Ammon vs Idaho Falls

Which is the better fit for you?

Ammon, ID
65
Area Score
Top 28% nationally
Idaho Falls, ID
61
Area Score
Top 43% nationally

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Ammon receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Ammon to Idaho Falls

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 90.8 against 90.8 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
The same
HUD benchmarks it at $1,305 in Idaho Falls against $1,305 in Ammon.
The median home
12% less
$335,500 in Idaho Falls against $381,800 in Ammon.
The weather you would swap
Similar winters
Normal January lows are 12°F in Idaho Falls against 12°F in Ammon; July highs are 87°F against 87°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Ammon
Idaho Falls
Opportunity: Ammon is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
64 · Top 34%
vs
60 · Top 41%
Growth: Ammon is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
71 · Top 14%
vs
69 · Top 16%
Climate
54 · Bottom 3%
vs
54 · Bottom 3%
Physical resilience
70 · Top 35%
vs
70 · Top 36%
Housing affordability
72 · Top 34%
vs
72 · Top 33%
Schools: Ammon is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
47 · Bottom 46%
vs
26 · Bottom 20%
Access
97 · Top 31%
vs
97 · Top 31%
Economic stability: Ammon is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
66 · Top 34%
vs
50 · Bottom 36%

Measured values

MetricAmmonIdaho FallsSource period
Population19,06467,7252024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$86,121 — more favorable$73,1102024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income — the two are too close to separate$36,741 ±$2,370$35,811 ±$1,9752024 ACS 5-Year
Population density2,332/sq mi2,494/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$381,800$335,5002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,372$1,075 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,305$1,305FY2026
Cost of living index90.890.82023
Homeownership rate69.1%64.2%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate3.0% — more favorable3.1%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−2.8%−2.8%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher42.9% — more favorable31.7%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate5.1% — more favorable11.3%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)23585412 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents12.312.6 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−20.1%−40.9%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high87°F87°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low12°F12°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation10.1"10.1"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport6 mi2 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute23.2 min20.2 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age32.933.72024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools9442024-25 school year
Students per teacher21.319.4 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency45.9% — more favorable38.0%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency58.0% — more favorable53.1%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility33.0%42.7%2024-25 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

One row above shows both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Ammon

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.

Idaho Falls

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Ammon
—
Ammon: Your Score
65
Area Score
Idaho Falls
—
Idaho Falls: Your Score
61
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Ammon, ID · Idaho Falls, ID · How this is calculated: methodology