Is Gooding, ID a Good Place to Live?
Gooding is a small town of 3,673 in Idaho, with a median household income of $42,470 and a 10.3% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 90 (US average = 100), which is 10% below the national average.
Strengths: Gooding stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Gooding is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Gooding city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 90.0Gooding's overall cost of living index is 90.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Gooding costs roughly 10% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Gooding, ID | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $136,600 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $829 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 61.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $42,470 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageGooding's violent crime rate is 391.5 per 100,000 residents — 3% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Gooding is served primarily by GOODING JOINT DISTRICT. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.6:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Gooding, ID | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | GOODING JOINT DISTRICT | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 16.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 11.2% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 84.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Gooding sees average highs of 38.1°F in January and 91.9°F in July, with 10.8 inches of annual precipitation and 28.6 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Gooding, ID |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 38.1°F |
| Average High — July | 91.9°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 10.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 28.6" |
Demographics
| Metric | Gooding, ID | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,673 | — |
| Median Age | 38.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 10.3% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 18.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 77.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 24.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 19.2% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Gooding
Gooding, ID is covered by 1 ZIP code: