Gooding County, Idaho Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Gooding County, ID Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageLess healthy than 73% of counties in Idaho
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C
Income Below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 86% of counties in Idaho
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Gooding County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,931 | 1,929,983 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 21.7 | 23.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.63% | 2.12% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.4 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,702 | 712,816 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Gooding County grew by 11.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 15,931 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Gooding County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.1% of residents. That is 1.8 points below Idaho as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,356 21.1% -1.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,012 18.9% -1.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,046 19.1% -0.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,776 17.4% +1.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Idaho, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 48.6% of the people living in Gooding County and men 51.4%.
- Women 48.6% Idaho 49.6%
- Men 51.4% Idaho 50.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Gooding County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Gooding County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Gooding County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,898 | $78,141 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.83% | 5.97% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Gooding County is about 18% lower than in Idaho.
Housing
| Metric | Gooding County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $378,124 | $394,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $879 | $1,236 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.8% | 72.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Gooding County is about 35.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $879 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Gooding County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 142 hours, about 5.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Gooding County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.1 | 18.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.2 | 35.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 142 | 150 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,416 | $4,641 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 13.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,971 | 4,714 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 821 | 865 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Idaho:
Custer County (8.9 min), Lemhi County (11.6 min), Madison County (12.0 min).
Slowest:
Camas County (49.5 min), Boise County (38.0 min), Lincoln County (32.0 min).
The average commute time in Gooding County is 17 minutes, shorter than the 18 minutes in Idaho.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Gooding County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Gooding County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.1% | 27.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.77 | 2.64 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Idaho:
Latah County (0.4), Teton County (0.3), Ada County (0.3).
Lowest:
Clark County (0.1), Owyhee County (0.2), Lincoln County (0.2).
Health
Gooding County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Gooding County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.8% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.5% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Idaho:
Madison County (0.8), Latah County (0.8), Ada County (0.8).
Lowest:
Shoshone County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Lincoln County (0.8).
Gooding County, ID Compared With Nearby Counties
Gooding County, ID is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 15,931 residents against a local median of 29,321. The measure that sets Gooding County, ID apart most is median home price: $378,124, 37% above the local median of $275,000.
The counties themselves spread $235,257 on median home price, so Gooding County, ID sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Gooding County, ID has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gooding County, ID | 15,931 | $63,898 #4/4 | $378,124 #2/4 | 17.1 min #3/4 |
| Jerome County, ID | 25,173 | $71,652 | $275,000 | 18.1 min |
| Twin Falls County, ID | 89,838 | $68,126 | $185,795 | 15.5 min |
| Elmore County, ID | 29,321 | $66,194 | $421,052 | 15.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Gooding County, Idaho.
How many people live in Gooding County, Idaho?
About 15,931 people live in Gooding County, Idaho, in 5,702 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 35.4, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
How densely populated is Gooding County, Idaho?
Averaged over its land area, Gooding County, Idaho has 22 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 25% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Gooding County, Idaho an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 5.9 times the median household income ($378,124 against $63,898), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $879 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Gooding County, Idaho?
Unemployment in Gooding County, Idaho is only 3.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Gooding County, Idaho have a college degree?
14.1% of adults in Gooding County, Idaho hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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