What it's like to live in Caldwell
Caldwell is a smaller city in Idaho with rent below the national average and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Caldwell deals with crime rates above the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Caldwell compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Caldwell
Based on Caldwell's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,528
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $50,560 a year
- 47% of Caldwell renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$73,460
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $36,730
- Homes cost 5.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 11% below US
$1,264/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,264 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $367,300. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $367,300 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 46% above US
482 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 683/100k · Caldwell Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.6 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 24°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 46% below US
20% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
25 public schools inside the boundary
There are 25 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Bottom line
Caldwell's strongest points are rent below the national average and a population that has grown fast since 2020; the main tradeoffs are crime rates above the national average and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,264/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget.
Other places near Caldwell
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