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Compare towns

Pierce vs Irwin

308 miles apart. The biggest differences: home values (2.5× in Irwin) and average commute (36 min in Pierce).

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Pierce, IDHomes around $196KIdaho · 360 people
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Irwin, IDKnown for its schoolsIdaho · 236 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

PierceHomes around $196K
Housing$196K typical home59% below the ID typical home SchoolsBetter than 22%of ID districts All about Pierce →
IrwinKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 92%of ID districts All about Irwin →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Home values2.5×
Homes cost more in Irwin
Irwin $433,300Pierce $173,000
Average commute36 min
Pierce has the shorter commute
Irwin 59 minPierce 24 min
Street grid2×
Pierce has the more walkable street grid
Pierce 57.5Irwin 28.5
Typical home built19 yrs
Pierce’s homes are older
Irwin 1984Pierce 1965
Bachelor’s degree++10.6 pts
More adults in Irwin have a degree
Irwin 26.9%Pierce 16.3%
Conserved land+8.3 pts
Pierce has more conserved land
Pierce 8.3%Irwin 0%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,180 more a month in Irwin

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.

Pierce$1,130/mo
Typical home $196K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.65% · Housing →
Irwin$2,310/mo
Typical home $423K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.27% · Housing →

The difference: $1,180 a month, about $14,200 a year, between Irwin and Pierce.

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

Grades and rankings, side by side

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
C−PierceBetter than 22% of districts in the state AIrwinBetter than 92% of districts in the state
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
PierceIrwin
Snow a year114″—
January low19°F—
July high83°F—
Growing season (days)93d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)92nd78th
Outdoors & history
PierceIrwin
Trails2 mi2 mi
Conserved land8.3%0%
Settled1860—
National Register places1—
Community
PierceIrwin
Library hours a week35 hrs12 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

308 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PierceIDIrwinID
Pierce ↔ Irwin308 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.

PierceIrwin
People
Population 360Highest 236Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -8.1% ID: +17.3% —
Median age 60.2±6.5Highest 61% above ID 57.8±8.8Lowest 55% above ID
Pierce and Irwin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 9.4%±6.4Lowest ID: 24.1% 11.9%±12.7Highest ID: 24.1%
Irwin and Pierce are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 36.4%±8.9Highest ID: 17% 35.2%±8Lowest ID: 17%
Pierce and Irwin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.3%Lowest ID: 31.8% 26.9%Highest ID: 31.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.9%±5.1Lowest ID: 6.3% 3.4%±3.8Highest ID: 6.3%
Irwin and Pierce are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $53,906±$13kLowest 31% below ID $67,500±$17kHighest 13% below ID
Irwin and Pierce are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $173,000±$15kLowest 59% below ID $433,300±$108kHighest 4% above ID
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,128Lowest 45% below ID $1,184Highest 42% below ID
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 50%±100Lowest ID: 46.9% 100%±100Highest ID: 46.9%
Irwin and Pierce are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 9.6%Lowest ID: 10.6% 11.4%Highest ID: 10.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 97.8%Lowest ID: 72.1% 98.4%Highest ID: 72.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1965Lowest 26 yrs older than ID 1984Highest 7 yrs older than ID
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 24 minLowest 9% above ID 59 minHighest 175% above ID
Work from home 9.7%±9.5Lowest ID: 13.3% 13.1%±12.7Highest ID: 13.3%
Irwin and Pierce are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 4%Highest 0%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.8 miLowest 37.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.72Lowest 0.85Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Orofino (29%)Idaho Falls (45%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in IrwinFew work in Pierce
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 8.3%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 1.7 miLowest 1.9 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.1 miHighest 0.7 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 57.5Highest 28.5Lowest
Schools
School district OROFINO JOINT DISTRICTSWAN VALLEY ELEMENTARY DISTRICT
High school in town Idaho Youth Challenge Academy FallNone in town
Students per teacherat that high school 21.5 —
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.

Pierce neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Pierce’s Town Square.

Irwin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Irwin’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Pierce

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Council871 people · $201K homes

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.

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