City · Power County, Idaho

American Falls, Idaho

American Falls is a city in Power County, Idaho. It has 4,712 residents. American Falls, Idaho has a quality-of-life score of 47 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #8,299 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Idaho it ranks #60 of 101 cities and towns. It ranks best on time spent in the emergency room (low), loneliness (low) and property crime rate (low). It ranks worst on social associations (low), comfortable days (low) and distance to an Amtrak station (high).

47Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #8,299 of 15,651 cities and towns
Idaho: #60 of 101 in ID
Population: 4,712 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 2,920.1 /mi²
FIPS code: 1601900

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety54#7,127/15,637
Economy40#9,390/15,631
Housing71#4,359/14,977
Health53#7,356/15,609
Healthcare5#14,907/15,650
Environment88#1,782/15,453
Education38#9,687/15,649
Infrastructure46#8,476/15,650
Community59#6,403/15,651
Leisure & amenities25#11,805/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where American Falls, Idaho ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Power County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Time spent in the emergency room · low85 min
99/100Idaho 144 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesPower County value
Loneliness · low30.6%
99/100Idaho 29.7%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Property crime rate · low272 /100k
98/100Idaho 605 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2024Federal Bureau of InvestigationPower County value
Average commute time · low13.9 min
98/100Idaho 21.6 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Child care cost burden · low19.5%
96/100Idaho 20.9%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePower County value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Idaho 1.6 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100k2024Centers for Disease Control and PreventionPower County value

Weaknesses

Social associations · low3.6 /10k
2/100Idaho 7.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePower County value
Comfortable days · low22.4%
4/100Idaho 24.2%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationPower County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · high147 mi
5/100Idaho 155 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauPower County value
Drought exposure · high93%
5/100Idaho 73%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAPower County value
Mental health providers · low48 /100k
5/100Idaho 286 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePower County value
Distance to an airport · high120 mi
6/100Idaho 49 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauPower County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
4,322 (2015-2019) → 4,712 (2020-2024)
+9%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
19.6% (2015-2019) → 37.8% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
74.5% (2015-2019) → 87.6% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
High school diploma or higherImproving
69.8% (2015-2019) → 82.4% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
New homes permittedWorsening
0.9 /1k (2021) → 0.6 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−28%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Unemployment rateWorsening
3.3% (2015-2019) → 7.3% (2020-2024)
+4 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, American Falls, Idaho improved on 0 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of American Falls, Idaho between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	15.8 min2015-2019	13.9 min2020-2024	−1.9 min	Within the margin of error	70%
Bachelor's degree or higher	11.4%2015-2019	14.2%2020-2024	+2.7 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Broadband subscriptions	74.5%2015-2019	87.6%2020-2024	+13 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Effective property tax rate	1.17%2015-2019	0.78%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	83%
High school diploma or higher	69.8%2015-2019	82.4%2020-2024	+13 points	Within the margin of error	98%
Home price to income ratio	2.8×2015-2019	3.2×2020-2024	+0.5×	Within the margin of error	51%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3282015-2019	0.3682020-2024	+0.040	Within the margin of error	21%
Median household income	$48,4382015-2019	$57,7832020-2024	+19%	Within the margin of error	32%
Poverty rate	7.3%2015-2019	10.8%2020-2024	+3.5 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Rent-burdened households	19.6%2015-2019	37.8%2020-2024	+18 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	20.8%2015-2019	20.2%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	55%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like American Falls, Idaho five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of American Falls, Idaho in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, American Falls, Idaho itself moved +0.2 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

4,712 residents (±16)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 70–79 women (+2.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

4,712 residents (±16)

American Falls, Idaho
Idaho share

White47%2,224
Black0.7%†33
Hispanic or Latino49%2,304
Asian0.0%0
American Indian and Alaska Native0.1%†6
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races3.1%†145

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

2,868 residents (±197)

American Falls, Idaho
Idaho share

No high school diploma18%†505
High school or GED29%832
Some college37%1,056
Associate degree2.4%†69
Bachelor's degree10%†288
Graduate degree4.1%†118

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Some college (+14.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,581 households (±136)

American Falls, Idaho
Idaho share

Under $25k15%†232
$25k–50k26%†418
$50k–75k23%†359
$75k–100k13%†206
$100k–150k18%†290
$150k–200k4.8%†76
$200k or more0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $100k–150k (+15.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,581 households (±136)

American Falls, Idaho
Idaho share

Own74%1,171
Rent26%†410

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

410 households (±134)

American Falls, Idaho
Idaho share

Under $75058%†239
$750–1,00027%†111
$1,000–1,50015%†60

Home values

1,171 homes (±175)

American Falls, Idaho
Idaho share

Under $150k16%†188
$150k–250k55%†647
$250k–400k27%†315

Age of homes

1,631 homes (±127)

American Falls, Idaho
Idaho share

2010 or later2.9%†48
2000–200917%†270
1980–199912%†198

Size of homes

1,631 homes (±127)

American Falls, Idaho
Idaho share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom1.3%†22
2 bedrooms27%†444

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,990 workers (±233)

American Falls, Idaho
Idaho share

Drive alone77%1,535
Carpool11%†212
Public transit0.4%†8
Walk3.2%†63
Bike3.4%†67
Work from home5.3%†105
Other0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

1,885 workers (±219)

American Falls, Idaho
Idaho share

Under 15 min59%1,111
15–29 min27%†518
30–44 min13%†248

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Power County, the county holding most of American Falls's residents.

Power County has 177 employer establishments, 213 for every 10,000 residents (0.86× the US rate of 248; 0.72× Idaho's), with 2,197 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,807. The Census Bureau also counts 476 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 177; 476 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 213; US 248 · Idaho 295
Paid employees: 2,197
Average annual pay: $52,807; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Power County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Truck transportation	17	20.5	4.05×More than typical	227	$46,952	24
Specialty trade contractors	16	19.3	1.25×About typical	64	$49,547	42
Restaurants and other eating places	8	9.6	0.53×Too few to compare	68	$14,471	3
Ambulatory health care services	7	8.4	0.41×Too few to compare	25	$43,520	13
Automotive repair and maintenance	7	8.4	1.68×Too few to compare	36	$36,944	9
Building equipment contractors	7	8.4	1.40×Too few to compare	34	$55,765	5
Lessors of real estate	6	7.2	0.59×Too few to compare	9	$18,222	47
Electrical contractors and wiring installation	5	6	2.44×Too few to compare	32	$54,313	3
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	5	6	1.91×Too few to compare	18	$37,611	8
Accounting, tax preparation and payroll services	4	4.8	1.19×Too few to compare	5	$19,600	10
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	4	4.8	1.81×Too few to compare	11	$7,091	5
Construction of buildings	4	4.8	0.64×Too few to compare	16	$69,625	24

Rank places for an industry Open Power County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 8,292 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: American Falls is mostly in Power County.

See federal money in Power County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

American Falls, Idaho is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Michael K. SimpsonR-ID-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 95%Missed 2.1%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Power County61100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Power County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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