees than 91% of Idaho towns.

    3,076 people · Ada County · median home $773,500 · income $163,203 · Jan low 24°F · 57 in snow

    Full Hidden Springs, Idaho profile: weather, storms, schools, jobs →

    Hidden Springs lifestyle rankingsFamilies99th pctQuiet53th pctFirst-time buyers0th pctWalkability13th pct
    The Town Files lifestyle rankings, percentile vs Idaho towns.

Price vs ranking

Median home value vs ranking, Idaho towns0255075100$186K$340K$495K$649K$804KMedian home valuePercentile
Orange squares are the 12 towns on this list; green dots are other towns on The Town Files in Idaho.

More Idaho rankings

Same ranking, other places

Methodology. We ranked 36 towns of 500–10,000 people in Idaho (2020 Census population). Lifestyle measures are The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025), shown as percentiles. Only towns better than 60% of their peers on this measure qualify, so lists can be shorter than 25. Sources: