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 places 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 helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, 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.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Gem State for 2021.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Idaho For 2021
Teton County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Idaho. And you might want to avoid Lewis County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move Idaho, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Idaho and the cheapest places to live in Idaho.
The Best Counties To Live In Idaho For 2021
1. Teton County
Biggest Place: Victor
Population: 11,426
Median Income: $74,216 (best)
Median Home Price: $346,600.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.6% (34th best)
More on Teton County: Photos | Data
2. Ada County
Biggest Place: Boise City
Population: 456,849
Median Income: $66,293 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $270,800.0 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (2best)
More on Ada County: Photos | Data
3. Franklin County
Biggest Place: Preston
Population: 13,464
Median Income: $57,215 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $211,900.0 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.5% (2nd best)
More on Franklin County: Photos | Data
4. Valley County
Biggest Place: McCall
Population: 10,709
Median Income: $64,475 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $314,800.0 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.7% (3rd best)
More on Valley County: Data
5. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Rigby
Population: 28,534
Median Income: $63,048 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $203,700.0 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (26th best)
More on Jefferson County: Data
6. Boise County
Biggest Place: Robie Creek
Population: 7,378
Median Income: $59,646 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $232,300.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.4% (30th best)
More on Boise County: Data
7. Oneida County
Biggest Place: Malad City
Population: 4,385
Median Income: $53,841 (15th best)
Median Home Price: $167,100.0 (23rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.1% (best)
More on Oneida County: Data
8. Bonneville County
Biggest Place: Idaho Falls
Population: 114,392
Median Income: $60,615 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $181,200.0 (17th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (13th best)
More on Bonneville County: Photos | Data
9. Kootenai County
Biggest Place: Coeur d’Alene
Population: 157,322
Median Income: $57,242 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $260,300.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.1% (22nd best)
More on Kootenai County: Photos | Data
10. Caribou County
Biggest Place: Soda Springs
Population: 6,953
Median Income: $59,053 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $145,900.0 (39th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (20th best)
More on Caribou County: Photos | Data
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 need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time 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, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Gem State.
Read on to see why Teton County is the best county, while Lewis County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Idaho.
There You Have It – The Best Counties In Idaho To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in Idaho can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Idaho according to the data:
- Lewis County
- Owyhee County
- Shoshone County
For more Idaho reading, check out:
- Best Places To Retire In Idaho
- Safest Places In Idaho
- Cheapest Places To Live In Idaho
- Best Places To Buy A House In Idaho
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Idaho
| County | Rank |
|---|---|
| Teton County | 1 |
| Ada County | 2 |
| Franklin County | 3 |
| Valley County | 4 |
| Jefferson County | 5 |
| Boise County | 6 |
| Oneida County | 7 |
| Bonneville County | 8 |
| Kootenai County | 9 |
| Caribou County | 10 |
| Blaine County | 11 |
| Latah County | 12 |
| Nez Perce County | 13 |
| Bear Lake County | 14 |
| Madison County | 15 |
| Bonner County | 16 |
| Camas County | 17 |
| Idaho County | 18 |
| Bingham County | 19 |
| Custer County | 20 |
| Lemhi County | 21 |
| Boundary County | 22 |
| Fremont County | 23 |
| Twin Falls County | 24 |
| Bannock County | 25 |
| Cassia County | 26 |
| Washington County | 27 |
| Adams County | 28 |
| Gem County | 29 |
| Minidoka County | 30 |
| Payette County | 31 |
| Power County | 32 |
| Canyon County | 33 |
| Clearwater County | 34 |
| Gooding County | 35 |
| Jerome County | 36 |
| Elmore County | 37 |
| Lincoln County | 38 |
| Benewah County | 39 |
| Butte County | 40 |
| Clark County | 41 |
| Shoshone County | 42 |
| Owyhee County | 43 |
| Lewis County | 44 |
