Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,776, settled in 1936.
The best of Sun Valley’s subject grades are an A for walkability, safety, and health; the weakest is a D− for cost of living. 70% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Sun Valley, where Idaho’s towns sit at 25% and U.S. towns at 29%. On cost of living, just 1 of Idaho’s 94 towns do worse. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 86% of U.S. communities, with avalanches at the top. Sun Valley’s trail density is 2.7 miles per square mile, above both Idaho’s towns (0.8) and U.S. towns (0.4). Proctor Mountain Ski Lift and Gimlet Pegram Truss Railroad Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places. Sun Valley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Sun Valley beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
1,406 counted in 2010 and 1,783 in 2020; an estimated 1,776 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Idaho), ordered by how far Sun Valley is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 428 in 1950, a low of 180 in 1970, 1,783 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1920 and a map from 1967 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sun Valley, 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 Sun Valley.
91% of Sun Valley households own their home. Typical home values rose 7.6% in the year to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
One of its 3 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Valley Community School-Middle PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 435 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ID on state tests and graduation
Sun Valley’s median household income is $126,000. Jobs based in Sun Valley grew to 1,967 in 2023, 591 more than in 2013. 6% of residents live below the poverty line in Sun Valley.
| Sun Valley | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $126,000 | $67,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6% | 12% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The property crime rate in Sun Valley is 1.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Sun Valley | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.1 per 1,000 residents | 6.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.1 per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Sun Valley beats the Idaho average on 20 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. No town among the 60 in Idaho we compare has a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Sun Valley.
| Sun Valley | Idaho towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 32% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 17% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 34% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 30% | 33% |
| What stands out | Sun Valley | ID |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5.5% | 10.3% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 3.8% | 6.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 14.4% | 8.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Among 60 Idaho towns, just 4 have a higher FEMA risk score than Sun Valley. Since 1982, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Sun Valley.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Sun Valley has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Only 3 of the 60 Idaho towns we compare have a lower July high than Sun Valley.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sun Valley. Close and well known come first.
33 mi National PreserveCraters of the Moon National Preserve251K visitors a year3 mi Ski areaSun Valley - Bald Mountain143 runs · 3,363 ft vertical
17 mi National forestSawtooth National Forestin town Ski areaSun Valley - Dollar Mountain28 runs · 621 ft vertical
40 mi Park & preserveSawtooth National Recreation Area29 mi Ski areaSoldier Mountain Ski Area41 runs · 1,393 ft verticalCraters of the Moon National Preserve: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sawtooth National Forest: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sawtooth National Recreation Area: Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of Sun Valley; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Sun Valley residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Idaho.
Where Sun Valley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
7 notable people were born in Sun Valley.
Ski resort in Idaho, United States
Sun Valley is a resort town and alpine ski resort in the western United States, in Blaine County, Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum in the Wood River valley. The population was 1,783 at the 2020 census. The elevation of Sun Valley (at the Lodge) is 5,920 feet (1,805 m) above sea level. Among skiers, the term "Sun Valley" refers to the alpine ski area, which consists of Bald Mountain, the main ski mountain adjacent to Ketchum. Dollar Mountain, which is adjacent to Sun Valley, is suited for novice and lower intermediate skiers. Bald Mountain, or "Baldy", best suited for intermediate to advanced and expert skiers, has a summit of 9,150 feet (2,790 m) and a vertical drop of 3,400 feet (1,0…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Sun Valley.
| Town | ID rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Valley | — | — | D− | A | B+ | A |
| Ketchum | #5 | A− | C | B | B+ | A+ |
Sun Valley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Compare Sun Valley with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
7 notable people were born here, including Dree Hemingway and Joe Cannon.
