Middleton and Star receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Middleton
Star
Opportunity
71 · Top 20%
vs77 · Top 11%
Growth
88 · Top 1%
vs80 · Top 5%
Climate
61 · Bottom 19%
vs61 · Bottom 19%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 27%
vs79 · Top 26%
Housing affordability
83 · Top 46%
vs60 · Bottom 21%
Schools
45 · Bottom 41%
vs60 · Top 39%
Access
83 · Bottom 26%
vs86 · Bottom 33%
Economic stability
66 · Top 38%
vs66 · Top 37%
Measured values
| Metric | Middleton | Star | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,649 | 14,745 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $89,013 | $97,936 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,021 | $41,260 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,615/sq mi | 1,281/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $403,100 | $564,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,147 | $1,924 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 90.4% | 80.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.9% | 34.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.9% | 5.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 416 | 847 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 39.1 | 57.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 16.9% | -20.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.5" | 11.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 22 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.7 min | 29.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.1 | 40.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 2 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.17 | 21.75 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 41.8% | 48.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 59.8% | 61.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 29.9% | 26.5% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Middleton
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, heat wave.
Star
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Middleton, ID · Star, ID · How this is calculated: methodology