Idaho’s statewide income and housing figures mask substantial differences among its metro areas. Median household income ranged from $67,000 in Pocatello to more than $92,000 in Boise, while median home values ranged from $332,000 in Pocatello to $569,000 in Coeur d’Alene, according to Idaho News’ coverage of the 2025 Census estimates.
The statewide median household income was $84,234, up 1.2% from 2024 but just below the U.S. median of $84,780. The figures come from the Census Bureau’s 2025 American Community Survey one-year estimates, which cover geographic areas with at least 65,000 residents; the Idaho Department of Labor’s report on the estimates and Boise Dev’s coverage summarize the release.
Housing costs differ by tenure
Across Idaho, about 45% of renters spent at least 30% of their monthly income on housing in 2025, the Census threshold for being cost burdened. That was down from 48% in 2024 but remained close to half of renters; among homeowners with a mortgage, about 28% met the threshold. Both shares were below the corresponding national figures of 48% for renters and 30% for mortgaged homeowners, according to the Idaho Department of Labor’s account of the ACS data.
The statewide inflation-adjusted median home value was just under $458,000. Owner-occupied homes made up more than 71% of Idaho housing units, compared with 65% nationally, and detached single-family homes accounted for 73% of the state’s housing stock, compared with 61% nationwide, Idaho News reported from the estimates. Those statewide measures sit alongside the pronounced metro-area differences in home values and income.
A young state with an older share growing
Idaho’s median age reached 37.9 in 2025, up 0.1 year from 2024, and remained the seventh-lowest among states. The U.S. median age rose 0.3 year to 39.5. Children under 18 were present in 31% of Idaho households, compared with 28% nationally; Idaho ranked fourth-highest on that measure, according to the state labor department’s report.
The share of households with children varied widely by metro area, from nearly 42% in Idaho Falls to less than 24% in Lewiston, Idaho News reported. Idaho’s child dependency ratio was 40, tied with Nebraska for third-highest nationally and above the U.S. ratio of 35. Meanwhile, the median age was just under 36 in urban areas and just over 42 in rural areas; the estimates show the contrast, not what causes it.
The ACS also estimated that 59% of Idaho children under 6 had both parents in the labor force, compared with 70% nationally. Separate figures provide context, but do not explain that difference: the Idaho Department of Labor reported a net loss of 48 day care centers statewide in 2024 and estimated that 20,000 Idahoans worked part time because of child-care problems in January 2024, including 17,000 women.
Population growth is another part of the picture
In a separate report on annual Census population estimates, the Idaho Department of Labor said 36 of Idaho’s 44 counties grew in population in 2025, with 20 growing faster than in 2024. The department also reported that in-migration accounted for three out of every four new residents statewide over the year. These are population estimates, not measures of housing affordability, and they do not establish why incomes or housing costs vary across metros; the department’s population report treats them separately.
The 2025 ACS estimates also show that more than 43% of Idaho households had at least one member over 60, matching the national share and rising from 38% in 2015. The proportion of Idaho households receiving retirement income rose from 20% to 26% over the same decade, according to the Idaho Department of Labor’s report. Taken together, the data describe a state with many households with children as well as a growing share with older residents, alongside large local differences in income and home values and persistent renter cost burdens.
