Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Idaho a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Idaho.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Gem State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Idaho, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 44 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Idaho For 2024
Ada County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Idaho. And you should avoid Shoshone County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Idaho. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Idaho and the cheapest places to live in Idaho.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Idaho For 2024
1. Ada County
Biggest Place: Boise City
Population: 497,494
Median Income: $83,881 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $493,663 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (17th best)
More on Ada County: Data
2. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Rigby
Population: 31,383
Median Income: $77,491 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $437,130 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.4% (10th best)
More on Jefferson County: Data
3. Blaine County
Biggest Place: Hailey
Population: 24,248
Median Income: $81,794 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $935,226 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.3% (9th best)
More on Blaine County: Data
4. Kootenai County
Biggest Place: Coeur d’Alene
Population: 173,396
Median Income: $71,949 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $542,727 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (15th best)
More on Kootenai County: Data
5. Teton County
Biggest Place: Victor
Population: 11,813
Median Income: $88,906 (best)
Median Home Price: $782,911 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.6% (4th best)
More on Teton County: Data
6. Valley County
Biggest Place: McCall
Population: 11,830
Median Income: $72,878 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $654,761 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.5% (3rd best)
More on Valley County: Data
7. Boise County
Biggest Place: Robie Creek
Population: 7,809
Median Income: $70,776 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $428,292 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (20th best)
More on Boise County: Data
8. Franklin County
Biggest Place: Preston
Population: 14,376
Median Income: $61,679 (25th best)
Median Home Price: $403,132 (14th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.1% (2nd best)
More on Franklin County: Data
9. Bonneville County
Biggest Place: Idaho Falls
Population: 124,490
Median Income: $73,103 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $373,018 (20th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (34th best)
More on Bonneville County: Data
10. Oneida County
Biggest Place: Malad City
Population: 4,572
Median Income: $67,383 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $308,448 (35th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.7% (best)
More on Oneida County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Idaho county is the best?
To give you the best county in Idaho, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Idaho across each of the criteria from one to 44, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Idaho.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Gem State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Idaho.
Read on to see why Ada County is the best county, while Shoshone County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Idaho.
Summary: The Best Counties In Idaho To Call Home For 2024
Living in Idaho can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Idaho are Ada County, Jefferson County, Blaine County, Kootenai County, Teton County, Valley County, Boise County, Franklin County, Bonneville County, and Oneida County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Idaho according to the data:
- Shoshone County
- Power County
- Lincoln County
For more Idaho reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Idaho
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Idaho
- Best Places To Retire In Idaho
- Cheapest Places To Live In Idaho
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Idaho
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ada County | 497,494 | $83,881 | $493,663 |
| 2 | Jefferson County | 31,383 | $77,491 | $437,130 |
| 3 | Blaine County | 24,248 | $81,794 | $935,226 |
| 4 | Kootenai County | 173,396 | $71,949 | $542,727 |
| 5 | Teton County | 11,813 | $88,906 | $782,911 |
| 6 | Valley County | 11,830 | $72,878 | $654,761 |
| 7 | Boise County | 7,809 | $70,776 | $428,292 |
| 8 | Franklin County | 14,376 | $61,679 | $403,132 |
| 9 | Bonneville County | 124,490 | $73,103 | $373,018 |
| 10 | Oneida County | 4,572 | $67,383 | $308,448 |
| 11 | Caribou County | 7,058 | $65,380 | $288,559 |
| 12 | Bear Lake County | 6,436 | $63,244 | $373,319 |
| 13 | Gem County | 19,250 | $65,204 | $444,262 |
| 14 | Bonner County | 47,976 | $61,816 | $615,297 |
| 15 | Latah County | 39,872 | $62,258 | $427,849 |
| 16 | Canyon County | 235,006 | $68,473 | $395,763 |
| 17 | Nez Perce County | 42,200 | $65,023 | $358,955 |
| 18 | Lemhi County | 8,043 | $49,216 | $361,772 |
| 19 | Camas County | 1,133 | $63,750 | $341,358 |
| 20 | Bingham County | 48,253 | $69,433 | $338,726 |
| 21 | Cassia County | 24,859 | $63,525 | $327,033 |
| 22 | Payette County | 25,571 | $62,721 | $381,204 |
| 23 | Bannock County | 87,434 | $60,998 | $330,693 |
| 24 | Fremont County | 13,519 | $67,015 | $406,407 |
| 25 | Custer County | 4,344 | $60,357 | $313,948 |
| 26 | Twin Falls County | 90,592 | $61,183 | $353,698 |
| 27 | Madison County | 52,487 | $53,025 | $389,753 |
| 28 | Adams County | 4,464 | $55,891 | $473,290 |
| 29 | Idaho County | 16,787 | $54,745 | $333,058 |
| 30 | Boundary County | 12,335 | $58,810 | $449,280 |
| 31 | Owyhee County | 12,043 | $58,440 | $394,014 |
| 32 | Butte County | 2,605 | $37,358 | $259,572 |
| 33 | Jerome County | 24,474 | $67,347 | $366,036 |
| 34 | Clearwater County | 8,810 | $55,885 | $287,412 |
| 35 | Clark County | 756 | $53,500 | $255,976 |
| 36 | Washington County | 10,612 | $50,046 | $328,323 |
| 37 | Minidoka County | 21,626 | $63,594 | $299,604 |
| 38 | Elmore County | 28,752 | $55,000 | $335,785 |
| 39 | Lewis County | 3,630 | $46,484 | $252,367 |
| 40 | Gooding County | 15,520 | $60,938 | $322,684 |
| 41 | Benewah County | 9,731 | $54,191 | $324,019 |
| 42 | Lincoln County | 5,203 | $62,250 | $294,427 |
| 43 | Power County | 7,918 | $56,671 | $284,210 |
| 44 | Shoshone County | 13,399 | $44,807 | $270,885 |