Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety61#357/924
Economy59#383/925
Housing42#538/925
Health58#392/925
Healthcare78#207/923
Environment80#186/917
Education80#188/925
Infrastructure66#315/925
Community51#450/925
Leisure & amenities63#345/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Pocatello, ID metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Dentists · high103 /100k
96/100Idaho 66 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Child care cost burden · low19.8%
96/100Idaho 20.9%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
93/100Idaho 1.6 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
New homes permitted · high8.8 /1k
93/100Idaho 9.2 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Average commute time · low17.6 min
92/100Idaho 21.6 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Loneliness · low31.4%
87/100Idaho 29.7%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Distance to an Amtrak station · high148 mi
7/100Idaho 155 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Social associations · low6.6 /10k
9/100Idaho 7.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Drought exposure · high87%
10/100Idaho 73%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · low$962
13/100Idaho $1,200United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Suicide rate · high24.3 /100k
16/100Idaho 20.4 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · high99 mi
17/100Idaho 49 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Homicide rateImproving
3.1 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
61.1% (2010 & 2021) → 74.2% (2022 & 2024)
+13 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
New homes permittedImproving
5.5 /1k (2021) → 8.8 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+59%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Home price to income ratioWorsening
3.1× (2015-2019) → 4.5× (2020-2024)
+46%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Drug overdose deathsImproving
35.0 /100k (2021) → 19.9 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−43%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Property crime rateImproving
2,006 /100k (2020) → 1,236 /100k (2025)
−38%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k

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, Pocatello, ID metro area improved on 16 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 6 moved within the margin of error and 7 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved16

Homicides−100%2.5 /100k → 0.0 /100k
Uninsured−3.2 points10.8% → 7.5%
Poverty−3.7 points16.0% → 12.3%
Real income+36%$44,349 → $60,413
Firearm deaths−19%20.6 /100k → 16.6 /100k

Declined3

Price / income+1.4×3.1× → 4.5×
Restaurants−5.8%9.5 /10k → 9.0 /10k
Gyms−12%1.5 /10k → 1.3 /10k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Pocatello, ID metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.7 /10k2020	5.0 /10k2025	+6.9%	Improved	45%
Average commute time	18.2 min2015-2019	17.6 min2020-2024	−0.5 min	Within the margin of error	78%
Average weekly wage	$7792020	$9622025	+23%	Improved	52%
Bachelor's degree or higher	26.8%2015-2019	30.6%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Improved	75%
Broadband subscriptions	84.7%2015-2019	88.7%2020-2024	+4 points	Improved	5%
Child poverty rate	18.5%2015-2019	14.0%2020-2024	−4.5 points	Improved	72%
Distance to an airport	99 mi2020	99 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	19.5 /100k2020	19.9 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+2.1%	Little change	26%
Effective property tax rate	0.97%2015-2019	0.67%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	90%
Firearm deaths	20.6 /100k2020	16.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−19%	Improved	82%
Grocery stores	1.0 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	+5.9%	Improved	70%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.5 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−12%	Declined	24%
High school diploma or higher	91.3%2015-2019	93.7%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Home price to income ratio	3.1×2015-2019	4.5×2020-2024	+1.4×	Declined	3%
Homicide rate	2.5 /100k2020	0.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−100%	Improved	95%
Income adjusted for local prices	$44,3492019	$60,4132024	+36%	Improved	78%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4382015-2019	0.4462020-2024	+0.008	Within the margin of error	31%
Median household income	$51,4292015-2019	$66,4992020-2024	+29%	Improved	62%
New business applications	9.6 /1k2020	12.7 /1k2025	+32%	Improved	30%
Pharmacies	1.3 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	+4%	Little change	82%
Poverty rate	16.0%2015-2019	12.3%2020-2024	−3.7 points	Improved	91%
Property crime rate	2,006 /100k2020	1,236 /100k2025	−38%	Improved	61%
Public libraries	0.7 /10k2019	0.7 /10k2024	−3.5%	Little change	34%
Public transit commuters	1.0%2015-2019	1.1%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	91%
Rent as share of income	26.8%2015-2019	29.3%2020-2024	+2.5 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Rent-burdened households	42.8%2015-2019	48.1%2020-2024	+5.4 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Restaurants and bars	9.5 /10k2020	9.0 /10k2025	−5.8%	Declined	23%
Suicide rate	25.2 /100k2020	24.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−3.6%	Little change	68%
Traffic deaths	11.4 /100k2015-2019	11.2 /100k2020-2024	−2.1%	Little change	66%
Unemployment rate	5.5%2020	4.0%2025	−1.5 points	Improved	11%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.8%2015-2019	7.5%2020-2024	−3.2 points	Improved	94%
Violent crime rate	307 /100k2020	264 /100k2025	−14%	Improved	46%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Pocatello, ID metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Pocatello, ID metro area 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, Pocatello, ID metro area itself moved −0.8 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

89,454 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

33,590 households (±404)

Pocatello, ID metro area
United States share

Under $25k17%5,856
$25k–50k21%6,898
$50k–75k17%5,845

Homes

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

Owners and renters

33,590 households (±404)

Pocatello, ID metro area
United States share

Own70%23,353
Rent30%10,237

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

41,283 workers (±831)

