Star receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Star
Garden City
Opportunity
77 · Top 11%
vs72 · Top 18%
Growth
80 · Top 5%
vs77 · Top 7%
Climate
61 · Bottom 19%
vs61 · Bottom 19%
Physical resilience
79 · Top 26%
vs82 · Top 20%
Housing affordability
60 · Bottom 21%
vs59 · Bottom 19%
Schools
60 · Top 39%
vs41 · Bottom 37%
Access
86 · Bottom 33%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
66 · Top 37%
vs50 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Star | Garden City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,745 | 12,654 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $97,936 | $70,124 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,260 | $46,354 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,281/sq mi | 3,101/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $564,300 | $449,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,924 | $1,323 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 80.7% | 63.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.9% | 39.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.8% | 12.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 847 | 100 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 57.4 | 7.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -20.0% | 72.4% | 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 | 16 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.2 min | 21.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.3 | 42.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.75 | 15.21 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 48.3% | 37.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 61.3% | 51.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 26.5% | 32.9% | 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
Star
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Garden City
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Star
71
Your Score
71
Area Score
Garden City
67
Your Score
67
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Star, ID · Garden City, ID · How this is calculated: methodology