Study: Happiest Cities in Idaho

Idaho's peaceful, scenic settings are just one of the reasons why residents of the Gem State think it's such a jewel. Whether you're into fishing, hiking or skiing, there's always something for outdoorsy types to do. And for the rest of you, there's always soaking up the sun at Lake Coeur d'Alene. Low unemployment along with an affordable cost of living add to Idaho's appeal. Curious about where people tend to be the most satisfied? Check out which Idaho cities landed a spot on our happiness list.

Study Methodology

To formulate our study, we gathered U.S. Census data and FBI crime report information for every city with a population of 5,000 or more. Our top 10 cities are those that got the best ranking based on the following seven factors:

1. Restaurants
   
2. Crime rate
   
3. Commute
   
4. Departure time
   
5. Income
   
6. Divorce rate
   
7. Housing

Potatoes aren't the only thing on the menu here and you'll find plenty of great spots to chow down with friends. For our first study criterion, we chose the number of restaurants per capita.

The safer you feel in your hometown, the happier you may be. To check out how Idaho's cities measured up, we ranked them based on the odds of being the victim of a violent crime.

Living in a bigger city offers certain perks, but a lengthy drive to work usually isn't a plus. Each of the places in our study is ranked according to the average commute time residents face.

There's nothing like watching the sunrise, and getting up earlier may make a difference in how happy you feel. The next thing we considered is the number of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.

Pulling in the big bucks at your job can certainly influence your outlook. If you're wondering where workers earn the most, take a look at each city's median income.

The more content you are in your marriage, the less likely you are to go your separate ways. We took into account the lowest percentages of men and women who are divorced in each city to see where couples seem to get along the best.

Whether you're in the market to buy or you're just renting, Idaho offers a lot of value for your money. The final factor we considered is the percentage of income residents in each city spend on housing.

10 Happiest Cities in Idaho

10. Blackfoot

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 339 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 464.2
  
• Average commute time: 18.1 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 1.5%
  
• Median household income: $39,656
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 10% of males, 14.9% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 19.4%

Located about halfway between Pocatello and Idaho Falls is the quiet little town of Blackfoot. It scored the number 10 spot in our rankings, something that's sure to make its nearly 12,000 residents feel cheerful. One of the reasons people like it here is the fact that homes are very reasonably priced for renters and buyers. Blackfoot also has the most restaurants per capita and the burgers at Rupe's aren't to be missed.

Did You Know: Thanks to its booming potato industry, Blackfoot bills itself as the "Potato Capital of the World."

9. Pocatello

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 468 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 391.4
  
• Average commute time: 16.8 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 2.7%
  
• Median household income: $41,978
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 12.4% of males, 13.7% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 20.7%

Pocatello is known as the Smile Capital of the U.S., and people are very happy to show off their pearly whites. The city has nearly 55,000 residents and their good mood is downright contagious. Getting to work is a breeze, with an average commute of less than 17 minutes. At the end of the day, workers take home a respectable payday, about a fifth of which goes toward housing.

Did You Know: Pocatello is the home of Idaho State University.

8. Post Falls

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 494 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 544.1
  
• Average commute time: 20.3 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 4.2%
  
• Median household income: $49,524
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 8.6% of males, 17.4% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 23.9%

Post Falls blends a small-town feel with all the conveniences you'd find in a bigger city. It proves to be a real crowd pleaser for the almost 29,000 people who live here. Residents’ income climbs to almost $50,000. The violent crime rate is better than some of the other cities in our study and as far as the commute goes, you'll only need about 20 minutes to reach your destination.

Did You Know: The annual Post Falls festival is the city's biggest yearly event.

7. Mountain Home

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 445 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 262.9
  
• Average commute time: 18.1 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 4%
  
• Median household income: $45,648
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 8.9% of males, 14.2% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 22.7%

Once you've settled down in Mountain Home, you might find it tough to leave. The close to 14,000 people who live here enjoy a relatively short commute time and easy-on-the-wallet housing costs. The local restaurants like to keep things simple for the most part, but you'll find lots of stomach-pleasing fare.

