Why Idaho Falls is Gaining Popularity
Surrounded by towering mountains and the rumbling waters of the Snake River, Idaho Falls is a growing city in the heart of eastern Idaho. Nearly 12,000 people have moved to the city of 68,000 since 2010 — a growth trend that’s tripled by the Gem State’s even faster-growing cities in the west, like Boise, Meridian and Nampa. But Idaho Falls’ modest cost of living and its proximity to Montana and Wyoming give it a small-town edge on larger metropolises.
And it is the natural wonders of the city that are beckoning newcomers, particularly from the coasts. People may move to Manhattan for the museums, but they move to Idaho Falls for the great outdoors. When wanderlust overtakes you, boy, are there some wonderful places to lose yourself in the wilderness in and around Idaho Falls. Three national parks and monuments are within a two-hour drive of the city — including Yellowstone and Grand Teton — but with the Snake River and the Greenbelt right in your own backyard, you won’t have to travel to find adventure. Spend the weekend camping and fly fishing, hiking and rock climbing, or snowshoeing and roasting marshmallows. However rugged or relaxing an experience you need, Idaho Falls can provide.
Not that there isn’t plenty of indoor fun to be had in the city — history and art museums, performing arts spaces, fine dining and fun holes-in-the-wall are all a part of the Idaho Falls scene. On Saturdays, stroll down to the Farmers Market and meet local growers and artisans. Or take everyone to the aquarium to meet aquatic creatures from near and far. Or get tickets to a Chukars game and watch them crush the competition in the Pioneer League.
If you are looking for an affordable city in the Mountain West with prime access to nature and national parks, Idaho Falls should be on your list. Learn more about the city below in our moving guide to Idaho Falls, where we’ll discuss the weather, the job market, the cost of living and our favorite things to do here.
Climate in Idaho Falls: Experience Four Beautiful Seasons
If you watched a time-lapse of Idaho Falls, you would be dazzled by the seasonal evolution — white winter’s dormancy broken by the green tendrils of spring, followed by the sunny shades of summer before autumn dazzles with the gilded leaves of quaking aspen. Across these climatic changes, though, one thing you won’t see much of in this Western city is rain. Barely 10 inches fall here annually, so if you are looking for a place with copious amounts of sunshine, low humidity and four true seasons — including an intense winter — Idaho Falls may be just the place you are looking for.
Like many a seasonal romance, Idaho Falls’ summers run hot and cold. Daytime highs in July and August usually average in the mid-80s F, but climate change has routinely driven the daily max over 90°F, and scorching, 100-degree F days are becoming ever more common. But nights will likely be nippy, usually dropping into the 40s all season long. Thanks to the semi-arid climate, you won’t face the high humidity that cities from the Midwest to the East Coast must slog through for a quarter of the year. So, slather on that sunscreen and hit the trails, the rapids or your favorite fishing hole. Just be sure to bring plenty of water.
Surprisingly, winter is also a great time to get outdoors in Idaho Falls. This area of eastern Idaho receives around 40 inches of snow each year, making for perfect snowshoeing, sledding and cross-country skiing conditions. But because the area is also windy, you’ll want to bundle up — this is your excuse to get that Cotopaxi jumpsuit you couldn’t justify when you lived in more tropical climes. Expect highs in the 20s and lows in the 10s in this turtleneck of the woods, where it would be unusual for the thermometer not to register negative double digits at least once a season. Yeah, go ahead and order that matching down vest, too.
Spring and fall are the Goldilocks seasons of Idaho Falls, when the climate eases away from the extremes and ushers in a flood of color. In the springtime, wildflower hikes are a must, just as the changing autumn leaves make for a pleasant weekend drive or bike ride on the Mesa Scenic Byway, where you’ll have not one but two waterfalls to admire.
Cost of Living in Idaho Falls: How Affordable is It Really?
Since 2010, Idaho has experienced a population boom, and virtually all its major cities have grown substantially over the past 15 years.
