Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,710, settled in 1863.
Montpelier gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $296K for a typical one, or 3.9 years of the county’s $75K median household income. It grades A overall, 3rd among Idaho's 58 graded towns. On the plus side, crime is low: it reports less per resident than 79% of U.S. towns. 39% of working residents work locally in Montpelier, where Idaho’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 8%. Of the 59 Idaho towns we compare, none has a lower January low than Montpelier.
Where Montpelier beats most towns.
4% of the town is conserved land, across 6 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Idaho), ordered by how far Montpelier is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Its founding year, 1863, comes before those of 96% of the Idaho towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 120 in 1870, 2,643 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 4 maps from 1909 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Montpelier, 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 Montpelier.
Montpelier pairs an A overall with homes cheaper than the Idaho norm, has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
2.9 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The trail density in Montpelier is 1.3 miles per square mile.
| Montpelier | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.3 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4% | 2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Adam's Park | 0.1 mi | 12 |
| 2. Stock Park | — | 12 |
| 3. Alinger Park | 0.1 mi | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Bear Lake County District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Bear Lake High School, with 361 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A J Winters Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 305 | A− |
| Bear Lake High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 361 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ID on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 27 to 13 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 0 reported in 2025, 0 per 1,000 residents.
Montpelier’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents.
| Montpelier | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.8 per 1,000 residents | 6.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Montpelier grades A overall with a typical home of about $297K, below the Idaho typical value; only 3 of the 8 Idaho towns graded A− or better can say that.
Of the 58 Idaho towns we compare, none has a lower median rent than Montpelier. 86% of Montpelier households own their home. The typical Montpelier home is worth about $297,000, about the same as a year ago, 38% below the Idaho typical home.
| Montpelier | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $535 a month | $1,125 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 86% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Bern weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 77 days, shorter than in 100% of U.S. towns. The Bern weather station records that 91 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Montpelier has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 84° and January nights drop to 8°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 1,037 working residents takes 31.3 minutes, against 21.6 across Idaho.
Among 59 Idaho towns, just 1 have a higher average trip to work than Montpelier. About one in 3 of Montpelier’s working residents works in town. 7.8% of residents live below the poverty line in Montpelier.
| Montpelier | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.8% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 9,277 U.S. towns with household incomes like Montpelier’s, it is healthier than 78%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Montpelier beats the Idaho average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
| Montpelier | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 73% | 79% |
| What stands out | Montpelier | ID |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 74.4% | 70.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.5% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 51% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Montpelier; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Montpelier residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Idaho.
3 places in Montpelier on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Montpelier.
City in Idaho, United States
Montpelier is a city in Bear Lake County, Idaho, United States. The population was 2,643 at the 2020 census. The city is the largest community in the Bear Lake Valley, a farming region north of Bear Lake in southeastern Idaho along the Utah border. It was settled in 1863 by Mormon pioneers on the route of the Oregon Trail. Nearby to the east is the border with Wyoming.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Montpelier grades A overall, better than 86% of U.S. towns and #3 of 58 in Idaho. It grades B− for health, A− for safety and B for schools.
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.
5 notable people were born here, including Willis J. Gertsch and Bruce Carver.
