Biggest Retail Cities in Idaho: Top 25 Towns Ranked
Idaho has 14,340 independent retail places spread across 131 towns. Boise leads with 2,529 — 17.6% of the state. The top 25 towns, and the eight most common store types, by count.
Published September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
Idaho by the numbers
Where the stores are
Idaho has 14,340 independent retail places — 729.9 per 100,000 residents, 1.01× the national average of 724.8 and 28th of the 50 states and D.C. on retail density.
Boise holds 2,529 of them (17.6% of the state total). Idaho Falls is second with 1,035 (7.2%). The 25 towns below account for 76.9% of Idaho's retail; 131 towns in the state have at least five places.
The most common store type is the construction supplies store (1,989, 13.9% of the state's retail), followed by miscellaneous stores (887).
Top 25 retail towns in Idaho
Independent retail places per city or town, with each town's share of Idaho's 14,340 total. Only towns with at least five places are counted.
| # | City / town | Retail places | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boise | 2,529 | 17.6% |
| 2 | Idaho Falls | 1,035 | 7.2% |
| 3 | Meridian | 877 | 6.1% |
| 4 | Nampa | 851 | 5.9% |
| 5 | Twin Falls | 704 | 4.9% |
| 6 | Pocatello | 622 | 4.3% |
| 7 | Coeur d'Alene | 464 | 3.2% |
| 8 | Lewiston | 419 | 2.9% |
| 9 | Caldwell | 325 | 2.3% |
| 10 | Rexburg | 305 | 2.1% |
| 11 | Post Falls | 288 | 2.0% |
| 12 | Sandpoint | 268 | 1.9% |
| 13 | Moscow | 267 | 1.9% |
| 14 | Coeur D Alene | 240 | 1.7% |
| 15 | Ketchum | 207 | 1.4% |
| 16 | Hayden | 199 | 1.4% |
| 17 | Burley | 197 | 1.4% |
| 18 | Eagle | 196 | 1.4% |
| 19 | Blackfoot | 187 | 1.3% |
| 20 | Garden City | 185 | 1.3% |
| 21 | Ammon | 142 | 1.0% |
| 22 | Emmett | 138 | 1.0% |
| 23 | Hailey | 134 | 0.9% |
| 24 | McCall | 128 | 0.9% |
| 25 | Jerome | 119 | 0.8% |
Counts use the city/town label on each place, so boroughs, villages and unincorporated areas appear separately from their parent city.
Most common store types in Idaho
The eight largest independent-retail categories in Idaho, with each one's share of the state's 14,340 places.
| # | Store type | Places | Share of state retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction Supplies Store | 1,989 | 13.9% |
| 2 | Miscellaneous Store | 887 | 6.2% |
| 3 | Furniture and Home Store | 733 | 5.1% |
| 4 | Clothing Store | 707 | 4.9% |
| 5 | Hardware Store | 659 | 4.6% |
| 6 | Sporting Goods Retail | 508 | 3.5% |
| 7 | Electronics Store | 481 | 3.4% |
| 8 | Print Store | 473 | 3.3% |
Each place is counted once under its primary retail category. Grocery, pharmacy, fuel, liquor, cannabis, automotive and mall categories are excluded.
Frequently asked questions
- Which city in Idaho has the most retail stores?
- Boise, with 2,529 independent retail places — 17.6% of Idaho's 14,340 total. Idaho Falls is next with 1,035.
- How many independent retail stores are in Idaho?
- 14,340 shoppable independent retail places, or 729.9 per 100,000 residents (1.01× the U.S. average of 724.8). That ranks Idaho 28th of 51 for retail density.
- What is the most common type of store in Idaho?
- The construction supplies store: 1,989 places, or 13.9% of Idaho's retail. Miscellaneous Stores are second at 887.
Related reports
Store types where Idaho ranks in the top 10
- Bike Shops by State: Every State RankedIdaho ranks #7 per capita (8.4 per 100k)
- Sporting Goods Stores by State: Every State RankedIdaho ranks #8 per capita (25.9 per 100k)
- Garden Centers by State: Every State RankedIdaho ranks #9 per capita (18.4 per 100k)
National retail reports
More states
- Biggest Retail Cities in Florida: Top 25 Towns Ranked175,522 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Georgia: Top 25 Towns Ranked83,747 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Hawaii: Top 25 Towns Ranked12,174 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Illinois: Top 25 Towns Ranked91,184 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Indiana: Top 25 Towns Ranked49,234 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Iowa: Top 25 Towns Ranked25,951 retail places
Data & method
- Source: Foursquare Open Source Places (U.S. slice, Apache-2.0), counted by Useful Economy. Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimates (July 1, 2023).
- What counts as retail: an open place carrying a Retail category label. Grocery and other food retail, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel, liquor, cannabis, tobacco and vape, automotive, gun and hunting, adult, betting, fireworks, markets and shopping malls are excluded, so the counts describe shoppable independent storefronts rather than all commerce.
- Counting rule: each place is counted once, under its primary retail category and the city/town label on its address. Town tables include only towns with at least five places. Per-100k figures divide by state population; city populations are not used.
- Generated: September 15, 2026. Figures refresh when the source data is re-counted.
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