Some — like Boise and Meridian — have suffered through combustible real estate markets as a consequence, watching housing prices ignite like a canister of rocket fuel. But Idaho Falls has (so far) dodged the flames — housing in this city of 68,001 has kept itself below the smoke point, with a median home value of $298,600 and rents just shy of $1K — beating out both the national and state averages.
But one metric that Idaho Falls cannot top in this increasingly popular Western state is income. The average Idaho Falls household brings in just $69,630 per year, compared to the U.S. average of $78,538, Boise’s average of $81,308 and Meridian’s average of $98,686.
So, what does it take to live comfortably in Idaho Falls? The MIT Living Wage Calculator estimates two working adults supporting one child in Idaho Falls should budget $9,878 annually for food, $8,398 for childcare, $8,996 for medical expenses, $15,798 for housing, $16,544 for transportation, $6,971 for civic-related expenses, $2,152 for internet/mobile services and $10,121 on miscellaneous expenses. That comes out to a cool $90,444, leaving some families in the lurch.
Job Market and Economy: Finding Work in Idaho Falls
The workforce in Idaho Falls may be modestly sized, but it is well-diversified, nonetheless. And, having heavy hitters in both the public and the private sectors provides a surer footing for smaller operations in both arenas.
On the governmental side of the equation, there’s the Idaho National Laboratory, which employs over 6,000 people and helps develop new energy sources for everything from EV batteries to spaceships. The INL also operates one of just two of the nation’s advanced test reactors, which help produce groundbreaking cancer treatments.
In the private sector, the top dog might surprise you. Instead of relying on high-tech, atom-splitting science for its goods, Melaleuca relies on nature’s gentler powers to manufacture all-natural cleaning agents, bath & body care products and supplements. Even though everything is all-natural, you should still try not to mix up that Omega-3 Mango Crème Delight with Vanilla Lemon Brite. Both sure smell tasty, but one of them should only ever be consumed by a major appliance. Professional and business services is the largest industry in Idaho Falls, employing 17,400 individuals, so no matter where your business interests lie, you’ll find plenty of other places to put your talents to good use.
With 16,700 jobs, trade, transportation and logistics is Idaho Falls’ second-largest sector, but education and health services is a close third with its workforce of 14,700. The Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center and the Idaho Falls School District are the largest employers in this arena, and they also provide essential services for everyone in this tight-knit, fast-growing community.
Idaho Falls’ economy fared well between 2024 and 2025. Unemployment rose modestly between October and March, entering into the fall season with a remarkably low rate of 2.8% but rising by the start of spring this year to 3.6%. Still, Idaho Falls’ unemployment rate easily beats out the U.S. average, which sat at 4.2% in April 2025.
Life in Idaho Falls: A Perfect Mix of Small-Town Charm and Big-City Perks
Cultural and Recreational Activities
Don’t let the wilderness fool you — Idaho Falls also has lots of fun man-made attractions to entertain and enlighten you, from kid-friendly spots, like the East Idaho Aquarium and Idaho Falls Zoo, to sophisticated establishments like the Art Museum of Eastern Idaho, to edgier joints, like the Actors’ Repertory Theatre of Idaho, which puts on productions from big-thinking to, well, bawdy…in the best way possible.
When you’re new in town, the best place to start is at the beginning — we’re talking eons ago — and the place to do that is the Museum of Idaho. You’ll be welcomed by one of the area’s first inhabitants — a Columbia mammoth — and you can then explore the arc of human history on a sculptural timeline created by a local Shoshone artist. There’s lots of hands-on fun here, of course — kids can climb, crawl and romp their way through time, going on a virtual hunt with a digital atlatl or cozying up in a tipi or early pioneer home. For even more fun in the wayback machine, take the short road trip south to Pocatello and visit the Idaho Museum of Natural History at Idaho State University.
Along the Idaho Falls River Walk, at least a dozen great destinations are within mere footsteps of the Snake River. Smitty’s Pancake & Steak House, where Aunt Bessie’s sourdough waffles still rule 100 years after they were first griddled, is the perfect place to indulge after a bike ride. From May to October, you can do your weekly grocery shopping at the Idaho Falls Farmers Market, stocking up on seeds from Lady Hollyhock, feeding your fancy for fancy fungi from Al’s Mushroom World, and slurping down some super-terrestrially delicious treats from Heavenly Berries ‘N’ Creams.
Locavores on a specific hunt for divine dairy products will find them at Manwaring Cheese & Gelato, where you’ll find blocks both traditional and exotic, from aged cumin and scorpion pepper to their signature Stalver and Carolina Reaper. Stop in for a grilled cheese and tomato soup fix, which will only set you back five dollars.
Further outside the city, aviation buffs will find their flock at the Legacy Flight Museum, where retired but still-operational military aircraft are just begging for a visit. There are lots of gems in this fleet, from a WWII-era King Cobra to the hulking Grumman S2F Tracker, with its folding wings, but our favorite will always be Ole Yeller, a P-51D Mustang that flies as fast as an angry hornet, thanks to its Rolls-Royce Merlin 12-cylinder engine.
Outdoor Adventures
For adventure-seeking nature-lovers, it’s hard to beat Idaho Falls, which has exciting outdoor activities for every season. From city treasures, like the Greenbelt Trail along the Snake River, to regional hotspots like the geysers of Yellowstone National Park — just 100 miles northeast — Eastern Idaho residents are spoiled with this world of wonders.
You don’t need to travel far to enjoy nature in this town, though Anglers can fish all year round at Becker Pond, which is stocked by the city, but you can hook ‘em the hard way at the South Fork of the Snake River, where trout fishing is at its finest.
The underworld may claim the name to Hell’s Half-Acre, but this volcanic-sculpted landscape is anything but the devil’s doing. Each spring, when the snow recedes from these ancient lava fields, the landscape erupts into an arid Eden of prickly pear, penstemon and evening primrose. An elegant, if spare, garden for mule deer, bobcats, foxes — and naturally — the occasional serpent. The interpretive pathway will fill in all the illuminating details of this heaven on earth.
Otherworldly vistas await at Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve. Molten magma is also to thank for this lunar landscape, which is so close to the real thing that NASA once trained astronauts here. Caving is one of the main attractions at Craters, but because of heavy snowpacks, the spelunking season is a short one, not usually opening until June. Backcountry campers can enjoy the above-ground areas of the park year-round, hiking the Wilderness Trail to the Sentinel, climbing the steep-but-short spatter cones and doing impressions of hot rocks to stay warm.
From a distance, the Grand Tetons may look like figments of your imagination — so pink in the hazy light of sunset that you’d swear these were the fabled Big Rock Candy Mountains. Even though Grand Teton National Park doesn’t have lemonade springs or lakes of whiskey (we sure looked for them, though), that won’t stop you from having amazing adventures here. Those looking for the most immersive experience should explore the back country of this park, and there are lots of certified outfitters to plan your expedition — camping, climbing, fishing, kayaking, skiing, snowboarding, and horseback riding guides can show you the roads, rock faces and riverfronts less-traveled in this park. Though trails are off-limits to bikers, a paved pathway for two-wheelers — including e-bikes — provides an excellent avenue to explore the park. In the summertime, the Indigenous Arts and Cultural Demonstration Program offers illuminating presentations by artists, musicians, storytellers and dancers of the 24 Associated Tribes of the area. Whenever you visit — spend at least one night out under the stars…you might even luck out and see the Northern Lights!
Moving to Idaho Falls Soon? 3 Steps to Make It a Breeze
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If you’re moving to Idaho Falls from out of state, hiring a professional mover can alleviate a lot of the stress of relocating. All of Mayflower’s full-service moving packages can be customized to your family’s needs, whether that’s help packing and unpacking, storing your belongings, shipping your cars or removing moving debris from your home. Your move will be managed by a personal moving coordinator, so you’ll never have to go it alone.
Mayflower is fully licensed for interstate moves, but our same moving expertise can benefit those moving locally in Idaho, as well. If you’re relocating from another city in the state of Idaho, including Idaho Falls, Mayflower’s interstate Idaho agents/movers can assist you with local moves independently under their own businesses and brands.
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