Town guide

Ponderay, Idaho

Ponderay is a city in Bonner County, Idaho, home to about 1,534 people across 2.9 square miles. Its ZIP code is 83852.

Homes sold for a median of $334 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.

Population1,534524 per sq mi
Median home value$436,700Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$334Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking20%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Ponderay

1 ZIP code

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Ponderay. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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Around Ponderay

Distances

Nearest major airportSpokane International Airport (GEG)66 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Seattle, WA273 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Ponderay; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Ponderay

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Ponderay had 1,289 residents in the 2020 census, up 102% since 2000.

It’s the 78th largest of 232 towns in Idaho by population.

Bonner County grew from 13,588 residents in 1910 to 47,110 in 2020.

Ponderay population by census2000: 638, 2010: 1,137, 2020: 1,28963820001,13720101,2892020

Bonner County, 1910–2020

Bonner County population, 1910 to 20201910: 13,588, 1920: 12,957, 1930: 13,152, 1940: 15,667, 1950: 14,853, 1960: 15,587, 1970: 15,560, 1980: 24,163, 1990: 26,622, 2000: 36,835, 2010: 40,877, 2020: 47,11014K’10’2013K’30’4015K’50’6016K’70’8027K’90’0041K’1047K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 23°F. About 34 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 62 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near PonderayJan: high 34°F, low 23°F, 4.3 in; Feb: high 38°F, low 24°F, 2.9 in; Mar: high 46°F, low 29°F, 3.6 in; Apr: high 56°F, low 35°F, 2.4 in; May: high 66°F, low 42°F, 2.7 in; Jun: high 72°F, low 48°F, 2.4 in; Jul: high 82°F, low 52°F, 1.2 in; Aug: high 82°F, low 50°F, 0.8 in; Sep: high 72°F, low 42°F, 1.4 in; Oct: high 56°F, low 34°F, 3 in; Nov: high 42°F, low 29°F, 4.7 in; Dec: high 34°F, low 23°F, 4.6 in34°23°Jan4.338°24°Feb2.946°29°Mar3.656°35°Apr2.466°42°May2.772°48°Jun2.482°52°Jul1.282°50°Aug0.872°42°Sep1.456°34°Oct3.042°29°Nov4.734°23°Dec4.6Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID weather station (2 miles away).

Jobs in Bonner County

14,412 jobs at 1,833 businesses in Bonner County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Bonner CountyRetail trade: 2,589 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 2,314 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 1,798 jobs; Manufacturing: 1,790 jobs; Construction: 1,406 jobs; Administrative and support: 870 jobs; Other services: 683 jobs; Professional services: 634 jobsRetail trade 18% Hotels and restaurants 16% Health care and social assistance 13% Manufacturing 12% Construction 10% Administrative and support 6% Other services 5% Professional services 4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

42 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Ponderay.

Nearest hospitals

  • Bonner General HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · Sandpoint2.1 miles
  • Newport Community HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · Newport25.2 miles
  • Boundary Community HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · Bonners Ferry29.1 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors4
Specialist doctors3
Dentists4
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants3
Mental health providers13
Physical and occupational therapists10
Optometrists1
Chiropractors4
Pharmacies3

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Ponderay

Parks (2 nearby)

  • McNearney Park · 4 acres0.4 mi

Grocery stores (2 nearby)

  • Walmart Supercenter0.5 mi
  • Yoke's Supermarket0.6 mi

Pharmacies

  • Sandpoint Super Drug2.1 mi

Libraries

  • East Bonner County Library District - Sandpoint Branch2.6 mi

Museums

  • Bonner County Museum & Arboretum3.1 mi

Theaters and performance venues

  • Panida Theater2.2 mi

Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Schools in Ponderay

Private schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsAffiliationDistance
Sandpoint Christian SchoolPonderayPre-K–8121Christian (no specific denomination)1.3 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where Ponderay is

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Towns near Ponderay

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Shares ZIP codes with Sandpoint.

Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.