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.

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $760 more a month in McCall

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%

McCall$4,380/mo

Typical home $784K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.42% · or rent about $1,134/mo · Housing →

Sandpoint$3,620/mo

Typical home $640K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.50% · or rent about $1,125/mo · Housing →

The difference: $760 a month, about $9,200 a year, between McCall and Sandpoint.

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

Sandpoint 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.

Safety

C+McCallSafer than 42% of U.S. towns BSandpointSafer than 63% of U.S. towns

Schools

AMcCallBetter than 91% of districts in the state B+SandpointBetter than 72% of districts in the state

Health

B+McCallHealthier than 71% of U.S. towns B+SandpointHealthier than 73% of U.S. towns

8McCall

10Sandpoint

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

Most walkableOutdoors · 63 towns #58#20 SafestSafety · 40 towns #33#19 Best schoolsSchools · 63 towns #2#24 Highest graduation rateSchools · 59 towns #1#19 Highest incomeIncome · 63 towns #47#30 Most conserved landOutdoors · 58 towns #7#19 Lowest obesityHealth · 63 towns #33#20 Most affordableCost of living · 62 towns #59#48

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

Where they are

234 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

McCallID SandpointID

McCall ↔ Sandpoint234 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

McCallSandpoint

People

Population 3,946Lowest 9,637Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +23.2%Highest ID: +17.3% +17.3%Lowest ID: +17.3%

Median age 38.9±26.5Lowest 4% above ID 41.5±2.1Highest 11% above ID

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

Kids under 18 17.8%±6.4Lowest ID: 24.1% 22%±3.5Highest ID: 24.1%

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

Age 65+ 35.4%±9.6Highest ID: 17% 18.2%±2.7Lowest ID: 17%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 42.8%Highest ID: 31.8% 36.6%Lowest ID: 31.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.6%±2.6Highest ID: 6.3% 4.1%±1.8Lowest ID: 6.3%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $60,253±$8kLowest 23% below ID $72,289±$9kHighest 7% below ID

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $676,500±$104kHighest 62% above ID $465,600±$22kLowest 11% above ID

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,134±$119Highest 8% below ID $1,125±$139Lowest 9% below ID

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,813Highest 38% above ID $2,347Lowest 15% above ID

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 18.3%±20Lowest ID: 46.9% 52.1%±11.7Highest ID: 46.9%

Below poverty line 16%Highest ID: 10.6% 14.6%Lowest ID: 10.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 70.6%Highest ID: 72.1% 57.5%Lowest ID: 72.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1992Highest 1 yr newer than ID 1985Lowest 6 yrs older than ID

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 11 minLowest 51% below ID 14 minHighest 35% below ID

Work from home 31.9%±17.9Highest ID: 13.3% 10.3%±2.2Lowest ID: 13.3%

Work in townworking residents 50.5%Highest 43.7%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 2.3 mi 2.3 mi

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.00Highest 1.93Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Boise City (11%)Ponderay (9%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SandpointFew work in McCall

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 7%Highest 3.7%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 19.9 miHighest 0.9 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.0 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Lowest 8Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 46.3Lowest 94.2Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #2 of 63 in ID #24 of 63 in ID

School district MCCALL-DONNELLY JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICTLAKE PEND OREILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT

High school in town McCall-Donnelly High SchoolSandpoint High School

Students per teacherat that high school 15.4Lowest 17.0Highest

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.

McCall neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to McCall’s Town Square.

Sandpoint neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sandpoint’s Town Square.

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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.

McCall vs Sandpoint

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

McCall gets 70 more inches of snow a year

A typical home costs $760 more a month in McCall

Sandpoint places higher on 10 of 20 ID lists

234 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

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Towns like McCall

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