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 2026
Ada County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Idaho. And you should avoid Gooding 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 2026
1. Ada County
Biggest Place: Boise City
Population: 518,935
Median Income: $91,502 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $521,624 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (19th best)
More on Ada County: Data
2. Blaine County
Biggest Place: Hailey
Population: 24,951
Median Income: $92,566 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $1,084,018 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (8th best)
More on Blaine County: Data
3. Teton County
Biggest Place: Victor
Population: 12,425
Median Income: $99,805 (best)
Median Home Price: $864,221 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.2% (2nd best)
More on Teton County: Data
4. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Rigby
Population: 33,154
Median Income: $86,679 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $465,392 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.7% (16th best)
More on Jefferson County: Data
5. Franklin County
Biggest Place: Preston
Population: 15,056
Median Income: $71,950 (15th best)
Median Home Price: $438,371 (14th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.4% (10th best)
More on Franklin County: Data
6. Kootenai County
Biggest Place: Coeur d’Alene
Population: 181,996
Median Income: $81,861 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $596,722 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (2best)
More on Kootenai County: Data
7. Boise County
Biggest Place: Robie Creek
Population: 8,273
Median Income: $78,774 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $477,626 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (22nd best)
More on Boise County: Data
8. Bear Lake County
Biggest Place: Montpelier
Population: 6,650
Median Income: $75,260 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $386,601 (22nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.6% (15th best)
More on Bear Lake County: Data
9. Oneida County
Biggest Place: Malad City
Population: 4,768
Median Income: $74,954 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $336,708 (34th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.4% (3rd best)
More on Oneida County: Data
10. Bonneville County
Biggest Place: Idaho Falls
Population: 129,523
Median Income: $79,068 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $400,909 (19th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (33rd best)
More on Bonneville 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 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best counties to live in Idaho.
Read on to see why Ada County is the best county, while Gooding County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Idaho.
Summary: The Best Counties In Idaho To Call Home For 2026
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, Blaine County, Teton County, Jefferson County, Franklin County, Kootenai County, Boise County, Bear Lake County, Oneida County, and Bonneville 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:
- Gooding County
- Benewah County
- Power County
For more Idaho reading, check out:
- Safest Places In Idaho
- Best Places To Buy A House In Idaho
- Richest Cities In Idaho
- Best Counties To Live In Idaho
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Idaho
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ada County | 518,935 | $91,502 | $521,624 |
| 2 | Blaine County | 24,951 | $92,566 | $1,084,018 |
| 3 | Teton County | 12,425 | $99,805 | $864,221 |
| 4 | Jefferson County | 33,154 | $86,679 | $465,392 |
| 5 | Franklin County | 15,056 | $71,950 | $438,371 |
| 6 | Kootenai County | 181,996 | $81,861 | $596,722 |
| 7 | Boise County | 8,273 | $78,774 | $477,626 |
| 8 | Bear Lake County | 6,650 | $75,260 | $386,601 |
| 9 | Oneida County | 4,768 | $74,954 | $336,708 |
| 10 | Bonneville County | 129,523 | $79,068 | $400,909 |
| 11 | Nez Perce County | 42,697 | $72,599 | $384,385 |
| 12 | Caribou County | 7,162 | $68,782 | $330,405 |
| 13 | Valley County | 12,389 | $76,078 | $675,255 |
| 14 | Fremont County | 13,943 | $72,683 | $471,060 |
| 15 | Payette County | 26,771 | $67,673 | $411,024 |
| 16 | Bonner County | 51,049 | $66,979 | $648,284 |
| 17 | Camas County | 1,124 | $57,955 | $394,862 |
| 18 | Lemhi County | 8,249 | $53,202 | $376,605 |
| 19 | Gem County | 20,614 | $64,605 | $474,995 |
| 20 | Bannock County | 89,454 | $66,499 | $352,606 |
| 21 | Custer County | 4,470 | $67,574 | $384,183 |
| 22 | Canyon County | 250,790 | $76,488 | $414,203 |
| 23 | Twin Falls County | 93,734 | $67,409 | $377,541 |
| 24 | Latah County | 41,049 | $65,424 | $464,968 |
| 25 | Bingham County | 49,664 | $77,878 | $381,816 |
| 26 | Madison County | 54,618 | $60,160 | $411,979 |
| 27 | Idaho County | 17,432 | $66,325 | $353,958 |
| 28 | Boundary County | 13,172 | $67,237 | $459,532 |
| 29 | Cassia County | 25,483 | $70,830 | $344,657 |
| 30 | Owyhee County | 12,503 | $64,406 | $435,050 |
| 31 | Elmore County | 29,321 | $65,359 | $355,620 |
| 32 | Adams County | 4,744 | $61,808 | $509,844 |
| 33 | Lincoln County | 5,358 | $71,453 | $318,969 |
| 34 | Jerome County | 25,173 | $71,724 | $399,325 |
| 35 | Lewis County | 3,682 | $51,615 | $283,683 |
| 36 | Washington County | 11,142 | $54,000 | $380,273 |
| 37 | Clearwater County | 9,012 | $60,000 | $306,782 |
| 38 | Minidoka County | 22,208 | $70,377 | $323,367 |
| 39 | Butte County | 2,684 | $53,015 | $246,053 |
| 40 | Shoshone County | 13,785 | $55,527 | $271,213 |
| 41 | Clark County | 849 | $55,208 | $258,956 |
| 42 | Power County | 8,133 | $61,146 | $267,828 |
| 43 | Benewah County | 10,142 | $59,794 | $329,392 |
| 44 | Gooding County | 15,931 | $63,559 | $353,515 |