John F Shelley Family, 1896
Shelley’s story
133 years in pictures
Census counts: 537 in 1910, 4,785 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1890 and 2 maps from 1950 on.
- 1893Shelley is settled
ShelleyID
A town of 5,303, settled in 1893. Public schools that outperform most of Idaho.
Photo: Sociotard · CC BY 3.0
Population
5,303
2025 Census estimate · +10.6% since 2020
Typical home
$435K
+2.9% in a year
Household income
$78K
median
Median age
30.8
years
Jobs based here
1,492
A commuter town
TownGrade
B+
#12 of 58 in ID
Is Shelley a good place to live?
Shelley gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $435K for a typical one, or 5.6 years of the Blackfoot area’s $78K median household income. It grades B+ overall, 12th of 58 graded towns in Idaho. On civic life, just 1 of Idaho’s 82 towns do worse. 11% of residents are 65 or older in Shelley, against 16% in Idaho’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns.
What makes Shelley stand out
Where Shelley beats most towns.
A commuter town
88% of working residents leave Shelley for work
Where Shelley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,492jobs based in Shelley
12%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Shelley grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Idaho), ordered by how far Shelley is from typical.
SchoolsB+Open →HealthEastern Idaho Regional Medical Center 9.1 miles awayB+Open →SafetyB+Open →Cost of livingBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7 of 20; 1.9% of households have no car; 3.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Jobs & incomeC+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landCOpen →History2 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life1.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market52 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 30.8; 22% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Shelley: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Shelley, and how to reach them.
WaterCity of Shelley water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Shelley’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 hereBingham County ClerkBingham County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2023
ZIP code8327483274 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 Shelley.
Shelley has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and has added a third more jobs in ten years.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
About two in five of Shelley’s working residents commute to Idaho Falls
Jobs based here grew from 1,134 in 2013 to 1,492.
Most working residents leave Shelley for work: only 12% work in town. Jobs based in Shelley grew to 1,492 in 2023, 358 more than in 2013. Shelley’s average trip to work is 20 minutes.
12%work in town
| Shelley | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 23% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $78,000 | $67,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Shelley12%
Idaho Falls42%
Ammon3%
Pocatello3%
Blackfoot3%
10 mi
median commute distance
1,492
jobs based in Shelley
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 64% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsB+
Shelley’s public schools outperform 70% of Idaho districts
Its public schools are run by the Shelley Joint District. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Shelley Senior High School, with 800 students.
70%of ID districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donald J Hobbs Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 391 | C+ |
| Shelley Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 800 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ID on state tests and graduation
HealthB+
Shelley is healthier than 67% of U.S. towns
Shelley beats the Idaho average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 73% of Shelley adults had a checkup this year.
67%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Shelley | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 73% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 32% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.4% | 10% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Idaho
4 better28 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Shelley | ID |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.9% | 16.2% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.4% | 6.2% |
Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center
9.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
50th
percentile among ID towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Shelley
The Blackfoot Fire Dept weather station, 17 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 149 days, shorter than in 98% of U.S. towns.
Shelley has cold winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 14° and about 15 inches of snow falls in a winter.
15″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–32°
Spring32–57°
Summer49–83°
Fall32–59°
Sep 20
typical first frost
May 23
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
SafetyB+
Crime per resident in Shelley is lower than in 65% of U.S. towns
The property crime rate in Shelley is 5 per 1,000 residents.
65%of U.S. towns report more crimeB+Safety Grade
| Shelley | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5 per 1,000 residents | 6.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Shelley1.9
Idaho2.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Shelley5
Idaho6.2
U.S.15.5
65th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
68th
percentile among ID towns
10
violent crimes reported in 2025
27
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Shelley faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities.
62risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesEarthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade B
Shelley’s grade for cost of living is a B
The typical Shelley home is worth about $435,000, up 2.9% in a year, 9% below the Idaho typical home.
$435KZillow home value
| Shelley | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 75% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,265 a month | $1,109 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Shelley$435K
Idaho$477K
Market temperature
52
days on market
+2.9%
value change, 1 year
12
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsC
Shelley has set aside 0.9% of its land for conservation
0.1 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
0.9%conserved
0.9%
conserved · 13 of 1,459 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dawn Lloyd Field | — | 6 |
| 2. Curtis Brinkman Park | — | 3 |
| 3. Pillsbury Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Shelley
20pages on Shelley
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 70% of ID districts · 6 schoolsSafetyB+1.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB+Better than ID on 4 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB$435K typical home · up 2.9% in a yearWork & commuteC+$78K median household income · 1,492 jobs hereNatural hazardsB−FEMA risk higher than 62% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Shelley
Provo College-Idaho Falls CampusUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Idaho Falls9.3 mi$19,068 tuitionCollege of Eastern IdahoCommunity college · Public · Idaho Falls10.1 mi$3,390 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Shelley residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Idaho.
About Shelley
City in Bingham County, Idaho, United States
Shelley is a city in Bingham County, Idaho, United States. The population was 4,785 at the 2020 census. Since 1927, Shelley has been home to the "Idaho Annual Spud Day", which is celebrated on the 3rd Saturday of September. It typically features a parade, live bands, a Spud Tug, a spud-picking contest, and free baked potatoes.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 4,633 ft
- ZIP code
- 83274
- Area code
- 208
Questions about Shelley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Shelley, ID a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Shelley grades B+ overall, better than 75% of U.S. towns and #12 of 58 in Idaho. It grades B+ for health, B+ for safety and B+ for schools.
Is Shelley, ID expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
What is Shelley, ID known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Lewis Croft and Curt Brinkman.