Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More miles of trail than almost any town in Idaho. A town of 3,165, settled in 1864.
Trash & recyclingSoda Springs’s overall B+ puts it 16th of 58 in Idaho. That leaves it better than 70% of U.S. towns. Its strongest is safety: it reports less crime per resident than 90% of U.S. towns. What counts against it is walkability. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 82% of U.S. towns. At about $335K, a typical home costs 4.9 years of the county’s $69K median household income. Incomes are weaker too: the median household income is $57K, and just over one in ten residents live below the poverty line. This Idaho town has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Caribou County Courthouse and William Hopkins House.
Figures: FBI crime data, 2025 · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · home values, Zillow · National Register of Historic Places.
Where Soda Springs beats most towns.
9.3% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Idaho), ordered by how far Soda Springs is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 428 in 1900, 3,133 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1842 and 2 maps from 1948 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Soda 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Soda Springs.
Soda Springs has more trail for its size than nearly any town in Idaho, has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
At 3.5 miles of trail per square mile, it ranks #2 of 43 Idaho towns. Its A for the outdoors ranks #1 of 59 in Idaho.
In Soda Springs, 9.3% of the land is protected. Arthur Kelly Park, at 61 acres with 1.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Across 4 parks and preserves: 16 miles of trail.
| Soda Springs | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 3.5 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 9.3% | 2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Arthur Kelly Park | 1.2 mi | 61 |
| 2. Corrigan Park | — | 9 |
| 3. Geyser Park | 0.2 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Below: Two of its 4 schools, each with why it was picked. The public schools here belong to the Soda Springs Joint District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howard E Thirkill Primary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 321 | B+ |
| Soda Springs High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 234 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ID on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 17 to 8 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.
Among 43 Idaho towns, just 2 have a lower violent crime rate than Soda Springs. The level of property crime here is 2.5 per 1,000 residents. Police in Soda Springs reported no violent crime.
| Soda Springs | 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) | 2.5 per 1,000 residents | 6.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Home values rose 27% in five years, to about $335K, against 6% across Idaho.
The typical home value in Soda Springs is about $335,000, up 7.6% in a year, 30% below the Idaho typical home. In Soda Springs, the typical rent is $843 a month, where Idaho’s towns sit at $1,125 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. 75% of households live in a home they own here.
| Soda Springs | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $843 a month | $1,125 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Bern weather station, 25 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 77 days, shorter than in 100% of U.S. towns. The Bern weather station, 25 miles away, records that 91 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 96% of U.S. towns.
July afternoons reach 85° and January nights drop to 11°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 8,135 U.S. towns with household incomes like Soda Springs’s, it is healthier than 90%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
73% of adults had a checkup this year in Soda Springs, close to Idaho’s towns (73%) and below U.S. towns (79%). This Idaho town tracks Idaho closely on all 32 CDC measures. Among adults here, 15% binge drink.
| Soda Springs | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 73% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 10% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 34% | 36% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Two fifths of Soda Springs’s working residents work right in town. For Soda Springs, the average commute is 18 minutes. Jobs based here fell to 1,861 in 2023, 132 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Pocatello (5%), Grace (4%) and Boise City (4%).
| Soda Springs | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 40% | 20% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Compared with just over three fifths of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Soda Springs is higher. One flood insurance claim has been paid here since 2017. 30% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by earthquakes at 24%.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Soda Springs; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Soda Springs residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Idaho.
5 places in Soda Springs on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in the United States
Soda Springs is a city in Caribou County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 3,133 at the time of the 2020 census. The city has been the county seat of Caribou County since the county was organized in 1919. In the 1860s, Soda Springs served as the seat of Oneida County.
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. Soda Springs grades B+ overall, better than 70% of U.S. towns and #16 of 58 in Idaho. It grades B for health, A for safety and B for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
