Challis vs Sun Valley
Challis, Idaho versus Sun Valley, Idaho: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Challis and Sun Valley score about the same overall (51 vs 53 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Challis | Sun Valley |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $36k | $67k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $51k |
| Home Value | $182k | $921k |
| Monthly Rent | $592 | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $187 | $588 |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.35% | 0.59% |
| Income Tax | 5.80% | 5.80% |
| Sales Tax | 6.03% | 6.03% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.54% | 15.82% |
| Unemployment | 1.3% | 0.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 20°F | 19°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 69°F | 66°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 6.9 in | 17.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 40.7 in | 102.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 268 days | 236 days |
| Summer Humidity | 43°F | 41°F |
| Comfortable Days | 38 days | 39 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 99.8 | 99.0 |
| Air Quality | 26 AQI | 22 AQI |
| School Quality | 48.9 | 66.2 |
| Violent Crime | — | 109/100k |
| Property Crime | — | 219/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 840 | 1,383 |
| Median Age | 38.5 | 64.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.22 | 0.32 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.11 | 0.78 |
| Political Leaning | R+55 | R+55 |
| White (%) | 84.0% | 77.1% |
| Black (%) | 0.0% | 2.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.3% | 8.2% |
| Asian (%) | 0.1% | 1.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.5% | 11.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 6.2/20 | 5.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 119 mi | 95 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 75.3% | 92.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 178.57 | 188.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: 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 Challis or Sun Valley more affordable?
- Challis has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Challis's $49k and Sun Valley's $51k. Median rent is $592 in Challis versus $2k in Sun Valley.
- Are homes cheaper in Challis or Sun Valley?
- The median home value is $182k in Challis and $921k in Sun Valley, so homes are more affordable in Challis.