Cost of Living in Idaho
What it costs to live in Idaho, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 2,001,619
- Median household income
- $81,166
- State income tax
- Up to 5.3%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 95.5
What a typical paycheck keeps in Idaho
The typical Idaho worker earns $47,970 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $9,107 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $47,970
- Federal income tax
- −$3,576
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,670
- State income tax
- −$1,434
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$13,584
- Everyday costs
- −$16,599
a year, or $759 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Idaho.
Cost of living in Idaho
Prices across Idaho run 5% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing10% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities30% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)1% below the US average
- All items5% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,132 | $13,584 |
| Food | $475 | $5,700 |
| Transportation | $376 | $4,512 |
| Healthcare | $349 | $4,188 |
| Utilities | $183 | $2,196 |
| Total before taxes | $2,515 | $30,180 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Idaho taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 0% |
| $4,811 | 5.3% |
Bracket width is the 2025 inflation-adjusted amount.
Taxes on the median household income
$81,166 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$9,027 |
| Payroll taxes | −$6,209 |
| State income tax | −$3,194 |
| Effective tax rate | 22.7% |
Cities in Idaho
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Idaho city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Idaho
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist | $144,900 | $73,551 |
| Physician assistant | $133,790 | $66,545 |
| Nurse practitioner | $132,540 | $65,758 |
| Software engineer | $131,590 | $65,158 |
| Lineman | $125,410 | $61,263 |
| Dentist | $124,190 | $60,492 |
| Veterinarian | $116,170 | $55,324 |
| Lawyer | $103,400 | $47,017 |
| Financial analyst | $100,830 | $45,345 |
| Physical therapist | $99,000 | $44,154 |
| Civil engineer | $98,030 | $43,524 |
| Occupational therapist | $97,760 | $43,348 |
| Project manager | $95,630 | $41,962 |
| Dental hygienist | $94,650 | $41,325 |
| Mechanical engineer | $93,190 | $40,375 |
Salary pages in Idaho, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Idaho
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $299,340 |
| Chief Executives | $177,210 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $162,240 |
| Pharmacists | $144,900 |
| Marketing Managers | $142,090 |
| Sales Managers | $135,350 |
| Physician Assistants | $133,790 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $132,540 |
| Software Developers | $131,590 |
| Managers, All Other | $131,550 |
| Electrical Engineers | $129,340 |
| Financial Managers | $127,210 |
| Human Resources Managers | $119,990 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $117,770 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $107,340 |
Living in Idaho
Idaho against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Idaho | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $446,400 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,384 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 10.5% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 33% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 22.2 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 12.7% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Idaho with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Idaho?
Prices in Idaho are 5% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,132 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,383 a month.
Does Idaho have a state income tax?
Yes. Idaho's income tax rate is up to 5.3%. On a typical wage of $47,970, a single filer pays about $1,434 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Idaho?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $35,900 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Idaho earns $47,970 and keeps $9,107 after those costs.
Where in Idaho does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Idaho cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Boise ($7,108 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Coeur d'Alene ($5,889).
What jobs pay the most in Idaho?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Idaho goes to Physicians, All Other ($299,340); Chief Executives ($177,210); Computer and Information Systems Managers ($162,240) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate