A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Hayden$3,600/mo

Typical home $647K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.38% · or rent about $1,733/mo · Housing →

Star$3,250/mo

Typical home $580K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.45% · or rent about $1,924/mo · Housing →

The difference: $340 a month, about $4,100 a year, between Hayden and Star.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Hayden places higher on 10 of 20 ID lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Idaho ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools

B+HaydenBetter than 73% of districts in the state A−StarBetter than 78% of districts in the state

Health

A−HaydenHealthier than 80% of U.S. towns A−StarHealthier than 79% of U.S. towns

10Hayden

8Star

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most trailsOutdoors · 45 towns #45#20 Lowest depressionHealth · 63 towns #21#53 Most new homesHousing · 54 towns #22#1 Fastest growingGrowth · 63 towns #25#1 Shortest commuteGetting around · 63 towns #36#57 Lowest property taxCost of living · 62 towns #35#54 Most walkableOutdoors · 63 towns #49#34 Highest incomeIncome · 63 towns #18#4

Left end = #1 in Idaho. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Hayden’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

HaydenStar

Snow a year27″7″

January low23°F 23°F

July high80°F 92°F

Growing season (days)122d 168d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)3rd 71st

Outdoors & history

HaydenStar

Trails2 mi 14 mi

Conserved land1%0.6%

National Register places—1

Archive photos5 —

Community

HaydenStar

Library hours a week59 hrs 48 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 1

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

281 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

HaydenID StarID

Hayden ↔ Star281 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Idaho average

HaydenStar

People

Population 16,338Highest 14,745Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +17.1%Lowest ID: +17.3% +91.9%Highest ID: +17.3%

Median age 42.1±3.4Highest 13% above ID 40.3±3.1Lowest 8% above ID

Hayden and Star are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 22.2%±2.8Lowest ID: 24.1% 24.7%±3.2Highest ID: 24.1%

Star and Hayden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 23.3%±2.8Highest ID: 17% 21.8%±3.6Lowest ID: 17%

Hayden and Star are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 26.8%Lowest ID: 31.8% 34.9%Highest ID: 31.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.1%±1.1Lowest ID: 6.3% 5.8%±2.1Highest ID: 6.3%

Star and Hayden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $82,958±$14kLowest 7% above ID $97,936±$13kHighest 26% above ID

Star and Hayden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $494,500±$36kLowest 18% above ID $564,300±$39kHighest 35% above ID

Star and Hayden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,733±$75Lowest 40% above ID $1,924±$738Highest 55% above ID

Star and Hayden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,893Lowest 7% below ID $2,512Highest 23% above ID

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47.7%±10.1Highest ID: 46.9% 45.5%±24.3Lowest ID: 46.9%

Hayden and Star are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 7.8%Highest ID: 10.6% 5.8%Lowest ID: 10.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 75%Lowest ID: 72.1% 80.7%Highest ID: 72.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1997Lowest 6 yrs newer than ID 2011Highest 20 yrs newer than ID

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minLowest about the ID average 28 minHighest 27% above ID

Work from home 20.7%±5.1Lowest ID: 13.3% 21.2%±4Highest ID: 13.3%

Star and Hayden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 14.7%Highest 6.3%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 5.3 miLowest 10.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.20Highest 0.34Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Coeur d'Alene (36%)Boise City (37%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in StarFew work in Hayden

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1%Highest 0.6%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 1.9 miLowest 13.9 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 1.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Highest 4Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 62.1Lowest 79.2Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #5 of 63 in ID #11 of 63 in ID

School district COEUR D'ALENE DISTRICTJOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2

High school in town None in townNone in town

Idaho average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Hayden neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Hayden can answer.

Star neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Star can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Hayden and Star

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Hayden

+ Compare

Dalton Gardens2,496 people · $804K homes

+ Compare

Hayden Lake834 people · $793K homes

+ Compare

Coeur d'Alene56,447 people · $484K homes

Towns like Hayden

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Rathdrum10,874 people · $444K homes

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Chubbuck16,126 people · $342K homes

+ Compare

Lewiston34,651 people · $334K homes

+ Compare

Hailey9,665 people · $638K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Idaho towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Hayden vs Star

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $340 more a month in Hayden

Hayden places higher on 10 of 20 ID lists

What daily life feels like in each

281 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Hayden and Star

Bordering Hayden

Towns like Hayden

Post to Hayden

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