Scores by category

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

Safety76#3,687/15,637
Economy66#5,247/15,631
Housing95#818/14,977
Health71#4,569/15,609
Healthcare14#13,517/15,650
Environment88#1,783/15,453
Education30#11,008/15,649
Infrastructure69#4,809/15,650
Community52#7,494/15,651
Leisure & amenities61#6,177/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Ashton, Idaho ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Fremont 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

Preventable hospital stays · low760 /100k
100/100Idaho 1,575 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteFremont County value
Loneliness · low29.8%
99/100Idaho 29.7%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low4.3 µg/m³
99/100Idaho 8.2 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyFremont County value
Hot days · low0 days
98/100Idaho 13 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationFremont County value
Child care cost burden · low18.5%
97/100Idaho 20.9%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteFremont County value
Public libraries · high2.8 /10k
95/100Idaho 0.9 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesFremont County value

Weaknesses

Drought exposure · high100%
1/100Idaho 73%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAFremont County value
Social associations · low2.1 /10k
1/100Idaho 7.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteFremont County value
Pharmacies · low0.0 /10k
1/100Idaho 1.3 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsFremont County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · high225 mi
2/100Idaho 155 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauFremont County value
Distance to an emergency room · high17.4 mi
5/100Idaho 8.4 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesFremont County value
Traffic deaths · high30.2 /100k
7/100Idaho 12.6 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataFremont County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
833 (2015-2019) → 1,417 (2020-2024)
+70%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
New homes permittedImproving
0.9 /1k (2021) → 7.1 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+717%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
46.0% (2015-2019) → 13.0% (2020-2024)
−33 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Child poverty rateImproving
39.4% (2015-2019) → 7.0% (2020-2024)
−32 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Poverty rateImproving
26.0% (2015-2019) → 5.8% (2020-2024)
−20 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
72.1% (2015-2019) → 91.2% (2020-2024)
+19 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

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, Ashton, Idaho improved on 3 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 8 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.

Improved3

Poverty−20 points26.0% → 5.8%
Household income+64%$39,836 → $65,428
Broadband+19 points72.1% → 91.2%

Declined1

Bachelor's+−10 points27.1% → 16.9%

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Ashton, Idaho between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	16.2 min2015-2019	14.7 min2020-2024	−1.5 min	Within the margin of error	65%
Bachelor's degree or higher	27.1%2015-2019	16.9%2020-2024	−10 points	Declined	2%
Broadband subscriptions	72.1%2015-2019	91.2%2020-2024	+19 points	Improved	89%
Effective property tax rate	0.85%2015-2019	0.54%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	76%
High school diploma or higher	77.4%2015-2019	83.3%2020-2024	+5.9 points	Within the margin of error	86%
Home price to income ratio	3.4×2015-2019	3.4×2020-2024	−0.0×	Within the margin of error	79%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3502015-2019	0.3282020-2024	−0.022	Within the margin of error	69%
Median household income	$39,8362015-2019	$65,4282020-2024	+64%	Improved	92%
Poverty rate	26.0%2015-2019	5.8%2020-2024	−20 points	Improved	99%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	23.6%2015-2019	20.9%2020-2024	−2.7 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	16.9%2015-2019	15.1%2020-2024	−1.8 points	Within the margin of error	67%

“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 Ashton, Idaho five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Ashton, 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, Ashton, Idaho itself moved +8.1 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

1,417 residents (±383)

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 (−4.2 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

1,417 residents (±383)

Ashton, Idaho
Idaho share

White78%†1,101
Black0.7%†10
Hispanic or Latino18%†255
Asian0.0%0
American Indian and Alaska Native0.3%†4
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races3.3%†47

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

945 residents (±257)

Ashton, Idaho
Idaho share

No high school diploma17%†158
High school or GED37%†353
Some college27%†251
Associate degree2.4%†23
Bachelor's degree13%†121
Graduate degree4.1%†39

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Bachelor's degree (−10.2 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

491 households (±110)

Ashton, Idaho
Idaho share

Under $25k9.2%†45
$25k–50k16%†77
$50k–75k47%†232
$75k–100k8.1%†40
$100k–150k15%†75
$150k–200k1.6%†8
$200k or more2.9%†14

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $50k–75k (+35.2 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

491 households (±110)

Ashton, Idaho
Idaho share

Own79%388
Rent21%†103

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

100 households (±62)

Ashton, Idaho
Idaho share

Under $75042%†42
$750–1,0007.0%†7
$1,000–1,50045%†45

Home values

388 homes (±96)

Ashton, Idaho
Idaho share

Under $150k29%†111
$150k–250k31%†122
$250k–400k22%†86

Age of homes

535 homes (±112)

Ashton, Idaho
Idaho share

2010 or later4.5%†24
2000–200915%†80
1980–199914%†73

Size of homes

535 homes (±112)

Ashton, Idaho
Idaho share

Studio0.4%†2
1 bedroom5.2%†28
2 bedrooms20%†108

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

742 workers (±225)

Ashton, Idaho
Idaho share

Drive alone70%†521
Carpool17%†128
Public transit0.0%0
Walk5.5%†41
Bike0.8%†6
Work from home6.2%†46
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Walk (+5.0 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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

696 workers (±215)

Ashton, Idaho
Idaho share

Under 15 min61%†424
15–29 min22%†153
30–44 min11%†79

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

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Rexburg, ID

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 Fremont County, the county holding most of Ashton's residents.

Fremont County has 395 employer establishments, 278 for every 10,000 residents (1.12× the US rate of 248; 0.94× Idaho's), with 2,147 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,720. The Census Bureau also counts 1,462 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 395; 1,462 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 278; US 248 · Idaho 295
Paid employees: 2,147
Average annual pay: $43,720; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	65	45.7	2.95×More than typical	229	$45,624	152
Construction of buildings	32	22.5	2.97×More than typical	92	$57,272	85
Truck transportation	26	18.3	3.61×More than typical	130	$55,031	43
Restaurants and other eating places	24	16.9	0.92×About typical	175	$16,589	9
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	22	15.5	4.90×More than typical	71	$46,324	19
Lessors of real estate	18	12.6	1.03×About typical	47	$30,936	193
Building equipment contractors	17	11.9	1.98×More than typical	94	$48,926	29
Services to buildings and dwellings	16	11.2	1.67×More than typical	53	$30,566	100
Ambulatory health care services	15	10.5	0.51×Fewer than typical	157	$61,013	31
Full-service restaurants	15	10.5	1.37×More than typical	98	$20,643	—
Building finishing contractors	14	9.8	2.59×More than typical	49	$36,449	38
Other specialty trade contractors	12	8.4	3.36×More than typical	15	$51,600	66

Rank places for an industry Open Fremont County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 14,233 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: Ashton is mostly in Fremont County.

See federal money in Fremont 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.

Ashton, 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.

Fremont County77100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Rexburg, ID67

Other cities and towns in Fremont 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

JSON · /api/v1/places/1603610