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Horseshoe Bend
Idaho›Boise County

Horseshoe BendID

A town of 816, settled in 1867.

Sweet Methodist Episcopal Church · Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo of Horseshoe Bend

Horseshoe Bend, ID · Sweet Methodist Episcopal Church · Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 4.0

Is Horseshoe Bend a good place to live?

Horseshoe Bend has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

816 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
IDMap-doton-HorseshoeBend
IDMap-doton-HorseshoeBend, 2004
Horseshoe Bend’s story

159 years in pictures

The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004.

  • 1867Horseshoe Bend is settled
Explore the history →
Getting set up

Moving to Horseshoe Bend: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Horseshoe Bend, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →
PowerIdaho Power11.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHorseshoe Bend Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Horseshoe Bend’s trash rules yet
SchoolsHorseshoe Bend School District 73Which school depends on your addressNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Idaho you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 11 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections hereBoise County ClerkBoise County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2023
ZIP code8362983629 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Horseshoe Bend.

Natural hazards

The FEMA risk score in Horseshoe Bend is higher than in most of Idaho or the rest of the country

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.

99risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
99Very high riskLowerHigher
WildfireInland floodingAvalanches

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Schools

The schools Horseshoe Bend’s kids attend

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.

SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
Horseshoe Bend ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5Grades PK–584A−
Horseshoe Bend Middle/Sr. HighLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12Grades 6–1286C+

NCES · EDFacts

Who lives here

The median age in Horseshoe Bend is higher than in the typical Idaho or U.S. town

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).

48.8median age · ID 37.3
Horseshoe BendIdaho townsU.S. towns
Under 1814%25%22%
Median age48.8 years35.1 years40.5 years
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+23%25%29%
Horseshoe BendIdahoUnited States

Ages · share of residents

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma9%
High school37%
Some college24%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate3%

Women and men · all residents

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%).

Ages and education in Horseshoe Bend
Horseshoe BendIDU.S.
Under 108.6%12.5%11.6%
10 to 175.5%11.6%10.3%
18 to 246.2%9.8%9.1%
25 to 3417.8%13%13.7%
35 to 448%13.1%13.2%
45 to 5410.9%11.3%12.2%
55 to 6415.6%11.7%12.7%
65 to 7416.1%10.4%10.2%
75 and older11.2%6.6%7%
No diploma8.9%8.1%10.4%
High school36.9%26.1%26%
Some college23.8%24.2%19.1%
Associate’s7.8%9.7%8.8%
Bachelor’s19.9%21.3%21.6%
Graduate2.6%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

Climate

Expect four seasons and hot summers in Horseshoe Bend

For Horseshoe Bend, the July high is 91°F.

7″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter22–39°
Spring35–62°
Summer52–87°
Fall35–64°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Work & commute

About one in three of Horseshoe Bend’s working residents commute to Boise City

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%).

10%work in town
Horseshoe BendIdaho townsU.S. towns
Average trip to work35 minutes20 minutes25 minutes
Below the poverty line17%12%9.6%
Working residents who work in town10%22%8%
Median household income$66,000$67,000$80,000

Where working residents work

In Horseshoe Bend10%
Boise City32%
Meridian8%
Nampa7%
Idaho City6%
21 mi
median commute distance
271
jobs based in Horseshoe Bend
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Health

How healthy Horseshoe Bend is

Among adults in Horseshoe Bend, 75% had a checkup this year and 16% report frequent mental distress. 29% of adults feel lonely here.

Horseshoe BendIdaho townsU.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%
32 measures vs. Idaho
0 better29 too close to call3 worse
What stands outHorseshoe BendID
More adults who have had cancer9.7%8.3%
More adults with arthritis30.2%26.6%
Fewer adults seeing a dentist61.6%66.6%
Valor Health
14.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Housing

Homes in Horseshoe Bend are worth about $518K, by Zillow’s estimate

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.

$518KZillow home value
Horseshoe BendIdaho townsU.S. towns
Median rent$836 a month$1,117 a month$1,185 a month
Households that own their home73%70%73%

Typical home value

Horseshoe Bend$518K
Idaho$477K
Market temperature
BalancedA balanced marketBuyer’sSeller’s
77
days on market
101.1%
sale-to-list price
+2.3%
value change, 1 year
5
homes sold in May

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Horseshoe Bend

17pages on Horseshoe Bend
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Horseshoe Bend; the nearest are

About Horseshoe Bend

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)

Area
1.1 sq mi
Elevation
2,631 ft
ZIP code
83629
Area code
208

Questions about Horseshoe Bend

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Horseshoe Bend, ID a good place to live?

Horseshoe Bend has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.