Atomic City is an unincorporated area in Bingham County,

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

, United States. The population was 41 at the 2020 census, up from 29 in 2010.Spokesman-Review
- 2010 census - Atomic City, Idaho - accessed 2011-12-28

History

Atomic City was called "Midway" until 1950, as it is halfway between the towns of Blackfoot and Arco (home of

Experimental Breeder Reactor I Experimental Breeder Reactor I (EBR-I) is a decommissioned research reactor and U.S. National Historic Landmark located in the desert about southeast of Arco, Idaho. It was the world's first breeder reactor. At 1:50 p.m. on December 2 ...

, the world's first electricity-generating nuclear power plant). Atomic City had a larger population when the neighboring

Idaho National Laboratory Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is one of the national laboratories of the United States Department of Energy and is managed by the Battelle Energy Alliance. Historically, the lab has been involved with nuclear research, although the labora ...

site was newer, known as the "National Reactor Testing Station" until 1975. Atomic City disincorporated after residents approved through an election in 2020. There is one store and one bar in Atomic City; the store no longer sells gasoline, due to new laws pertaining to its underground gas tanks.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all of it land. Atomic City is just south of the

site, on U.S. Route 26.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Atomic City has a

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...

, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Atomic City, Idaho
/ref>

Demographics

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 29 people in 17 households, including 9 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 48 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.6% White and 3.4% Native American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.4%. Of the 17 households 52.9% were married couples living together and 47.1% were non-families. 35.3% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 1.71 and the average family size was 2.11. The median age was 59.8 years. 0.0% of residents were under the age of 18; 0.0% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 6.9% were from 25 to 44; 58.6% were from 45 to 64; and 34.5% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 25 people in 16 households, including 7 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 22 housing units at an average density of . 24 of the residents were White, and one was Asian. Of the 16 households one has a child under the age of 18 living with them, six were married couples living together, and nine were non-families. Nine households were made up of individuals, and two had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 1.56 and the average family size was 2.29. The age distribution was one person under the age of 18, one from 18 to 24, two from 25 to 44, twelve from 45 to 64, and eight who were 65 or older. The median age was 58 years. Ten citizens were females and fifteen were males; one of the males was under 18. The median household income was $9,375 and the median family income was $8,750. Males had a median income of $43,750 versus $8,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,276. 57.1% of the population and 62.5% of families were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

. None of those under 18 and half of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

References

External links

City Web Page

Atomic City USA.com

Roadside America.com
- Atomic City

- Atomic City {{authority control Cities in Bingham County, Idaho Cities in Idaho