First Lapwai Bank · National Register of Historic Places
Lapwai’s story
158 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1900.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1868Lapwai is settled
LapwaiID
A town of 1,251, settled in 1868. 2.8 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Idaho town.
Photo: Bobjgalindo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,251
2025 Census estimate · +3.6% since 2020
Typical home
$381K
+5.6% in a year
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
30.9
years
Jobs based here
655
A job hub
Is Lapwai a good place to live?
Lapwai’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A+ for civic life; its weakest is a D for incomes. On cost of living, just 1 of Idaho’s 94 towns do better. Lapwai's public schools trail 93% of Idaho towns on state tests and graduation. Only 2 of Idaho’s 94 towns score lower on health. Lapwai’s trail density is 1.8 miles per square mile, above both Idaho’s towns (0.8) and U.S. towns (0.4). No town in Idaho scores higher than Lapwai on civic life. Lapwai has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them First Presbyterian Church and First Lapwai Bank. Lapwai has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Lapwai stand out
Where Lapwai beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Lapwai10.8
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical ID town3.9
Civic lifeA+
2.8 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Idaho town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Typical home value
Lapwai$381K
Idaho$477K
Cost of livingA
5.3 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 93% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
LAPWAI DISTRICT
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Lapwai Elementary School | PK–5 | 230 |
| Lapwai Middle/High School | 6–12 | 246 |
| Nez Perce Tribe Head Start | PK | 2 |
Worth knowing · SchoolsD
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Small town
1,251 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Lapwai grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Idaho), ordered by how far Lapwai is from typical.
Jobs & income$57K median household income; 655 jobs based hereDOpen →SchoolsDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →HealthLess healthy than 87% of U.S. towns; St. Joseph Regional Medical Center 10.6 miles awayDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.7 of 20; 2.2% of households have no car; 5.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trailC+Open →History2 places on the National Register; 1 notable person born hereB+Open →Civic life10.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 30.9; 17% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lapwai: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lapwai, and how to reach them.
PowerAvista11.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Lapwai water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers85% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Lapwai’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 hereNez Perce County ClerkNez Perce County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code8354083540 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 Lapwai.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
A job hub: Lapwai has 1.9 jobs for every working resident and draws in 557 commuters
About one in 3 of Lapwai’s working residents works in town. At 14 minutes, Lapwai’s average trip to work is below both the Idaho town median (20 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). 19% of residents live below the poverty line in Lapwai.
29%work in town
| Lapwai | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 29% | 22% | 8% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $67,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Lapwai29%
Lewiston16%
Orofino3%
Moscow2%
Boise City2%
6 mi
median commute distance
655
jobs based in Lapwai
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 49% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsD
Lapwai earns a D for schools
Its public schools are run by the Lapwai District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
7%of ID districts it outscoresDSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lapwai Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 230 | D− |
| Lapwai Middle/High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 246 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ID on state tests and graduation
HealthD
A larger share of adults have obesity in Lapwai than in most of Idaho or the rest of the country
43% of Lapwai adults have obesity. Only 4 of the 60 Idaho towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Lapwai. 26% of Lapwai adults worry about having enough food.
13%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Lapwai | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 32% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Idaho
2 better12 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Lapwai | ID |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.4% | 8.3% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 29.8% | 33.2% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 26.2% | 12.8% |
St. Joseph Regional Medical Center
10.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Very high risk in Lapwai, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 88% of U.S. communities.
88risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Lapwai has four seasons and hot summers
Lapwai has mild winters and warm summers, with very little rain. The July high in Lapwai is 91°F.
13″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter29–43°
Spring40–64°
Summer55–87°
Fall40–65°
Oct 26
typical first frost
Apr 6
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade A
Lapwai’s typical home value is about $381K
The typical Lapwai home is worth about $381,000, up 5.6% in a year, 20% below the Idaho typical home.
$381KZillow home value
| Lapwai | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,017 a month | $1,117 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Lapwai$381K
Idaho$477K
+5.6%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 490 acres
1.4 mi
of trails · 1.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lapwai City Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lapwai
19pages on Lapwai
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Lapwai
About 4 of every 100 Lapwai residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Idaho.
A job hub
Every workday, about 557 people come to Lapwai for work
Where Lapwai’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
655jobs based in Lapwai
29%of working residents work in town
6 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
2 places in Lapwai on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Lapwai
City in Idaho, United States
Lapwai ( LAP-way) is a city in Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States. As of the 2020 census, Lapwai had a population of 1,169. It is the seat of government of the Nez Perce Indian Reservation.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 955 ft
- ZIP code
- 83540
- Area code
- 208
Questions about Lapwai
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lapwai, ID a good place to live?
2.8 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Idaho town.
Is Lapwai, ID expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.