Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Ketchum's standout: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 98% of U.S. towns. Overall it grades A−, 5th among Idaho's 58 graded towns. It is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 82% of U.S. communities, with avalanches at the top. 63% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Ketchum, where Idaho’s towns sit at 25% and U.S. towns at 29%. On incomes, just 7 of Idaho’s 94 towns do better. Ketchum's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 92% of U.S. towns.
Where Ketchum beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Ketchum | ID |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.4% | 16.2% |
2,689 counted in 2010 and 3,555 in 2020; an estimated 3,643 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Idaho), ordered by how far Ketchum is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 98% of comparable towns) to D for hazard risk (better than 11%), so the A− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 450 in 1890, 3,555 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1941 and a map from 1967 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ketchum, 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 Ketchum.
Ketchum is the healthiest town in Idaho and is a second-home town, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Idaho (mostly avalanches).
At 18.6 years of the Hailey area’s $89K median household income, the typical home (about $1.65M) costs more against local pay than in any other Idaho town; that ratio is one input to its C for cost of living. Home values rose 60% in five years, to about $1.65M, against 7% across Idaho.
The typical Ketchum home is worth about $1,649,000, 3 times the Idaho typical home.
| Ketchum | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 73% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,186 a month | $1,109 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Blaine County District. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ernest Hemingway STEAM SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 431 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ID on state tests and graduation
It is the healthiest of the 59 Idaho towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with Idaho is tooth loss: 5.4% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 16.2% statewide.
21% of adults have obesity in Ketchum. Among 59 Idaho towns, just 1 have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Ketchum. 9% of adults have diabetes in Ketchum.
| Ketchum | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 33% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 34% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.3% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Ketchum | ID |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.4% | 16.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.1% | 12.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.8% | 8.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3,898 jobs are based in Ketchum, 4.4 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 13.4 minutes, against 21.6 across Idaho.
About one in 3 of Ketchum’s working residents works in town. Ketchum’s average trip to work is 13 minutes. Since 2013, Ketchum has added 763 jobs, to 3,898 in 2023.
| Ketchum | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 37% | 20% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.2% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $93,000 | $67,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
4.3 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The trail density in Ketchum is 1.3 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hemingway/Northwood Natural Area | — | 6 |
| 2. Rotary Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 93% of Idaho towns; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1978, 61 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Ketchum. Only 4 of the 59 Idaho towns we compare have a higher FEMA risk score than Ketchum.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Ketchum Rs weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 77 days, shorter than in 100% of U.S. towns. The Ketchum Rs weather station records that 102 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Ketchum has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Among 59 Idaho towns, just 2 have a lower July high than Ketchum.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ketchum. Close and well known come first.
34 mi National PreserveCraters of the Moon National Preserve251K visitors a yearin town Ski areaSun Valley - Bald Mountain143 runs · 3,363 ft vertical
15 mi National forestSawtooth National Forest2 mi Ski areaSun Valley - Dollar Mountain28 runs · 621 ft vertical
38 mi Park & preserveSawtooth National Recreation Area27 mi Ski areaSoldier Mountain Ski Area41 runs · 1,393 ft verticalCraters of the Moon National Preserve: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sawtooth National Forest: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sawtooth National Recreation Area: Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of Ketchum; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Ketchum residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Idaho.
Where Ketchum’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Ketchum on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Idaho, United States
Ketchum is a city in the western United States, located in Blaine County, Idaho. In the central part of the state, the population was 3,551 at the 2020 census, up from 2,689 in 2010. Located in the Wood River Valley, Ketchum is adjacent to Sun Valley and the communities share many resources: both sit in the same valley beneath Bald Mountain, with its skiing. The city also draws tourists to its fishing, hiking, trail riding, tennis, shopping, art galleries, and more. Air travel is through Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey, approximately fifteen miles (24 km) south.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Ketchum.
| Town | ID rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketchum | #5 | A− | C | B | B+ | A+ |
| Sun Valley | — | — | D− | A | B+ | A |
Sun Valley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Compare Ketchum with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Ketchum grades A− overall, better than 80% of U.S. towns and #5 of 58 in Idaho. It grades A+ for health, B for safety and B+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 18.6 years of the area's median household income ($88,522 across the Hailey, ID area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
