Is Jerome, ID a Good Place to Live?
Jerome is a small city of 12,482 in Idaho, with a median household income of $59,656 and a 3.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 92 (US average = 100), which is 8% below the national average.
Strengths: Jerome stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Jerome is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Jerome 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: 92.0Jerome's overall cost of living index is 92.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Jerome costs roughly 8% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Jerome, ID | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $192,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $862 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 66.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $59,656 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeJerome's violent crime rate is 111.9 per 100,000 residents — 71% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Jerome is served primarily by JEROME JOINT DISTRICT. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18.2:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Jerome, ID | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | JEROME JOINT DISTRICT | — |
| Elementary Schools | 4 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 18.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 10.0% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 71.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Jerome sees average highs of 35.5°F in January and 90.1°F in July, with 10.4 inches of annual precipitation and 24.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Jerome, ID |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 35.5°F |
| Average High — July | 90.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 10.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 24.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Jerome, ID | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,482 | — |
| Median Age | 29.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 19.1 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 63.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 31.1% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.7% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 33.1% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 8.7% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Jerome
Jerome, ID is covered by 1 ZIP code: