Ada County vs Twin Falls County
Ada County, Idaho versus Twin Falls County, Idaho: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Ada County and Twin Falls County score about the same overall (50 vs 52 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Ada County | Twin Falls County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $84k | $61k |
| Cost of Living | $58k | $47k |
| Home Value | $424k | $262k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $951 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.59% | 0.70% |
| Income Tax | 5.80% | 5.69% |
| Sales Tax | 6.03% | 6.03% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.78% | 10.66% |
| Unemployment | 3.2% | 3.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 32°F | 29°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 13.1 in | 10.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 19.1 in | 24.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 268 days | 236 days |
| Summer Humidity | 43°F | 41°F |
| Comfortable Days | 61 days | 57 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 87.8 | 46.9 |
| Air Quality | 44 AQI | 25 AQI |
| School Quality | 26.8 | 21.6 |
| Violent Crime | 882/100k | 1157/100k |
| Property Crime | 826/100k | 1096/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 497,494 | 90,592 |
| Median Age | 38.1 | 35.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.25 | 0.29 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.02 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | Even | R+47 |
| White (%) | 82.7% | 76.4% |
| Black (%) | 1.2% | 0.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.9% | 17.4% |
| Asian (%) | 2.5% | 1.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.7% | 4.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 21 min | 19 min |
| Walkability | 10.7/20 | 7.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 7 mi | 115 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.3% | 88.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 0.04 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Ada County or Twin Falls County more affordable?
- Twin Falls County has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Ada County's $58k and Twin Falls County's $47k. Median rent is $1k in Ada County versus $951 in Twin Falls County.
- Is Ada County or Twin Falls County safer?
- Ada County has the lower violent crime rate. Ada County reports 882/100k and Twin Falls County reports 1157/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Ada County or Twin Falls County?
- The median home value is $424k in Ada County and $262k in Twin Falls County, so homes are more affordable in Twin Falls County.