HomeIdahoCuster CountyChallis
Challis, Idaho: commercial real estate data.
Challis is a Census city of 854 people across 1.97 square miles of land, in Custer County. Median household income is $40,750, 59.2 percent of occupied homes are owned, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals to borrowers here worth $2.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Challis
What Challis is
- Census place typecity
- Land area1.97 sq mi
- Water area0.03 sq mi
- Population per square mile of land433 plus or minus 134
- County holding the largest share of its areaCuster County, 100.0 percent
US Census Bureau, cartographic boundary file, places, 2024 vintage. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
Challis
How many people live in Challis
- Population854 plus or minus 264
- Median age48.4
- Population under 18167 plus or minus 95
- Share under 1819.6 percent plus or minus 9.4
- Population 65 and over195 plus or minus 90
- Share 65 and over22.8 percent plus or minus 7.9
- Households377 plus or minus 120
- Family households213 plus or minus 94
- Share of households that are families56.5 percent plus or minus 17.3
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
Challis
Income and work in Challis
- Median household income$40,750 plus or minus $19,196
- Per capita income$23,689 plus or minus $5,986
- Civilian labor force407 plus or minus 175
- Employed402 plus or minus 174
- Unemployed5 plus or minus 9
- Unemployment rate1.2 percent plus or minus 2.1
- Adults 25 and over631 plus or minus 204
- Adults 25 and over with a high school diploma or higher90.2 percent plus or minus 39.9
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.4 percent plus or minus 10.7
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree0.8 percent plus or minus 2.4
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
Challis
Housing in Challis
- Housing units549 plus or minus 141
- Occupied units377 plus or minus 120
- Vacant units172 plus or minus 79
- Vacancy rate31.3 percent plus or minus 11.9
- Owner occupied223 plus or minus 94
- Renter occupied154 plus or minus 85
- Ownership rate59.2 percent plus or minus 16.3
- Median owner-occupied home value$176,400
- Median gross rent, monthly$539 plus or minus $282
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.9 percent plus or minus 11.2
- Single family units340 plus or minus 120
- Share single family61.9 percent plus or minus 14.9
- Units in buildings of two or more83 plus or minus 56
- Share in buildings of two or more15.1 percent plus or minus 9.5
- Mobile homes126 plus or minus 77
- Median year structure built1979
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
Challis
How Challis gets to work
- Workers 16 and over who commute320 plus or minus 140
- Commuting under 15 minutes211 plus or minus 123
- Share commuting under 15 minutes65.9 percent plus or minus 25.4
- Commuting 30 minutes or more45 plus or minus 40
- Share commuting 30 minutes or more14.1 percent plus or minus 10.8
- Drove alone37.1 percent plus or minus 8.5
- Carpooled39.1 percent plus or minus 27.3
- Public transport0.0 percent
- Walked3.5 percent plus or minus 6.5
- Worked from home20.4 percent plus or minus 23.3
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
Challis
SBA loans in Challis (7(a))
- Approvals6
- Gross approval$2,567,100
- Average approval$427,850
- Median approval$160,000
- Largest approval$1,076,100
- Jobs supported44
- Jobs per approval7.3
- Loans with a final outcome2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Median term121 months
- Share on real estate terms of 20 years or more33.3 percent
- Share to franchises0.0 percent
- Distinct lenders4
- Distinct industries by NAICS4
Counted by borrower city: approvals to borrowers whose address is in Challis, in any county, FY2020 to FY2026. Only 2 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Challis
SBA loans in Challis (504)
- Approvals1
- Gross approval$135,000
- Average approval$135,000
- Median approval$135,000
- Largest approval$135,000
- Jobs supported2
- Loans with a final outcome1
- Charged off0
- Median term240 months
- Distinct CDCs1
Counted by borrower city: approvals to borrowers whose address is in Challis, in any county, FY2010 to FY2026. Only 1 loan has reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Challis
Flood risk in Challis
- NFIP communityCity of Challis
- NFIP community number160053
- Participating in the NFIPYes
- Community Rating System classNone
- Currently effective map date03/04/88
The City of Challis participates in the National Flood Insurance Program as community 160053 and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies to it.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Custer County, not Challis
Custer County context, not Challis figures
- Establishments in Custer County192
- Covered employment, Custer County1,539
- Average annual pay, Custer County$45,656
- Housing units permitted, Custer County49
Every figure in this section is published for Custer County as a whole and is not a measurement of Challis.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages. US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Parcel detail, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Common questions
Challis questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Challis, Idaho?
854, in 377 households. Challis city covers 1.97 square miles of land, which is 433 people per square mile. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
What county is Challis in?
Custer County, which holds 100.0 percent of the place by area. Source: US Census Bureau, cartographic boundary file, places, 2024 vintage.
What is the median household income in Challis?
$40,750. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $176,400. Median gross rent is $539 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
How much SBA lending goes to Challis businesses?
6 7(a) approvals totaling $2.6 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, median approval $160,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $135,000 since FY2010. These count approvals to borrowers whose address is in Challis, not projects sited inside the place boundary, and they are approvals recorded in the release rather than loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans to Challis borrowers get paid back?
No rate is published for Challis. Only 2 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published. The counts are shown instead.
Is Challis in the National Flood Insurance Program?
Yes. Challis appears in the FEMA Community Status Book as Challis, city of, community 160053, with no Community Rating System class, so no CRS discount applies. Whether a specific parcel sits in a mapped special flood hazard area is an address level question the platform answers.
Are the county figures on this page Challis figures?
No, and they are labeled so. County Business Patterns, QCEW, the Building Permits Survey, BEA product and IRS migration are published for Custer County as a whole and there is no place level equivalent. They appear in one clearly marked section as context and are never presented as measurements of Challis.
Is zoning published for Challis?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning.
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