Town file
Jerome, Idaho
Jerome, Idaho (Jerome County, Idaho) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 679, "Murder Colors Don't Run" (5 March 2026). Marilyn Jean Arbaugh was born on 9 September 1947 in Wendell, Idaho, the daughter of James and Mary Bell.
- Town
- Jerome
- County
- Jerome County
- State
- Idaho
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 679
- Approximate location
- 42.718, -114.516
Episode 679 / 5 March 2026 / 180 min / full
Murder Colors Don't Run
"Oh yeah, Jerome Idaho ... this is in Jerome County. Jerome in Jerome." about 0:04:10
The case: Murder of Marilyn Arbaugh (July 1, 1984); Crossbow break-in at an ex-girlfriend's home (February 15, 2016). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2026
- Population
- 12,182
- Median age
- 31.1
- Median household income
- $54,535
- Median home value
- $334,300
- Two-bedroom rent
- $1,020
- Cost of living
- 89
- Religious
- 62.6%
- Property crime
- ▼ just below
- Violent crime
- ▼ about 20% below
History, in brief
- A lot of tribes lived in the area first, and the first people from the east were fur trappers. about 0:05:12
- An old Indian trail crossed the area, essentially a branch of the Oregon Trail. about 0:05:24
- The terrain was rocky and scrubby, so travellers kept going and nobody settled it. about 0:05:31
- People began staying in about 1900, and Jerome was officially established in 1907 as a planned railroad settlement. about 0:05:47
- Jerome was not a naturally occurring town; the railroad picked the spot and an irrigation project was planned. about 0:05:54
- In October 1908 ground was broken for the Northside Inn hotel, a grand building among makeshift railroad structures. about 0:06:07
- Jerome's economy now comes mainly from farms and dairies, with dairy farming a huge source of revenue. about 0:06:33
- Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue grew up in Jerome with his grandmother and later described it as a boring small town. about 0:06:56
The reviews read out
3.3 stars
"The town's overall Niche rating, which the hosts call not good."about 0:08:23
4 stars
"A small town where everyone knows each other; the community sponsors school functions and sports and people donate and care."about 0:08:29
3 stars
"Very quiet, nothing happens; the reviewer would like more people expressing themselves and their opinions."about 0:08:53
2 stars
"Not bad if you do not mind the country lifestyle; no movie theatre, not much outdoors, restaurants suck."about 0:09:23
2 stars
"You just cannot predict the weather; it can be sunny and then turn windy."about 0:09:55
1 star
"They ticket out-of-state plates passing through and the judge acts as prosecutor if you fight it, so avoid stopping."about 0:10:26
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Hazelton, Idaho21 miles
- Bellevue, Idaho54 miles
- Lucin, Utah100 miles
- Chubbuck, Idaho105 miles
- Garden City, Idaho111 miles
- Blackfoot, Idaho115 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.