Pocatello, ID metro area
United States share

Drive alone75%30,917
Carpool8.8%3,626
Public transit1.1%†459

Jobs and pay

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

The 10 largest occupations in Pocatello, ID employ 9,070 people. 10 pay a median below the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Pocatello, ID by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Fast Food and Counter Workers1,380 jobs	1,380	$28,870US $31,200	−7%	1.46×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides1,370 jobs	1,370	$34,390US $35,800	−4%	1.3×
Customer Service Representatives1,130 jobs	1,130	$37,940US $44,770	−15%	1.78×
Retail Salespersons990 jobs	990	$30,220US $35,410	−15%	1.03×
General and Operations Managers880 jobs	880	$78,100US $105,770	−26%	1.02×
Cashiers860 jobs	860	$28,910US $32,880	−12%	1.13×
Registered Nurses830 jobs	830	$78,780US $97,550	−19%	1.0×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners580 jobs	580	$34,320US $36,840	−7%	1.07×
Stockers and Order Fillers560 jobs	560	$36,560US $37,330	−2%	0.8×
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers490 jobs	490	$57,020US $69,500	−18%	1.38×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Pocatello, ID.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

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.

Pocatello, ID has 2,353 employer establishments, 260 for every 10,000 residents (1.05× the US rate of 248), with 28,575 paid employees at an average annual pay of $44,402. The Census Bureau also counts 6,637 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,353; 6,637 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 260; US 248
Paid employees: 28,575
Average annual pay: $44,402; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	330	36.4	1.75×More than typical	2,579	$48,151	419
Specialty trade contractors	194	21.4	1.38×More than typical	1,516	$63,861	495
Restaurants and other eating places	150	16.6	0.90×About typical	3,088	$18,583	21
Offices of other health practitioners	125	13.8	2.27×More than typical	694	$39,598	208
Lessors of real estate	121	13.4	1.08×About typical	263	$40,821	693
Construction of buildings	93	10.3	1.36×More than typical	461	$48,922	232
Offices of physicians	79	8.7	1.35×More than typical	585	$76,802	104
Building equipment contractors	66	7.3	1.21×About typical	423	$50,785	76
Limited-service restaurants	66	7.3	0.91×About typical	1,520	$16,353	14
Offices of dentists	62	6.8	1.70×More than typical	466	$38,073	21
Real estate agents and brokers	60	6.6	1.36×More than typical	69	$50,609	160
Automotive repair and maintenance	57	6.3	1.25×More than typical	303	$39,805	92

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 90,538 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $47.4M on contracts performed in Pocatello, ID metro area: $517 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $47.4M; −56% vs FY2025
Per resident: $517; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.9%; US 30%
Single offer: 72%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Offices, Boards and Divisions$26.4M56%
Forest Service$6.8M14%
Office of Procurement Operations$6M13%
Environmental Protection Agency$4.6M9.7%
Federal Bureau of Investigation$684.8K1.4%
Department of the Army$647.5K1.4%
Bureau of Land Management$631.9K1.3%
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$584.1K1.2%

Top recipients

V3GATE, LLC$26.7M56%
UNIVERSAL PROTECTION SERVICE, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP$6M13%
TETRA TECH, INC.$5.1M11%
KIT HELICOPTER OPERATIONS LLC$3.9M8.3%
AVCENTER INC$1.5M3.2%

Spending by fiscal year

111.9MFY2017
25.9MFY2018
38.7MFY2019
8.7MFY2020
68.8MFY2021
18.9MFY2022
36MFY2023
17.4M

Top industries (NAICS)

Computer systems design and related services · 5415$26.7M56%
Nonscheduled air transportation · 4812$6.3M13%
Investigation and security services · 5616$6.2M13%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$5.1M11%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$733.3K1.5%
Other professional, scientific, and technical services · 5419

Largest awards

PIH ATCT DESIGN-BUILD. THIS CONTRACT IS TO FOR THE DESIGN AND BUILD OF A NEW AIRPORT TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER (ATCT) AT POCATELLO REGIONAL AIRPORT (PIH) IN POCATELLO, IDAHO. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE ALL WORK IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ATTACHED SPECIFICA$78.4M
WALSH FEDERAL LLC· Bannock County, ID· Construction & real property· Sep 3, 2025 – Jul 23, 2026· 697DCK25F00858
THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS REQUIRES NETWORK SWITCHES, SERVERS, STORAGE, AND OTHER DATACENTER APPLIANCES IN SUPPORT OF ITS CENTRAL DATACENTER RELOCATION TO POCATELLO, ID.$26.7M
V3GATE, LLC· Bannock County, ID· IT & telecom· Sep 24, 2026 – Sep 24, 2026· 15JPSS26F00001768
PROTECTIVE SECURITY OFFICER (PSO) SERVICES IN EASTERN WASHINGTON AND THE STATE OF IDAHO. 25-07 EO EXCLUSION SECTION 2(D) NON-COVERED CONTRACT.$15.4M
UNIVERSAL PROTECTION SERVICE, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP· Bannock County, ID· Facilities & utilities

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $612.2M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Pocatello, ID metro area: $6,684 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $612.2M; −4.3% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,684; US $12,955
Loan face value: $43.9M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.0%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$297.8M49%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$53.8M8.8%

Counties in Pocatello, ID

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Bannock CountyCentral county7191,591

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

PocatelloPrincipal city57,635

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Idaho

Areas based in Idaho, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M38540

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved16

Declined3

Metro and micro areas like Pocatello, ID metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Counties in Pocatello, ID

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Idaho

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved16

Declined3

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Top programs

What was bought

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

By type

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates