City · Idaho
Smelterville, Idaho
Smelterville, city, in Shoshone County, Idaho. Smelterville had 813 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 5.0% from the Bureau's April 2020 estimates base of 774; the 2020 Census counted 670 on the place as it was defined then and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 668 (±238). GEOID 1675070.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
813
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 670 · ACS 2020-2024: 668 ±238
Median household income
$48,806
±$5,695 (90% margin)
Idaho: $77,800
Median home value
$154,400
±$40,218 (90% margin)
Idaho: $418,600
Median gross rent
$815
±$408 (90% margin)
Idaho: $1,238
Where is Smelterville and what county is it in?
Smelterville is a city in Shoshone County, Idaho. It covers 0.3 square miles of land, 2,190 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Smelterville, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 813 people lived in Smelterville on July 1, 2025, up 5.0% since 2020, slower than Idaho (+10.4%). The Census Bureau's yearly estimates start from its own April 2020 base for Smelterville, 774, which differs from the 2020 Census count of 670: the estimates follow the place as the estimates program defines it today (its present boundaries, and for a consolidated city-county the area the program assigns it), so the change since 2020 is measured from that base. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 668 (±238).
| Measure | Smelterville | Shoshone County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 668 ±238 | 13,785 | no clear change |
| Households | 328 ±114 | 5,763 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.04 ±0.40 | 2.35 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 352 ±114 | 7,049 | no clear change |
Smelterville's population since 2000
From 651 in 2000 to 813 in 2025: up 24.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Smelterville as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Smelterville?
The median resident of Smelterville is 54.2 years old; 14.5% are under 18 and 32.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 84.7%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 12.0%.
| Measure | Smelterville | Shoshone County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 54.2 ±13.1 | 44.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 14.5% ±8.7 pts | 20.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 32.9% ±13.8 pts | 23.3% | – |
| Male | 43.0% ±9.7 pts | 50.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.7% ±3.9 pts | 4.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 84.7% ±11.8 pts | 88.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 12.0% ±11.6 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.8% ±4.1 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.9% ±7.0 pts | 10.5% | – |
| With a disability | 33.1% ±12.9 pts | 21.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 14.4% ±8.4 pts | 9.2% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 80.9% ±10.7 pts | 89.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 0.0% ±6.8 pts | 12.7% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.0% ±6.8 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.6% ±7.1 pts | 89.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 2.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Smelterville earn?
Half of Smelterville's 328 households earn less than $48,806 a year (±$5,695), against $55,527 in Shoshone County and $77,800 in Idaho. In 2015-2019 it was $45,126 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Smelterville | Shoshone County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,806 ±$5,695 | $55,527 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $54,159 ±$11,050 | $67,324 | – |
| Per capita income | $26,946 ±$6,310 | $29,688 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 17.5% ±13.2 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 33.0% ±42.7 pts | 15.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 21.0% ±12.0 pts | 10.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.6% ±3.8 pts | 91.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 82.0% ±11.6 pts | 88.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Smelterville?
Owners occupy 77.7% of Smelterville's occupied homes and renters 22.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $154,400 by its owner (±$40,218). The median renter pays $815 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Smelterville | Shoshone County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $154,400 ±$40,218 | $267,400 | +$70,467 |
| Median gross rent | $815 ±$408 | $943 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 58.2% ±45.2 pts | 35.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $967 ±$275 | $1,298 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 77.7% ±11.6 pts | 74.0% | +17.2 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 22.3% ±11.6 pts | 26.0% | – |
| Housing units | 352 ±114 | 7,049 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±12.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±35.8 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 74.7% ±12.4 pts | 77.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 17.6% ±9.6 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 29.8% ±14.4 pts | 28.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.6% ±8.8 pts | 4.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Smelterville building?
Builders took permits for 2 new housing units in Smelterville in 2025 (2 in single-family houses), 2.5 per 1,000 residents against 8.8 across Idaho.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Smelterville work and get to work?
69.6% of Smelterville's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 21.9 minutes.
| Measure | Smelterville | Shoshone County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 56.3% ±12.4 pts | 55.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% ±8.8 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 69.6% ±22.2 pts | 75.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.6% ±10.0 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±10.6 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±10.6 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 21.7% ±20.8 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.9 min ±10.2 | 21.6 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Smelterville?
No census tract lies mostly in Smelterville; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9603Shoshone County | 4,070 | $50,870 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Smelterville) · Census block assignment files
How does Smelterville compare with other places in Idaho?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Smelterville is the 11,180th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 103rd-most populous of 198 in Idaho.
Smelterville is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 103rd | 198 |
Smelterville's figures with every place in Idaho (CSV)
Every place in Idaho, sortable · Compare Smelterville with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Smelterville?
26 of the 57 figures for Smelterville on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Smelterville are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Smelterville.