Lava Hot SpringsID
Settled in 1915, this town now has 374 residents.
Is Lava Hot Springs a good place to live?
Lava Hot Springs’ median age is 55.7 years, above both Idaho’s towns (35.1 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Among 60 Idaho towns, just one has a higher average commute than Lava Hot Springs. 41% of the land in Lava Hot Springs is conserved, against 2.1% in Idaho’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Lava Hot Springs has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Lava High School Gymnasium and L.D.S. Ward Building. Lava Hot Springs has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Lava Hot Springs stand out
Where Lava Hot Springs beats most towns.
374 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Lava Hot Springs: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lava Hot Springs, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Lava Hot Springs.
The schools Lava Hot Springs’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Marsh Valley Joint District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lava Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 42 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts
With 2.4 jobs for every working resident, Lava Hot Springs draws in 300 commuters
For most workers, Lava Hot Springs is a place to come home to: only 9% work in town. Employers in Lava Hot Springs added 69 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 312. The top destinations are Pocatello (20%), McCammon (6%) and Soda Springs (6%). Half the trips to work are shorter than 28 miles.
| Lava Hot Springs | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 9.3% | 22% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 12% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Open space protected for good: nearly a third of Lava Hot Springs
In 2 parks and preserves, walkers have 1.7 miles of trail. The trail density in Lava Hot Springs is 2.4 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Buddy Campbell Memorial Park | — | 4 |
| 2. City Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards: very high risk in Lava Hot Springs, mostly wildfire
In Lava Hot Springs, the FEMA hazard score is 82 of 100. FEMA puts 52% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to wildfires, and 25% to inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Lava Hot Springs
Lava Hot Springs has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Summer afternoons peak near 86° in July, and January nights bottom out around 15°; snowfall runs to about 45 inches a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A larger share of adults have high blood pressure in Lava Hot Springs than in most of Idaho or the rest of the country
8% of Lava Hot Springs adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance. Among 60 Idaho towns, just 3 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Lava Hot Springs. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Lava Hot Springs is ahead of Idaho on 6 and behind on 9.
| Lava Hot Springs | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| What stands out | Lava Hot Springs | ID |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8% | 10.7% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.7% | 15.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.3% | 6.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical home in Lava Hot Springs is valued at about $447K
For Lava Hot Springs, the going rate for rent is $870 a month. The share of households in Lava Hot Springs who are owner-occupiers: 68%.
| Lava Hot Springs | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $870 a month | $1,117 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 70% | 73% |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Lava Hot Springs
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lava Hot Springs; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Lava Hot Springs residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Idaho.
Every workday, about 300 people come to Lava Hot Springs for work
Where Lava Hot Springs’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Lava Hot Springs
City in Bannock County, Idaho, United States
Lava Hot Springs is a city along the Portneuf River in eastern Bannock County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Pocatello, Idaho metropolitan area. The population was 358 at the 2020 census. Located in the mountainous valley of the Portneuf River on the old route of the Oregon Trail and California Trail, the city has become a popular resort location, noted for its numerous hot springs amenable to bathing and a turbulent inner tube run through part of the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5,007 ft
- ZIP code
- 83246
- Area code
- 208
Questions about Lava Hot Springs
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lava Hot Springs, ID a good place to live?
Lava Hot Springs has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.