Best Cities for Families in Idaho

Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Idaho

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Schools · 25% Safety · 20% Home Affordability · 15% Low Poverty · 10% Jobs · 10% Short Commute · 10% Education · 10%

Top 12 Families Cities in Idaho

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 79.8
Moscow, ID
25,868 residents
Schools 6.3
Safety 19/100K
Home Affordability $352,000
#2
Score 75.1
Rigby, ID
5,251 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 174/100K
Home Affordability $267,200
#3
Score 73.5
Rathdrum, ID
10,133 residents
Schools 6.3
Safety 64/100K
Home Affordability $381,800
#4
Score 71.9
Sandpoint, ID
9,244 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 86/100K
Home Affordability $449,500
#5
Score 71.7
Meridian, ID
124,865 residents
Schools 6.1
Safety 150/100K
Home Affordability $485,000
#6
Score 71
Coeur d'Alene, ID
55,558 residents
Schools 6.3
Safety 243/100K
Home Affordability $451,600
#7
Score 70.2
Chubbuck, ID
15,900 residents
Schools 6.1
Safety 265/100K
Home Affordability $313,700
#8
Score 69.9
Sun Valley, ID
1,383 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 57/100K
Home Affordability $845,600
#9
Score 69.7
Post Falls, ID
41,716 residents
Schools 6.3
Safety 154/100K
Home Affordability $425,100
#10
Score 69.4
Rexburg, ID
39,589 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 80/100K
Home Affordability $384,000
#11
Score 69.1
Priest River, ID
2,058 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 108/100K
Home Affordability $271,500
#12
Score 68.5
Osburn, ID
1,728 residents
Schools 6.3
Safety 237/100K
Home Affordability $182,800

Full Ranking, Idaho

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Moscow ID 79.8
2 Rigby ID 75.1
3 Rathdrum ID 73.5
4 Sandpoint ID 71.9
5 Meridian ID 71.7
6 Coeur d'Alene ID 71
7 Chubbuck ID 70.2
8 Sun Valley ID 69.9
9 Post Falls ID 69.7
10 Rexburg ID 69.4
11 Priest River ID 69.1
12 Osburn ID 68.5
13 Pocatello ID 67.3
14 Soda Springs ID 67.3
15 Pinehurst ID 66.9
16 Ponderay ID 66.5
17 Montpelier ID 66.3
18 Preston ID 66.1
19 Ashton ID 64.2
20 Ketchum ID 64
21 Fruitland ID 64
22 Spirit Lake ID 64
23 Buhl ID 63.8
24 Filer ID 63.2
25 Lewiston ID 63.2
26 St. Anthony ID 62.8
27 Idaho Falls ID 62.3
28 Grangeville ID 61.8
29 Kellogg ID 61.5
30 Salmon ID 61.3
31 Weiser ID 61
32 Bonners Ferry ID 61
33 Hailey ID 60
34 Middleton ID 58.8
35 Bellevue ID 57
36 Orofino ID 55.3
37 Twin Falls ID 55
38 Payette ID 54.1
39 Kimberly ID 54
40 Shelley ID 53.8
41 American Falls ID 53.4
42 Heyburn ID 51.9
43 Parma ID 51.9
44 McCall ID 51.4
45 Emmett ID 51.2
46 Nampa ID 51.1
47 Plummer ID 50.5
48 Blackfoot ID 50
49 Mountain Home ID 49.9
50 Wilder ID 49.9

Moscow, ID tops the list with a composite score of 79.8 out of 100, followed by Rigby and Rathdrum. ID dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for families.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Schools, Safety, Home Affordability, Low Poverty, Jobs, Short Commute, Education. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to families, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Most Affordable → Most Educated →