Custer
Idaho

What stands out

Three things set Custer County apart from the other 3,142 counties: the share working from home is among the highest in America (28%), the overdose death rate is among the lowest in America (-999 per 100,000), and the average commute is in the bottom 2% of American counties (13 minutes). Within Idaho it ranks 1st of 44 counties for the share working from home.

Where you are

You live in Custer County, Idaho. 4,344 people live here with you, so most faces are familiar. The population held steady at 0.1% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +38).

Idaho has a flat 5.3% income tax and grew faster than almost any state between 2015 and 2023, driven by arrivals from California and Washington to the Boise area. Home prices in Ada County more than doubled in that stretch. The state offers a property-tax reduction for lower-income seniors and taxes Social Security for nobody.

Money

The typical household here brings in $60,357 a year, higher than 50% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $45,656. Unemployment runs 3.2%, lower than 57% of American counties. 28% of workers work from home; for the rest the average commute is 13 minutes each way.

Idaho takes 4.9% of that median income in state income tax, about $2,944 a year.

Home

The median home costs $398K, pricier than 86% of American counties, about 3.8 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $628 a month. Property tax is 0.34% of home value, roughly $946 a year on that median home, lower than 97% of American counties. 78% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 4.0 per 1,000 residents, higher than 58% of American counties.

A child born here can expect to live 76.9 years, longer than 63% of American counties. There is 1 active physician in the county, about 2.3 per 10,000 people. 12.6% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

91% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 54 points, among the most lopsided counties in the country. 80% of eligible voters turned out. Under Idaho law you can carry a concealed handgun without a permit, abortion is banned with narrow exceptions, and marijuana is illegal.

Weather and risk

The year averages 41°F, highs near 53 and lows near 28, colder than 98% of American counties. About 25 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 16 out of 100, safer than 84% of American counties; the county has had 7 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 69 Mbps down, slower than 95% of American counties. There are 12 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 1.6 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people.