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%

Sandpoint$3,620/mo

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

McCall$4,380/mo

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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

10Sandpoint

8McCall

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

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

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

Where they are

234 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SandpointID McCallID

Sandpoint ↔ McCall234 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

SandpointMcCall

People

Population 9,637Highest 3,946Lowest

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

Median age 41.5±2.1Highest 11% above ID 38.9±26.5Lowest 4% 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 22%±3.5Highest ID: 24.1% 17.8%±6.4Lowest 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+ 18.2%±2.7Lowest ID: 17% 35.4%±9.6Highest ID: 17%

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

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.1%±1.8Lowest ID: 6.3% 4.6%±2.6Highest 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 $72,289±$9kHighest 7% below ID $60,253±$8kLowest 23% 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 $465,600±$22kLowest 11% above ID $676,500±$104kHighest 62% above ID

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,125±$139Lowest 9% below ID $1,134±$119Highest 8% 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 $2,347Lowest 15% above ID $2,813Highest 38% above ID

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

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

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

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

Work in townworking residents 43.7%Lowest 50.5%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 2.3 mi 2.3 mi

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in McCallFew work in Sandpoint

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.7%Lowest 7%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.9 miLowest 19.9 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 2.0 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 8Highest 7Lowest

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

Schools

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

School district LAKE PEND OREILLE SCHOOL DISTRICTMCCALL-DONNELLY JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT

High school in town Sandpoint High SchoolMcCall-Donnelly High School

Students per teacherat that high school 17.0Highest 15.4Lowest

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.

Sandpoint neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sandpoint’s Town Square.

McCall neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to McCall’s Town Square.

Add a town

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

Bordering Sandpoint

+ Compare

Ponderay1,534 people · $437K homes

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Dover792 people · $719K homes

Towns like Sandpoint

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Garden City12,654 people · $450K homes

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Hailey9,665 people · $638K homes

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Hayden16,338 people · $495K homes

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Chubbuck16,126 people · $342K 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.

Sandpoint vs McCall

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

Set another town beside Sandpoint and McCall

Bordering Sandpoint

Towns like Sandpoint

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