Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,286, settled in 1895. 4.4 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Idaho town.
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 92% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Overall it grades C−, ranked 55th of 58 in Idaho. Its weakest subject is incomes: the median household income is $43K, and 15% of residents live below the poverty line. 51% of working residents work locally in Salmon, against 20% in Idaho’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Salmon has 7 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Leesburg and Socrates A. Myers House. On civic life, just 8 of Idaho’s 82 towns do better.
Where Salmon beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Idaho), ordered by how far Salmon is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 186 in 1870, 3,119 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1966 and 3 maps from 1950 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Salmon, 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 Salmon.
Salmon has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Idaho (mostly inland flooding).
4.6 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The trail density in Salmon is 1.8 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is City Park, at 20 acres.
| Salmon | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.8 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.6% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Island Park | 0.7 mi | 13 |
| 2. City Park | — | 20 |
| 3. Kid's Creek Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Salmon District. Three of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Salmon Jr./Sr. High School, with 349 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salmon Pioneer Primary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 286 | B− |
| Salmon Jr./Sr. High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 349 | C− |
| Fern-Waters Public Charter SchoolTop results in townGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 141 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ID on state tests and graduation
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of Idaho towns; that rating is what its D− for hazard risk is built on.
Among 59 Idaho towns, just 2 have a higher FEMA risk score than Salmon. Since 1982, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Salmon.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Home values rose 31% in five years, to about $359K, against 6% across Idaho. 62.3% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 46.9% across Idaho.
Salmon’s median rent is $590 a month. Typical home values rose 6.4% in the year to September 2026.
| Salmon | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $590 a month | $1,125 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Salmon-ksra weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 127 days, shorter than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Salmon has cold winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 14° and about 22 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 1,080 working residents takes 12.5 minutes, against 21.6 across Idaho.
Only 1 of the 59 Idaho towns we compare have a lower median household income than Salmon. Jobs based in Salmon grew to 1,574 in 2023, 264 more than in 2013. Only 2 of the 59 Idaho towns we compare have a lower average trip to work than Salmon.
| Salmon | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $43,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Salmon's reported crime rate is well below Idaho's. Only 1 of the 44 Idaho towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Salmon. 4 violent crimes were reported in 2024.
| Salmon | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 1.8 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Against the 3,294 U.S. towns with household incomes like Salmon’s, it is healthier than 95%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Salmon beats the Idaho average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 14% of adults binge drink in Salmon. Among 59 Idaho towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Salmon.
| Salmon | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| What stands out | Salmon | ID |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 76.3% | 70.5% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 83.4% | 81.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.5% | 6.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Salmon; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Salmon residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Idaho.
7 places in Salmon on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Salmon.
City in Lemhi County, Idaho, United States
Salmon is a city in Lemhi County, Idaho. The population was 3,119 at the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Lemhi County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Salmon grades C− overall, better than 16% of U.S. towns and #55 of 58 in Idaho. It grades B− for health and C for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
8 notable people were born here, including Richard G. Shoup and Dick Randolph.
