Caldwell

The Canyon County seat, with the valley's lowest typical home value and wine country next door

By J&H Digital Services LLCChecked Oct 22, 20266 sources

In short

Caldwell is a farm-country county seat with a rebuilt downtown and the lowest typical home value in this guide, best for budget-minded buyers and people who work in Canyon County rather than daily Boise commuters. A typical home is worth about $400,000 and a typical rent is about $1,740 a month (Zillow, Sept 2026).

County: Canyon (county seat)
Population: 76,629(Census estimate, July 2025)
School districts: Caldwell School District; Vallivue in south and east Caldwell
Typical home value: About $400,000(Zillow, Sept 2026)
Drive to downtown Boise: About 30 to 35 minuteson I-84 (approximate, off-peak)

What is Caldwell like by the numbers?

76,629Population

July 2025 estimate · U.S. Census QuickFacts

+27.4%Growth since 2020

from 60,138 in April 2020 to July 2025 · U.S. Census QuickFacts

$78,835Median household income

2024, newest single-year Census data; U.S. $81,604 · U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year (B19013)

$400,000Typical home value

Sept 2026; +1.5% over 1 year · Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), all homes

25.4 minMean commute

2024; U.S. average is 27.2 min · U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year (S0801)

Who is Caldwell a good fit for?

Good for	Watch out for
Buyers on the tightest budget who still want a newer home	One of the longest drives to Boise in the valley; I-84 backs up at rush hour
People who like small-town events, rodeo and wine country	Median household income, about $73,000 (2020 to 2024 average), is among the lowest in the valley
Workers with jobs in Caldwell, Nampa or western Canyon County	Fewer shopping, dining and health care options than Boise or Meridian
Families who want a college town feel at a lower price	Two school districts serve the city; check the exact address

What is it like to live in Caldwell?

What is the housing like?

Older, modest homes near downtown and the College of Idaho, plus many newer subdivisions to the north, south and east. The typical home is worth about $400,000, roughly $100,000 less than the typical Boise home.

What about downtown and shopping?

Downtown centers on Indian Creek Plaza, a public square with events, a winter ice rink and the Tuesdays on the Creek market in season. For chain stores and bigger shopping, many residents also use Nampa. COMPASS measured the weekday morning drive to Boise at about 29 minutes in 2023.

What about parks and the outdoors?

The city runs parks such as Brothers Park, Pipe Dream Park and Whittenberger Park (with a dog park), Memorial Pool, and two city golf courses, Purple Sage and Fairview. South of town, the Sunnyslope area has many of the region's wineries and orchards along the Snake River.

What is the town's character?

Caldwell is a farm-country county seat with a small private college, the College of Idaho, and a large Hispanic community. It hosts the Caldwell Night Rodeo each summer. It grew about 27% from 2020 to 2025, mostly new subdivisions on former farmland, and feels more rural and working-class than Ada County cities.