Did You Know: The Mountain Home Air Force Base is where Senator George McGovern completed the second phase of his B-24 flight training.

6. Twin Falls

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 350 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 265.5
  
• Average commute time: 14.8 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 3.8%
  
• Median household income: $41,589
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 11% of males, 14.5% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 21.2%

Twin Falls is part of the Magic Valley region and residents agree that it's certainly got some magical qualities. One of Idaho's larger cities, it's home to about 45,000 people who are drawn in by the availability of budget-friendly housing and an average commute that takes less than 15 minutes. The rugged natural beauty of the surrounding area only adds to its charm.

Did You Know: In 1974, daredevil Evel Knievel attempted to leap the Snake River Canyon, just south of Twin Falls' Perrine Memorial Bridge.

5. Idaho Falls

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 391 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 417.5
  
• Average commute time: 17.4 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 3.4%
  
• Median household income: $46,291
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 12.8% of males, 14.9% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 19.9%

With a population of around 58,000 residents, Idaho Falls is anything but small-time. It scored well in just about every ranking category, with safe neighborhoods, a decent daily drive and a median income of more than $46,000. Buying or renting a home won't drain your bank account and if you're hungry, you've got to try what's cooking at the Snakebite Restaurant.

Did You Know: Idaho Falls is the site of the Idaho National Laboratory, which operates the nuclear Advanced Test Reactor.

4. Meridian

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 583 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 839.9
  
• Average commute time: 22.5 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 2.9%
  
• Median household income: $64,107
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 7.7% of males, 12% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 22.6%

Meridian is a prime place to put down roots, especially if safety is a top concern. This city of just over 80,000 people ranked best overall for its violent crime rate, and it also took top honors in the income category. The divorce rate is the lowest in our study and you won't have cause to complain when it comes to the average commute or the amount you'll spend on housing.

Did You Know: Meridian is named after Boise's meridian line, on which the city is located.

3. Preston

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 343 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 658.1
  
• Average commute time: 21.1 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 6.4%
  
• Median household income: $45,781
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 11.4% of males, 14.5% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 19.1%

There are a little over 5,100 people living in Preston and if you ask them, they may tell you that good things come in small packages. People here don't mind an early wake-up call and they're not spending too much of their time in traffic on the way to work. Residents are usually pleased with the size of their paychecks and they're delighted about spending less than 20% of their income on housing.

Did You Know: Preston served as a primary filming location for the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite.

2. Rupert

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 368 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 802.3
  
• Average commute time: 16.6 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 5.6%
  
• Median household income: $38,847
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 11.9% of males, 10.9% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 19.6%

Rupert finished in second place, something its 5,500 residents are sure to take pride in. It scored well based on its violent crime rate, the length of the average commute and the amount of income spent on housing. There's a wide selection of places to whet your appetite, and Henry's at the Drift Inn is one of the highlights of Rupert's historic district.

Did You Know: Actor Bill Fagerbakke, who lends his voice to "SpongeBob SquarePants" character Patrick Star, graduated from Rupert's Minico High School.

1. Lewiston

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 396 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 587.9
  
• Average commute time: 14.4 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 6.9%
  
• Median household income: $44,817
  
• Percentage of residents who are divorced: 12.5% of males, 15.8% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 20.1%

What does it take to keep Lewiston's 32,000 residents happy? We can start with how safe the city's neighborhoods are and the fact that workers enjoy the shortest average commute, at just over 14 minutes. Nearly 7% of workers are on the road to work before 5 a.m., and they're not earning mere pennies. Finally, there's Lewiston's dining scene, which features appetizing choices like Main Street Grill and Antonio's Italian Cafe.

Did You Know: Lewiston briefly served as the first capital of the Idaho territory.

The cities that made our final rankings are no small potatoes and all in all, we think they're a pretty well-rounded bunch. As different as they are, they all have that little something extra that make them Idaho's happiest places to live.