City profile · Idaho · Census ACS 2023

Sun Valley, ID

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Sun Valley - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

1,383
Residents
$82,045
Median income
$845,600
Median home
$1,071
Median rent (state)

Sun Valley - the verdict

Sun Valley ranks in the 64th percentile for household income and the 85th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

64th
percentile, household income
95th
percentile, home value
26th
percentile, median rent
85th
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: Sun Valley, ID

Sun Valley is a small town in Idaho, home to 1,383 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $82,045 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 0.0%. Home values in Sun Valley run a median of $845,600, and the median resident age is 59.8 years. Educational attainment runs 73.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 59.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 5 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 37% from five years earlier. Sun Valley reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 510.2 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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,071 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Idaho's average monthly utility costs around $170 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 6.0 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).

Population

1,383 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Idaho

Median Household Income

$82,045 /yr

Poverty 0.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

95.5 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Idaho average

How does Sun Valley compare to other US cities?

Here's how Sun Valley stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 64% higher than other cities
Home value 95% pricier than other cities
Median rent 26% pricier than other cities
Safety 85% 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, Sun Valley ranks #11 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 Sun Valley against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Idaho only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Idaho-relative analysis

Poverty Rate places Sun Valley near the bottom of Idaho's cities

Among the 215 Idaho cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Sun Valley ranks #187 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Sun Valley only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#37 of 206
82nd percentile in Idaho
Median Gross Rent
#137 of 215
33rd percentile in Idaho
Median Home Value
#2 of 204
99th percentile in Idaho
Poverty Rate
#187 of 215
0th percentile in Idaho
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#3 of 215
99th percentile in Idaho

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.

64thIncome percentile
85thSafety percentile

64th percentile nationally for median household income · 85th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Sun Valley's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Sun Valley'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 63 Avg. percentile National median
Sun Valley'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 Sun Valley's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$845,600 5th percentile more affordable than 5% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Sun Valley $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Sun Valley, ID Sun Valley, ID's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Sun Valley, ID-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Sun Valley, ID median $82,045/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Sun Valley, ID's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Sun Valley, ID. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 73.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 59.6%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
1,383
Median Income
$82,045
Median Home Value
$845,600
Median Age
59.8
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
59.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
73.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
510.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
56.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
453.5
per 100,000 residents

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.

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
1,770 residents1,780 residents1,790 residents1,800 residents1,810 residents1,820 residents 202020212022202320242025 1,787 residents 1,776 residents ▼ -0.6%
Sun Valley's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
5
housing units authorized
Single-Family
5
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 8
2020 22
2021 23
2022 30
2023 11
2024 5

Permit volume decreased 37% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
65.1%
Carpool
1.1%
Public Transit
7.3%
Walk
9.8%
Work from Home
14.5%
Other
2.2%

Based on 794 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Idaho - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$80
avg/month
Natural Gas
$50
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$40
avg/month
Total Utilities
$170
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Idaho state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Idaho state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Sun Valley sits in

Cost of Living Index
95.5
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,071/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
6.0 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Idaho

Moreland
1,386 people
Hansen
1,414 people
Moyie Springs
1,420 people
Grace
1,345 people
Ashton
1,329 people
Glenns Ferry
1,443 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Sun Valley's 1,383 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Wallace, LA
1,383 people
Schwenksville, PA
1,383 people
Honeyville, UT
1,383 people
Casa Blanca, AZ
1,382 people
Tuckerman, AR
1,382 people
Cypress Quarters, FL
1,382 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Sun Valley's $82,045 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Holters Crossing, PA
$82,045 median income
Langley Park, MD
$82,038 median income
Rineyville, KY
$82,037 median income
Vinco, PA
$82,056 median income
Fairplay, CO
$82,031 median income
Mendon, MI
$82,031 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Sun Valley, ID Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Sun Valley, ID - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 81.9% 10.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 8.8% White 81.9% Black or African American 3.5% Asian 0.7% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 3.8% Two or more races 10.1% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Sun Valley compares to nearby Idaho cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Sun Valley (this city) 1,383 $82,045
Moreland 1,386 $60,048
Hansen 1,414 $47,396
Moyie Springs 1,420 $61,783
Census ACS 5-year FIPS ID FBI UCR Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Sun Valley, ID?

What is the population of Sun Valley, ID? +

Sun Valley, ID counts 1,383 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Sun Valley, ID? +

The median household income in Sun Valley is $82,045 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Sun Valley? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Sun Valley; the closest available measure is the Idaho state average, a cost of living index of 95.5 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Idaho vary by metro area.

Is Sun Valley, ID safe? +

Sun Valley has a total crime rate of 510.2 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Sun Valley, ID? +

A typical home in Sun Valley is worth $845,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.