Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Hailey grades A− overall, 4th of 58 graded towns in Idaho, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns and it is more walkable than 95% of U.S. towns. It also does better than most on schools: its schools outperform 65% of the state's. A typical home there costs about $916K, 10.3 years of the Hailey area’s $89K median household income. Hailey’s trail density is 1.8 miles per square mile, above both Idaho’s towns (0.8) and U.S. towns (0.4). Hailey has 12 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Homer Pound House and Emmanuel Episcopal Church. Only 1 of the 56 Idaho towns we compare have a higher typical home value than Hailey.
Where Hailey beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Hailey | ID |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.8% | 16.2% |
Census counts: 1,231 in 1910, 9,161 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1885 and 3 maps from 1895 on.
12 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Idaho), ordered by how far Hailey is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hailey, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Hailey.
Hailey has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Ketchum and other neighbors, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Idaho.
At 10.3 years of the Hailey area’s $89K median household income, the typical home (about $916K) costs more against local pay than in 96% of Idaho towns; that ratio is one input to its C+ for cost of living. Home values rose 51% in five years, to about $916K, against 6% across Idaho.
At $1,460 a month, Hailey’s median rent is against $1,109 a month in Idaho’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. Typical home values rose 12% in the year to September 2026. The typical Hailey home is worth about $916,000, up 12.1% in a year, 92% above the Idaho typical home.
| Hailey | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,460 a month | $1,109 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Blaine County District. Three of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Wood River High School, with 922 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood River Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 467 | C+ |
| Wood River High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 922 | C+ |
| Syringa Mountain Charter SchoolTop results in townGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 128 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ID on state tests and graduation
7.0 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is BCRD Quigley Trails Park, at 87 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. BCRD Quigley Trails Park | 0.8 mi | 87 |
| 2. Keefer Park | — | 10 |
| 3. Heagle Park | 0.2 mi | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with Idaho is tooth loss: 7.8% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 16.2% statewide.
24% of adults have obesity in Hailey. Among 59 Idaho towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Hailey. 27% of adults have high blood pressure in Hailey.
| Hailey | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 33% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 34% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | Hailey | ID |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.8% | 16.2% |
| Fewer adults with obesity | 23.7% | 32.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Ketchum Rs weather station, 12 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 77 days, shorter than in 100% of U.S. towns. The Ketchum Rs weather station, 12 miles away, records that 102 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Hailey has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. The July high in Hailey is 84°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 35 to 64 are 44% of residents (36% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 19% of residents (23% statewide). 39% of Hailey adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Hailey has grown 9.7% since 2020, to 10,053 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Hailey | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 25% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 41.3 years | 35.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 24% | 25% | 22% |
47% women, 53% men
About 113 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.9 points). Across Idaho, 49.7% of residents are women.
| Hailey | ID | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.6% | 12.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.7% | 11.6% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.3% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.3% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.6% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.5% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.2% | 11.7% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.9% | 10.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.9% | 6.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.5% | 8.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25% | 26.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.1% | 24.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.4% | 9.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 32% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Hailey has about as many jobs (3,974) as working residents, but only 1,285 people both live and work here.
About one in 3 of Hailey’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Hailey grew to 3,974 in 2023, 871 more than in 2013. Hailey’s average trip to work is 19 minutes.
| Hailey | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 30% | 20% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $91,000 | $67,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.4% | 12% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Hailey's reported crime rate is below Idaho's. 27 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Hailey | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.2 per 1,000 residents | 6.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.7 per 1,000 residents | 2 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 1995, 80 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hailey.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hailey. Close and well known come first.
24 mi National PreserveCraters of the Moon National Preserve251K visitors a year12 mi Ski areaSun Valley - Bald Mountain143 runs · 3,363 ft vertical
24 mi National forestSawtooth National Forest12 mi Ski areaSun Valley - Dollar Mountain28 runs · 621 ft vertical27 mi Ski areaSoldier Mountain Ski Area41 runs · 1,393 ft vertical
8 mi GardenSawtooth Botanical GardenCraters of the Moon National Preserve: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sawtooth National Forest: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sawtooth Botanical Garden: Miguel Vieira from Walnut Creek, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
None within 15 miles of Hailey; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Hailey residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Idaho.
7,960 counted in 2010 and 9,161 in 2020; an estimated 10,053 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 9.7% since 2020, after 15.1% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
12 places in Hailey on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Hailey.
City in and county seat of Blaine County, Idaho, United States
Hailey is a city in and the county seat of Blaine County, in the Wood River Valley of the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho. The population was 9,161 at the 2020 census, up from 7,960 in 2010. Hailey is the site of Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN), the airport for the resort area of Sun Valley/Ketchum, 12 miles (19 km) north. The town of Bellevue is a few miles south. From 1882 to 1895, Hailey was the county seat of now-defunct Alturas County. The city is named after John Hailey, a two-time Congressional delegate from the Idaho Territory.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Hailey grades A− overall, better than 83% of U.S. towns and #4 of 58 in Idaho. It grades A for health and B+ for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
5 notable people were born here, including Kaitlyn Farrington and Bob Mizer.
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