Kootenaisunrise, 2006
Kootenai’s story
141 years in pictures
Census counts: 245 in 1920, a low of 168 in 1970, 941 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1968 on.
- 1885Kootenai is settled
KootenaiID
A town of 1,091, settled in 1885. Public schools that outperform most of Idaho.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Spawningtrout assumed (based on copyright claims). · Public domain
Population
1,091
2025 Census estimate · +15.3% since 2020
Typical home
$486K
+5.6% in a year
Household income
$71K
median
Median age
40.8
years
Jobs based here
331
Balanced
Is Kootenai a good place to live?
Kootenai’s best subject grades are an A− for schools and a B+ for walkability; its weakest is a C− for cost of living. Only 9 of Idaho’s 94 towns score lower on cost of living. Kootenai has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Kootenai stand out
Where Kootenai beats most towns.
Small town
1,091 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
PonderayKootenai
How Kootenai grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Idaho), ordered by how far Kootenai is from typical.
Cost of livingC−Open →Jobs & income$71K median household incomeC−Open →SchoolsA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.7 of 20; 2.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →HealthBonner General Hospital 2.8 miles awayB+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateSnowy winters, 83° summer afternoons, 62″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 40.8; 19% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Kootenai: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Kootenai, and how to reach them.
PowerAvista11.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSandpoint Public Works DeptNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet9 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Kootenai’s trash rules yet
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.govWho runs elections hereBonner County ClerkBonner County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2023
ZIP codes83840, 8386483840 59% · 83864 41%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 Kootenai.
SchoolsA−
Kootenai’s schools rank ahead of 76% of Idaho districts
Its public schools are run by the Lake Pend Oreille School District. Its one school is below.
76%of ID districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kootenai Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 367 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ID on state tests and graduation
HealthB+
Kootenai ranks healthier than 67% of the country’s towns
Kootenai tracks Idaho closely on all 32 CDC measures. 71% of Kootenai adults had a checkup this year, where Idaho’s towns sit at 73% and U.S. towns at 79%. 30% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Kootenai.
67%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Kootenai | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 73% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.4% | 10% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Idaho
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Bonner General Hospital
2.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In Kootenai, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Kootenai has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. At 83°F, Kootenai’s July high is below both the Idaho town median (89°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
62″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–35°
Spring34–57°
Summer48–79°
Fall34–56°
Sep 28
typical first frost
May 8
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
About one in three of Kootenai’s working residents commute to Sandpoint
Most working residents leave Kootenai for work: only 2% work in town. The average trip to work in Kootenai is 15 minutes. Jobs based in Kootenai fell to 331 in 2023, 291 fewer than in 2013.
2%work in town
| Kootenai | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.1% | 22% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $67,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Kootenai2%
Sandpoint35%
Ponderay12%
Coeur d'Alene4%
Boise City4%
4 mi
median commute distance
331
jobs based in Kootenai
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 68% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Moderate risk in Kootenai, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities.
56risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade C−
Kootenai’s typical home value is about $486K
The typical Kootenai home is worth about $486,000, up 5.6% in a year, close to the Idaho typical home. Kootenai’s median rent is $1,673 a month.
$486KZillow home value
| Kootenai | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,673 a month | $1,117 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 70% | 73% |
Typical home value
Kootenai$486K
Idaho$477K
+5.6%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kootenai
17pages on Kootenai
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Kootenai; the nearest are
North Idaho CollegeCommunity college · Public · Coeur d'Alene45.8 mi$3,396 in-state tuitionEastern Washington UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Cheney, WA75.2 mi$8,586 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Kootenai residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Idaho.
About Kootenai
City in Idaho, United States
Kootenai is a city in Bonner County, Idaho. The population was 941 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,116 ft
- ZIP code
- 83840
- Area code
- 208
Questions about Kootenai
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kootenai, ID a good place to live?
Public schools that outperform most of Idaho.
Is Kootenai, ID expensive?
Yes. That is 7.3 years of the area's median household income ($66,979 across the Sandpoint, 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−.