Economics

	Caldwell	Idaho	USA
Median Family Income (2011 dollars)	$37,096	$48,160	$52,954
Per capita income (2011 dollars)	$16,707	$22,938	$27,067
Median single family home cost	$121,800	$157,900	$175,100

Unemployment

	Caldwell	Idaho	USA
2011	13.60%	10.40%	9.10%

Taxes: http://tax.idaho.gov/answers_Sales_tax.htm
State sales tax rate: 6.0%
State income tax rate: progressive tax range from 1.6% to 7.8% based on taxable income
Canyon County property tax rate: http://www.canyonco.org/index.aspx

Property tax rates for Caldwell Idaho real estate vary please contact the Canyon County assessor’s office for any questions at 208-454-7431. City property taxes are assessed through the county tax system.

Cost of Living Index 2011

	Caldwell	Boise
Overall	93	104
Food	106	106
Utilities	100	100
Miscellaneous	101	100
	US Average = 100 for all indicators

Summary: The greatest index difference is found in housing costs. Caldwell has the highest percentage per capita of blue collar labor force in the area which represents stability but also lower average wages. This is reflected in smaller and more modest homes on average and lower land values consistent with the homes. This is also reflected in a younger average age of the population and more small children. Food prices are lower but this is reflective more of the income level than any actual difference in cost, i.e. food selection based more on cost and cultural differences due to income restraints.

Data source: http://www.bestplaces.net/col/

Demographics

County: Canyon

Location: Caldwell is located 25 miles west of Boise, the capital of the state of Idaho and the economic hub for the region. Caldwell borders the Boise River on the north, has a view of the Boise Mountain Range on the northeast and the Owyhee Mountain Range on the southwest. The community is linked into the I-84 Freeway system which runs through the city and is on the historic Oregon Trail route.

Elevation: 2,375 ft. (724 m.), on average, above sea level

Time Zone: Mountain Standard Time, MST, (observes Daylight Savings Time)

Phone Area Code: 208

Zip Code: 83605

Local Map: Click Here

Population of Caldwell: 39,889 as of 2007 within the city limits, a 45% increase since 2000.

Year 2011 Facts:

	Caldwell	Idaho	USA
Population	39,677	1,571,616	307,829,557
Male/female:	49.44%/50.56%	50.31%/49.69%	49.31%/50.69%
Median age:	35.4	34.7	36.6
Avg family	2.82	2.65	2.58
Own homes	58.73%	62.64%	59.9%
Rent homes	33.84%	25.47%	29.73%
Vacant homes	7.42%	11.89%	10.37%
%White	70.02%	88.38%	72.4%
%Black	1.12%	0.81%	12.6%
%Native	1.29%	1.46%	0.9%
%Asian	0.91%	1.11%	4.8%
%Islander			0.2%
%Other	26.66%	8.25%	6.2%
%Hispanic	31.77%	10.49%	12.5%

Schools & Higher Education

Caldwell Schools: http://caldwellschools.org/Schools/index.php

Vallivue Schools: http://vallivue.org/schools/default.htm

1. Caldwell School District: 208-455-3300
2. Vallivue School District: 208-454-0445
3. Caldwell High School: 208-455-3304
4. Canyon Springs Alternative High School:208-455-3325
5. Jefferson Middle School: 208-455-3309
6. Syringa Middle School: 208-455-3305
7. Lincoln Elementary: 208-455-3321
8. Lewis Clark Elementary: 208-455-3345
9. Wilson Elementary: 208-455-3313
10. Washington Elementary: 208-455-3317
11. Van Buren Elementary: 208-455-3326
12. Sacajawea Elementary: 208-455-3333
13. Vallivue High School: 208-454-9253
14. Vallivue Academy Alternative High School: 208-455-1917
15. Vallivue Middle School: 208-454-1426
16. Sage Valley Middle School: 208-468-4919
17. West Canyon Elementary School: 208-459-6938
18. Lakevue Elementary School: 208-467-1478
19. East Canyon Elementary School: 208-466-6929
20. Desert Springs Elementary School: 208-466-1555
21. Central Canyon Elementary School: 208-459-3367
22. Birch Elementary School: 208-461-5960
23. Centennial Baptist School PK-12 Private: 208-454-1997
24. Caldwell Adventist Elementary School K-8 Private: 459-4313
25. Thomas Jefferson Charter School K-12:  208-455-8772
26. Gem State Academy (Private Faith Based Seventh Day Adventist boarding High School fully accredited): 208-459-1627
27. Vision Charter School: 208-455-9220

Links

Compare ISAT scores for all Idaho Schools: http://www.greatschools.net/test/landing.page?state=ID&tid=76

Compare NAEP scores for Idaho Schools versus national: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/states/

Education Nation Scorecard for Schools: http://nbcscorecard.greatschools.org/?s_cid=20100928weeklysend

Compare State and Community Report Card: http://www.sde.idaho.gov/ipd/reportcard/SchoolReportCard.asp

Cost per student, grades 1-12, and teacher/student ratio comparison to US average.

