159 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004.
- 1867Horseshoe Bend is settled
Each edition grades its towns against each other only.

A town of 816, settled in 1867.
Horseshoe Bend has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Horseshoe Bend, 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 Horseshoe Bend.
FEMA puts 44% of Horseshoe Bend’s expected hazard losses down to wildfires, and 32% to inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 99% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Two of its 3 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. Public schools: the Horseshoe Bend School District. The 2 public schools in Horseshoe Bend teach 170 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horseshoe Bend ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 84 | A− |
| Horseshoe Bend Middle/Sr. HighLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 86 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Since 2020, Horseshoe Bend has grown 14%, to 816 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 14% of Horseshoe Bend residents are under 18. Here, 23% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, against 32% in Idaho as a whole. People 65 and older are 27% of residents (17% statewide); children under 18 are 14% of residents (24% statewide).
| Horseshoe Bend | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 14% | 25% | 22% |
| Median age | 48.8 years | 35.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 25% | 29% |
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.2 points. Across Idaho, 49.7% of residents are women. Among residents 55 to 64, 75% are women (ID 50%).
| Horseshoe Bend | ID | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.6% | 12.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.5% | 11.6% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.2% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.8% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.9% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.6% | 11.7% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.1% | 10.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.2% | 6.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.9% | 8.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.9% | 26.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.8% | 24.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.8% | 9.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.9% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 2.6% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points
For Horseshoe Bend, the July high is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Just 10% of Horseshoe Bend’s working residents have a job in town. Of the 60 Idaho towns we compare, none has a higher average commute than Horseshoe Bend. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs locally rose by 147, to 271. The top destinations are Boise City (32%), Meridian (8%) and Nampa (7%).
| Horseshoe Bend | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 22% | 8% |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $67,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Among adults in Horseshoe Bend, 75% had a checkup this year and 16% report frequent mental distress. 29% of adults feel lonely here.
| Horseshoe Bend | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 73% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| What stands out | Horseshoe Bend | ID |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.7% | 8.3% |
| More adults with arthritis | 30.2% | 26.6% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 61.6% | 66.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes sold in Horseshoe Bend spent a median 77 days on the market. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 2.3%. The town’s going rate for rent stands at $836 a month.
| Horseshoe Bend | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $836 a month | $1,117 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Horseshoe Bend; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Horseshoe Bend residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Idaho.
City in Idaho, United States
Horseshoe Bend is the largest city in rural Boise County, in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. Its population of 715 at the 2020 census was the largest in the county. It is part of the Boise City–Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is named for its location at the horseshoe-shaped U-turn of the Payette River, whose flow direction changes from south to north before heading west to the Black Canyon Reservoir.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Horseshoe Bend has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.