Gooding, Idaho Anyone? (Boise, Twin Falls, Sun Valley: low crime, homes, buy)

[mom24ajs]

I am considering a position in Gooding, Idaho. Can anyone tell me information about this town / area? I have 4 kids who are school age. We currently reside in Missouri and have been waiting for a job opportunity to open up in the NW since we have family in Montana and Washington.

Any recommendations, advice, good or bad would be wonderful. Thank you.

[boisefan88]

It's a small town, very isolated, suffers a bit more of the extreme end of Southern Idaho temperatures as far as summer temps and winter cold and snow go. It's not in the most attractive area, either - pretty much flat high desert / foothills, suffers from some wind too.

There isn't much to do, and there isn't much in terms of culture or even self-contained activity - you have to make your own fun, so to speak.

There is a large agricultural (and thus, Hispanic) population base, and the town is pretty much entirely a blue collar town. I think people actually ride snowmobiles throughout town during the winter.

However, all that said, Gooding is one of my favorite small towns. It's fairly clean, quiet, and the downtown has a very old fashioned, "main street" feel to it. There are enough services that would limit your trips to Twin Falls to once or twice a month (which is nice, because it's a 32 mile, 35-40 minute trip).

The location, while quiet and isolated, is sort of a gateway to some really spectacular areas, including the Camas Prairie, Mormon and Magic Reservoirs, the Bennett hills, and even the Sun Valley area (about an hour or so away).

[kristinl5]

Have to agree with Boisefan88, small agricultural town..nice old fashioned feel.

[David Adair]

This town is old and the infrastructure is limited. Homes are older but many have been updated. Newer homes are being built outside edges of town. Streets are small and without sidewalks in many areas. Flood irrigation is being changed sometime in the future.
Water lines are not the best but being reviewed to rebuild. A lot of homes have 1/2 inch water lines. If interested you should consider a visit. Schools are good. A Charter school is also available K-12.

[Digger Donkey]

I retired here in Gooding 6 yrs. ago and bought a small farm in the country outside of town. Cost of
living is pretty low and you can still buy property at a reasonable price. For a bigger city shopping fix,
you can go to Twin Falls, approx. 35 miles away or Boise, approx. 100 miles. The town is clean and
has a fairly low crime rate.
I love the "small town" feel as everyone is friendly even to newcomers. The rodeo and fair in August is
one of the highlights of the summer. There is plenty to do for outdoor enthusiasts if you're into hunting, fishing, ATVing, hiking and exploring the high deserts north of town. Winter enthusiasts enjoy skiing at Soldier Mountain in Fairfield and Baldy in Sun Valley not too far away.

[DesertZone]

Originally Posted by Digger Donkey

I retired here in Gooding 6 yrs. ago and bought a small farm in the country outside of town. Cost of
living is pretty low and you can still buy property at a reasonable price. For a bigger city shopping fix,
you can go to Twin Falls, approx. 35 miles away or Boise, approx. 100 miles. The town is clean and
has a fairly low crime rate.
I love the "small town" feel as everyone is friendly even to newcomers. The rodeo and fair in August is
one of the highlights of the summer. There is plenty to do for outdoor enthusiasts if you're into hunting, fishing, ATVing, hiking and exploring the high deserts north of town. Winter enthusiasts enjoy skiing at Soldier Mountain in Fairfield and Baldy in Sun Valley not too far away.

I agree.

Some like, some don't, but I love it around here.