County housing intelligence
Idaho Housing Market by County
Idaho is not one housing market. Across 44 counties, the median county home value is $281,950 and the median county rent is $877/mo. The useful question is not whether Idaho is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$281,950
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$877/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
44
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Idaho Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Blaine County, Valley County, Teton County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Power County, Butte County, Lewis County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Ada County, Kootenai County, Canyon County lead on rent, while Butte County, Bear Lake County, Lewis County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Lincoln County, Oneida County, Power County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Power County
$191,200
- 2. Butte County
$195,800
- 3. Lewis County
$202,400
- 4. Clark County
$203,000
- 5. Lincoln County
$206,700
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Lincoln County
3.1x home-value-to-income
- 2. Oneida County
3.1x home-value-to-income
- 3. Power County
3.2x home-value-to-income
- 4. Caribou County
3.3x home-value-to-income
- 5. Bingham County
3.4x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Butte County
$525/mo
- 2. Bear Lake County
$687/mo
- 3. Lewis County
$708/mo
- 4. Lemhi County
$721/mo
- 5. Power County
$729/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Butte County
14.0% rent burden
- 2. Power County
17.0% rent burden
- 3. Franklin County
22.0% rent burden
- 4. Jerome County
22.0% rent burden
- 5. Fremont County
23.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Clark County
0.29% effective tax rate
- 2. Valley County
0.30% effective tax rate
- 3. Custer County
0.31% effective tax rate
- 4. Idaho County
0.34% effective tax rate
- 5. Teton County
0.35% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Idaho County
$229/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Elmore County
$205/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Clearwater County
$175/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Washington County
$158/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Clark County
$150/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Oneida County
$72,563 income, 3.1x value-to-income
- 2. Bingham County
$76,842 income, 3.4x value-to-income
- 3. Lincoln County
$66,038 income, 3.1x value-to-income
- 4. Jefferson County
$82,952 income, 4.0x value-to-income
- 5. Minidoka County
$70,060 income, 3.4x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Power County $191,200 home value, $59,760 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Renter pressure | Lemhi County $721/mo rent, 35.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Blaine County $663,800 home value, $84,470 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Best value-to-income
Compare Every Idaho County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | $206,700 | $860/mo | $66,038 | 3.1x | 0.48% |
| Oneida County | $228,100 | $1,009/mo | $72,563 | 3.1x | 0.51% |
| Power County | $191,200 | $729/mo | $59,760 | 3.2x | 0.82% |
| Caribou County | $220,200 | $800/mo | $66,653 | 3.3x | 0.60% |
| Bingham County | $258,000 | $845/mo | $76,842 | 3.4x | 0.54% |
| Minidoka County | $235,300 | $909/mo | $70,060 | 3.4x | 0.52% |
| Bear Lake County | $234,200 | $687/mo | $67,304 | 3.5x | 0.45% |
| Gooding County | $231,800 | $859/mo | $62,395 | 3.7x | 0.53% |
| Jerome County | $254,000 | $862/mo | $69,338 | 3.7x | 0.64% |
| Cassia County | $257,300 | $920/mo | $67,042 | 3.8x | 0.44% |
| Clark County | $203,000 | $771/mo | $52,083 | 3.9x | 0.29% |
| Fremont County | $281,800 | $803/mo | $72,767 | 3.9x | 0.48% |
| Jefferson County | $335,000 | $1,098/mo | $82,952 | 4.0x | 0.53% |
| Lewis County | $202,400 | $708/mo | $49,643 | 4.1x | 0.67% |
| Nez Perce County | $291,300 | $936/mo | $71,466 | 4.1x | 0.87% |
| Bannock County | $267,200 | $879/mo | $64,080 | 4.2x | 0.72% |
| Clearwater County | $240,800 | $847/mo | $57,961 | 4.2x | 0.60% |
| Bonneville County | $327,000 | $1,054/mo | $76,646 | 4.3x | 0.55% |
| Benewah County | $255,800 | $853/mo | $56,553 | 4.5x | 0.55% |
| Butte County | $195,800 | $525/mo | $43,281 | 4.5x | 0.50% |
| Camas County | $248,900 | $992/mo | $55,536 | 4.5x | 0.42% |
| Shoshone County | $222,700 | $880/mo | $49,975 | 4.5x | 0.57% |
| Twin Falls County | $292,700 | $1,011/mo | $65,338 | 4.5x | 0.67% |
| Franklin County | $304,000 | $831/mo | $65,991 | 4.6x | 0.50% |
| Elmore County | $278,300 | $1,111/mo | $58,976 | 4.7x | 0.60% |
| Idaho County | $284,600 | $797/mo | $60,975 | 4.7x | 0.34% |
| Owyhee County | $281,600 | $771/mo | $59,773 | 4.7x | 0.48% |
| Payette County | $310,700 | $874/mo | $65,723 | 4.7x | 0.44% |
| Washington County | $250,300 | $919/mo | $53,608 | 4.7x | 0.53% |
| Canyon County | $350,300 | $1,259/mo | $72,355 | 4.8x | 0.57% |
| Custer County | $295,600 | $744/mo | $56,957 | 5.2x | 0.31% |
| Latah County | $342,500 | $905/mo | $65,179 | 5.3x | 0.68% |
| Ada County | $476,000 | $1,465/mo | $88,907 | 5.4x | 0.56% |
| Lemhi County | $282,100 | $721/mo | $52,057 | 5.4x | 0.39% |
| Adams County | $327,300 | $823/mo | $59,286 | 5.5x | 0.41% |
| Boise County | $424,100 | $854/mo | $77,349 | 5.5x | 0.37% |
| Boundary County | $344,100 | $867/mo | $62,438 | 5.5x | 0.42% |
| Gem County | $367,300 | $887/mo | $66,245 | 5.5x | 0.39% |
| Kootenai County | $467,400 | $1,330/mo | $77,034 | 6.1x | 0.47% |
| Madison County | $365,000 | $965/mo | $58,259 | 6.3x | 0.50% |
| Teton County | $595,900 | $1,196/mo | $90,740 | 6.6x | 0.35% |
| Bonner County | $433,400 | $1,059/mo | $65,168 | 6.7x | 0.40% |
| Blaine County | $663,800 | $1,217/mo | $84,470 | 7.9x | 0.39% |
| Valley County | $599,500 | $1,011/mo | $76,125 | 7.9x | 0.30% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Idaho by county?
What is the typical rent in Idaho by county?
Which Idaho counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.