Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The town was settled in 1899 and has 170 residents today.
Murphy’s midpoint age is 53.3 years, above both the Idaho town median (35.1 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only one of the 60 Idaho towns we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Murphy. 60% of the land in Murphy is conserved, where Idaho’s towns sit at 2.1% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Silver City Historic District and Delamar Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Murphy has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1994.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Ordered by what stands out in Murphy.
Murphy’s density of trails comes in at 1.1 miles per square mile. In 1 park or preserve, walkers have 4.5 miles of trail. Parks and preserves in the town: one, of 332 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area | 0.3 mi | 332 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Of the losses FEMA expects in Murphy, 51% come from wildfires and 44% from inland flooding. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 94% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among adults in Murphy, 30% feel lonely. Only 6 of the 60 Idaho towns we compare have a higher share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Murphy. 17% of adults in Murphy report frequent physical distress; 24% say their health is fair or poor.
| Murphy | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 11% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 73% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 19% |
| What stands out | Murphy | ID |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 19% | 10.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 27.6% | 16.2% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 20.3% | 12.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Murphy is unincorporated, so Owyhee County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
None within 15 miles of Murphy; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Murphy residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Idaho.
Census-designated place in and county seat of Owyhee County, Idaho, United States
Murphy is a census-designated place in and the county seat of Owyhee County, Idaho, United States. It is among the smallest of county seats nationwide, with a population as of the 2020 census of 96. Murphy is part of the Boise City–Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area. Murphy is also located within the census-designated place bearing its name. Murphy is home to the Owyhee County Historical Museum and Library.
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Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Murphy has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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