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Idaho

R+30  ·  Moderate tax burden  ·  COL index 96

B+

5.8%

Income Tax

228

Violent Crime / 100K

77.7

Life Expectancy

$425K

Median Home

$960

Childcare / Mo

State Profile

63/100
255075100TAXES71SAFETY82HEALTH37SCHOOLS41AFFORDABLE80LONGEVITY64

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Taxes

Income Tax

5.8% flat

Property Tax

~$2,040/yr on median home

0.48% / yr

Sales Tax

6.02% avg

Social Security

Exempt

Pension / IRA

Partial

Estate Tax

None

Inheritance Tax

None

Capital Gains

Taxed as income

Housing & Cost of Living

Cost of Living Index

National avg = 100

96

Median Home Price

$425,000

Median Rent (2BR)

$1,500/mo

Home Insurance

Below national avg (~$1,900/yr)

$800/yr

Flood Insurance

$450/yr

Homestead Exemption

Home equity protected from creditors

$100,000

Asset Protection

Moderate

Crime & Safety

Violent Crime Rate

Near national avg

228 / 100K

Property Crime Rate

Near national avg

1,535 / 100K

Traffic Fatality Rate

15.1 / 100K

Healthcare

State Healthcare Rank

#32 of 50

Life Expectancy

77.7 yrs

Medicaid Expansion

Expanded

Uninsured Rate

9%

Education

K-12 Quality Rank

#30 of 50

School Choice / Vouchers

Not Available

Childcare

Avg Infant Care (Full-Time)

$960/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

Avg Monthly Energy Bill

Below national avg

$105/mo

Avg Monthly Groceries

2-person household, moderate spending

$480/mo

Road Quality Rank

#20 of 50

Airports & Travel

Nonstop Destinations

From state's primary airport

45+ routes

Major Hub Airport

Regional airport — connections via hub

No

Culture & Lifestyle

Urban Population

Mix of urban and rural

71% urban

Restaurant Density

Limited dining options

380/100K

Religious Congregations

190/100K

Pro Sports Teams

NFL + NBA + MLB + NHL + MLS

None

Major Venues

Stadiums, arenas, amphitheaters (10K+ capacity)

2 venues

Craft Breweries

4.3/100K residents — Strong scene

80 breweries

Craft Distilleries

30 distilleries

Live Music

Boise growing indie scene; Sun Valley Jazz Festival; strong craft beer per capita

Decent

Transportation

Car Insurance (Avg Annual)

Below national avg

$1,070

Traffic Fatality Rate

15.1 / 100K

Broadband Access

82% of households

Social & Legal

Abortion Access

Near-total ban with narrow exceptions

Banned

LGBTQ+ Protections

Hostile

Marijuana

Illegal

Minimum Wage

$7.25/hr

Right to Work

Yes

Sports Betting

Illegal

Casino Gambling

Tribal casinos

Online Gambling

Illegal

State Lottery

Tribal casinos only. Constitution limits commercial gambling. Horse racing legal.

Yes

Age of Consent

18

Sex Education

No state sex ed mandate

Abstinence-only

Nude Beaches & Naturist Clubs

Idaho naturists use remote forest and hot springs areas

One club

Environment & Climate

Air Quality (Annual AQI)

Near national avg

48

Natural Disaster Risk

Moderate

Primary Hazards

wildfireearthquake

Politics & Gun Laws

2024 Presidential Vote

R+30

Gun Laws

Gun ControlF
2A LibertyA+

Carry Permit

No permit required

Purchase Permit Required

No

Gambling

Not Legal

Hunting & Outdoors

Public Land33% of state
Resident Deer License$30
Resident Elk Tag$30
Non-Resident Elk$626
Deer Archery SeasonAug 30 – Sep 30
Elk Archery SeasonAug 30 – Sep 29
CrossbowArchery season

33% public land with excellent elk country in the Frank Church Wilderness. Most units are over-the-counter for residents.

Idaho Department of Fish & Game — Official Season Dates ↗

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Jobs & Economy

Job Market

+2.4% job growth · 3.1% unemployment

Strong

Top Industries

AgricultureHealthcareTechnology

Tech Jobs

#28 of 50

Healthcare Jobs

#32 of 50

Remote Work

19% of workers

Median Household Income

$70,214

Business Climate

Corporate Income Tax

5.8%

LLC Formation Fee

$100 one-time

LLC Annual Fee

None

Business Climate Rank

Top-10 nationally (Tax Foundation SBTCI 2024)

#8 of 50

Daily Life

Gas Price (Regular)

Below avg (-0.08 vs national avg)

