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Place dossier plate
SheetID-SPIRIT-LAKE-ID · Spirit Lake, ID 1,768 pop · income 37th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Spirit Lake
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Spirit Lake on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Osburn · lowest
44,583
Osburn · lowest
44,583 median HH income
59.2% of the leader · rank #1
Spirit Lake · this city
60,938
Spirit Lake · this city
60,938 median HH income
81.0% of the leader · rank #2
Girard · near
60,938
Girard · near
60,938 median HH income
81.0% of the leader · rank #3
Wanatah · near
60,938
Wanatah · near
60,938 median HH income
81.0% of the leader · rank #4
Herndon · near
60,938
Herndon · near
60,938 median HH income
81.0% of the leader · rank #5
Roosevelt Park · near
60,938
Roosevelt Park · near
60,938 median HH income
81.0% of the leader · rank #6
Ocean Gate · highest
75,278
Ocean Gate · highest
75,278 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Spirit Lake on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 1,768.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Spirit Lake - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Spirit Lake lands in the 37th percentile for household income and the 66th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
37th
percentile, household income
76th
percentile, home value
51st
percentile, median rent
66th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Spirit Lake, ID
Idaho's Spirit Lake is a small town, with 1,768 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $60,938 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.1%. Home values in Spirit Lake run a median of $380,800, and the median resident age is 37.7 years. Educational attainment runs 15.3% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 58.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 6 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 62% from five years earlier. Spirit Lake reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 950.5 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Idaho run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Idaho scores 95.5 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,173 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $170 across Idaho, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 38.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Spirit Lake's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from reported crime to comparison shortlist to housing and income to work and mobility to population change to schools and households; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Spirit Lake, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, annual population history, matched public-school count.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
What can the FBI record say about safety in Spirit Lake?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 950.5 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 58% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Which cities make useful reference points for Spirit Lake?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Idaho, the closest population matches are Osburn (1,728 residents, $44,583 income); Parma (1,836 residents, $47,798 income); Wilder (1,690 residents, $55,938 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Woodville, CA (1,768 residents); Lacon, IL (1,768 residents); Ocean Gate, NJ (1,768 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
How far does income reach against housing in Spirit Lake?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 6.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 7.1%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
What does the journey to work look like in Spirit Lake?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 83.6%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Spirit Lake growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +137 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +5.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 6 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
2020 estimate
2,348
2025 estimate
2,485
Period change
+5.8%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the education layer cover for Spirit Lake?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 3 public schools within the city match. 15.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Poverty estimate
7.1%
Bachelor's degree+
15.3%
Matched public schools
3
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Below median income · poverty 7.1% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
95.5 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Idaho average
D
City profile score · Spirit Lake, ID
43/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living C+
95.5 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Poverty rate C-
7.1%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime D
238 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Household income F
$60,938
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share F
15.3%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Spirit Lake profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 61/100 (C+) · 95.5 index
Poverty rate: 52/100 (C-) · 7.1%
Violent crime: 42/100 (D) · 238 /100k
Household income: 36/100 (F) · $60,938
Bachelor's+ share: 21/100 (F) · 15.3%
Where Spirit Lake sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Spirit Lake's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Spirit Lake highlighted among 25 peers.Read the chart values
Spirit Lake, ID (this city): home $380,800, crime 951/100k
Ocean Gate, NJ : home $342,100, crime 778/100k
Lake Hamilton, FL : home $195,200, crime 2,388/100k
Osburn, ID : home $182,800, crime 889/100k
Parma, ID : home $232,400, crime 692/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does Spirit Lake compare to other US cities?
Where Spirit Lake sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income37% higher than other cities
Home value76% pricier than other cities
Median rent51% pricier than other cities
Safety66% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Idaho, Spirit Lake ranks #31 of 53 Idaho cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Spirit Lake against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Idaho only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Idaho-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Spirit Lake near the bottom of Idaho's cities
Among the 215 Idaho cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Spirit Lake ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Spirit Lake only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#108 of 206
48th percentile in Idaho
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 215
0th percentile in Idaho
Median Home Value
#34 of 204
83rd percentile in Idaho
Poverty Rate
#122 of 215
43rd percentile in Idaho
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#136 of 215
36th percentile in Idaho
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Idaho only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
37th percentile nationally for median household income · 66th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Spirit Lake's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Spirit Lake's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Spirit Lake's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$380,80024th percentilemore affordable than 24% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Spirit Lake's home-value-to-income ratio: 6.2×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#14,297 of 15,516
More affordable than 8% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#10,579 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 6.2×, Spirit Lake sits in the pressured band:
national rank #14,297 of 15,516 and #10,579 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$60,938Spirit Lake, ID median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Spirit Lake, ID median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Spirit Lake, ID.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)15.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)7.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)58.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
1,768
Median Income
$60,938
Median Home Value
$380,800
Median Age
37.7
Poverty Rate
7.1%
Labor force participation
58.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
15.3%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
950.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
237.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
712.9
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Spirit Lake's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
2,348 residents
2021
2,461 residents
2022
2,513 residents
2023
2,482 residents
2024
2,472 residents
2025
2,485 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
6
housing units authorized
Single-Family
6
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.4
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
16
16
0
$1.9M
2020
45
45
0
$5.5M
2021
35
35
0
$6.7M
2022
4
4
0
$1.1M
2023
4
4
0
$0.8M
2024
6
6
0
$1.4M
Permit volume decreased 62% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
83.6%
Carpool
2.2%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.6%
Work from Home
10.6%
Other
2.0%
Based on 757 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Idaho statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $170
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Idaho at $170 (electricity about $80 , water and sewer about $40 ).
These are Idaho statewide averages, not a meter reading for Spirit Lake. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Idaho's BEA cost-of-living index is 95.5 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Spirit Lake is $1,173/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Idaho statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 38.5 / 100 (Very Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Idaho statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Spirit Lake sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Spirit Lake compares to similar-size Idaho cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.