	Caldwell	USA
$per student	$3,558	$5,678
teacher ratio	1 to 20	1 to 15
%High school grad	74.46%	84.72%
%4 year college grad	9.24%	17.42%

Higher Education

1. College of Idaho (4 year liberal arts college):208-459-5175

Also in the greater Boise Area are these Colleges and Universities:

1. Boise State University: 208-426-1000
2. College of Western Idaho–Nampa: 208-562-3000
3. Apollo College: 877-205-1458
4. ITT Technical Institute-Boise: 208-322-8844
5. Milan Institute-Boise: 208-672-9500
6. Scot Lewis Schools-Boise: 208-375-0190
7. Brown Mackie College-Boise: 208-321-8800
8. Stevens-Henager College-Boise: 208-345-0700
9. BoiseBibleCollege: 208-376-7731

Local History

Caldwell is located on the Snake River basin plain that crosses, from east to west, the south end of the State of Idaho. Caldwell borders the Boise River on the north end. This is considered a high desert area with most of the moisture occurring and collecting in the surrounding mountains and then being transferred into the valley by creeks, streams and rivers. These waterways provide the irrigation water used by farmers across the whole south end of the state. Prior to being a city, Caldwell was a key point along the Oregon Trail near the convergence of the Snake and Boise Rivers. Later it became a railroad construction center in the 1870’s and it continued to develop as an economically viable location until it was incorporated after Idaho was made a state in 1890. It has had positive average growth since then and is now one of the jewels of the “Treasure Valley”.

Caldwell is part of the greater Boise economic region of Southwest Idaho, referred to as the “Treasure Valley” due to its agriculturally based wealth made possible by irrigation and mild climate. Boise is the economic and political hub of this region being the capital of the state, the largest city in the state and the primary source of non agriculturally based jobs for the region. Caldwell is located about 25 miles west of Boise and though having its own economic and industrial base, primarily in agriculture, has become a major satellite or bedroom community location for the Boise market. This change came primarily through the introduction of clean industries, such as Hewlett Packard and Micron Technologies, in the last 20 years.

Boise and the surrounding area’s have also become a hub for transportation and storage, higher education, communication call centers, medical services and most other major demographic factors that allow clean and sustained growth. Caldwell is part of the Boise Metro area that now has the greatest concentration of people between Salt Lake City Utah and Portland Oregon at about 588,000. Boise and the surrounding area’s have also become a hub for transportation and storage, higher education, communication call centers, medical services and most other major demographic factors that allow clean and sustained growth.

Caldwell is located in and is the county seat of Canyon County. It is the second largest city in the county at about 40,000 in population as of 2008 with its adjacent neighbor Nampa, being the largest at about 80,000. These two cities are referred to as the twin cities, as they are adjacent to one another. The City governments are separate, but there is good cooperation between the twin communities in every aspect of physical and political infrastructure. Caldwell is home to one of the highest rated liberal arts colleges in the country, College of Idaho, which was founded in 1891 shortly after the state was formed in 1890. It carried the name of Joe Albertson from 1991 to 2007 and was called Albertsons College of Idaho during this period. Joe was the former food chain magnet, who made Idaho its world headquarters and southwest Idaho his home. With his passing, changes in ownership with Albertson food chain and funding for the college, the name was changed back. Caldwell has a diverse history and rich heritage that has always played large in Southwest Idaho’s story.

Caldwell’s two greatest growth periods occurred during WW ll, when J.R. Simplot spear headed the food processing industry that serviced our soldiers during the war and then again starting in about 1990 to present, where the high tech electronic industries were introduced into the valley, with Hewlett Packard and Micron Technologies. All three industry giants are still here and providing employment as world-class market players. The population has more than doubled since 1990 when there were only 18,400 people in Caldwell. The quality of its people, its natural resources and cheap available hydroelectric power from several dams in the region has made this, and continues to make this area, attractive to clean industry and to families wanting clean air and water in a low crime environment suited for healthy family lifestyles.

Caldwell is currently revitalizing the old down town area by opening up Indian Creek that runs through it and establishing green belt and parkways adjacent to the creek in order to lay a foundation for environmentally friendly clean growth in the near future. At the same time, efforts are being made to preserve historical features and historical residential areas within the community. Examples of this are the recent restoration of the old railway station and the establishment of the Steuenberg Historical district. The Steuenberg District is residential and is named after one of the first Governors of the state, Governor Steuenberg, who resided in Caldwell.

Whatever your reasons for coming to Caldwell, it can be considered a good choice and one of the positive puzzle pieces that make up the “Treasure Valley” who’s real treasure has always been its people. This site is your one source for finding homes for sale in Caldwell Idaho.

Still unsure about where you want to move? Keep reading about Caldwell Idaho or check out other city pages to find the area of the Treasure Valley that best fits your needs. This site also has up to date information from the Boise MLS on available homes in the area so you can find the perfect home.

Climate

Caldwell is part of a river valley that runs across southern Idaho at a relatively low elevation. This is a high desert area of low precipitation in the valleys and high rates of sunshine. Most snow fall occurs in the surrounding mountain ranges from November to February which fills the rivers, creeks and streams that run to the valley in the spring time as it melts. The valley does get some snow but on average it is light and infrequent.

Caldwell’s climate is warm during summer when day time temperatures tend to be in the 80’s and 90’s and cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 30's. The cold months are November through February and the warmest months July and August. Temperature shifts from day to night can be extreme primarily during the hottest summer days that cool off after sunset. This is a full four season location with a comparatively mild climate proven ideal for farming, recreation and just living. The annual average precipitation at Caldwell is 8.21 inches. Rainfall is distributed evenly throughout the year but on average is wetter during the spring and fall seasons. September is usually the wettest month on average at 1.58 inches.

Local Media

There over twenty AM and FM radio stations located in the Boise Valley that reaches Melba that includes multiple NPR stations.

This area has full access to traditional, cable, dish and online TV stations with Boise being regional communication hub for most TV and radio outlets. Fiber optic lines are being extended to residential areas to provide the highest speed data transfers available.

Airports

The largest airport, the Boise Regional airport, is about 25 miles east and is the regional hub for air travel. There is a smaller airport, for small charter and private planes, located in Caldwell just southeast of town.

Boise: Website »
Caldwell Industrial Airport: Website »