$3.22/gal

Consumer Fireworks

Most consumer fireworks legal; local restrictions vary

Legal

Weather & Natural Risks

Winter Severity

Avg January high: 35°F

Cold

Summer Heat

Hot summers

90°F avg July

Annual Rainfall

19" / yr

Tornado Risk

Very Low

Hurricane Risk

Very Low

Wildfire Risk

High

Flood Risk

Low

Natural Hazards

32MODERATE danger
Murder hornet expansion zoneWildfire HIGHWestern rattlesnake territory

Venomous Snakes

Moderate

Spider Hazard

Moderate

Scorpions

Low

Hurricane Risk

Minimal

Tornado Risk

Low

Wildfire Risk

High

Earthquake Risk

Moderate

Murder Hornets

Active Expansion Zone

Danger score is a composite index. Methodology ↗

Veteran Benefits

Veteran-Friendly Score

9.8% of state population are veterans

80/100

Property Tax Exemption

Up to $1,500 exemption

Partial

Military Retirement Pay

Tax Exempt

Active Duty Pay

Tax Exempt

VA Facilities Access

Adequate

Notable Benefits

Military retirement fully exempt

Explore Idaho counties

Income, housing, poverty, healthcare — ranked by county

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Trending in Idaho

Gov. Little announces record tax refunds - gov.idaho.gov

gov.idaho.gov · Jun 9

Idaho US Sen. Crapo’s 2025 housing survey identifies housing challenges faced by Idahoans - Idaho Capital Sun

Idaho Capital Sun · Jun 6

West Ada School Board votes to leave Idaho School Boards Association over budget concerns - KTVB

KTVB · Jun 10

Idaho housing survey identifies housing challenges - Missoula Current

Missoula Current · Jun 8

Idaho Governor announces record tax refunds issued this year - Yahoo

Yahoo · Jun 9

What Residents Say

Are you thinking about moving to Idaho for low taxes? ...

Groceries/food are taxed. Land/homes prices have gone up! Pay is generally less than WA. Disability Income is not taxed as state income, so a ......

reddit.com ↗

Saskatchewan vs. Idaho (cost of living and home purchase)

Over a 20-year period, that's 48k in tax to Idaho, and 88k in tax to Sask. That's a 44k difference. Add that number to the Sask house, it's now ......

reddit.com ↗

Thinking of moving to Idaho

In Boise he's making 43/hr. State income tax is a flat 5%, property taxes are around .6% to 1% insurance is super cheap and median home prices ......

reddit.com ↗

Is moving to Idaho a good or bad idea? I want to hear from ...

Cost of living is average I'd say. We saw a steep rise after everyone moved to more rural areas during COVID. I lived in Idaho Falls most ......

reddit.com ↗

Cost of Living??? : r/Idaho

Im wondering if anyone can explain to me WHY the rent prices are so high? I was born in Idaho and my entire family lives there. When I turned 18 I moved ......

reddit.com ↗

Is cost of living really going down in Idaho?

Boise is maybe 10-15% cheaper, but minimum wage is 60% lower, and all other wages follow that. I'd been considering moving back to Boise ......

reddit.com ↗

Idaho, Montana, Texas... or? : r/relocating

No state income tax, but property taxes and insurance can be high depending on the area. And as you said, summer heat isn't theoretical — it's a ......

reddit.com ↗

Cost of living : r/Idaho

In CDA: minimum rent for an apartment is around $1,100/month which may include some utilities. You might get lucky and find something cheaper ......

reddit.com ↗

How much should a single person make to live in Meridian ...

Nampa, yes. Meridian or Boise, no. Houses are pretty much all 400k+ so your house payment would be high. Rent isn't much better either. You can ......

reddit.com ↗

Since pandemic, Montana, Idaho have surpassed ...

Idaho actually has one of the highest state fuel taxes in the US, coming in just shy of $0.30 per gallon. Additionally the state has both state and sales tax....

reddit.com ↗

Stay Current

Get notified when Idaho tax laws, gun laws, or social policy changes.

Idaho Guides

relocation

Moving to Idaho: The Pandemic Migration That Stuck

Idaho absorbed one of the largest per-capita population surges of any state during the early 2020s,

Data is informational only. Verify with a tax professional, real estate agent, and local sources before making relocation decisions. Crime data: FBI UCR ~2022. Healthcare: Commonwealth Fund / US News ~2023. Education: Education Week ~2023. Housing: Zillow / Census ACS ~2024. Insurance: rate surveys ~2024. Sponsored links marked “Sponsored” may earn a commission. This does not affect our data or rankings.

Your Priorities

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Quick Profiles

Dial in your priorities

Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable