Looking to find a gem of a place to retire in the Gem State?
Look no further, because we’ve used Saturday Night Science to determine the hottest spots in Idaho to call home for those looking to permanently hang up their office apparel.
Idaho may not immediately come to mind when thinking of states to retire in, but if you’re an outdoors enthusiast with nothing but time on your hands, it’s got a lot going for it. Those that want to keep fit with winter sports will love having access to Sun Valley in Sawtooth National Recreation Forest. For folks who prefer hiking, there’s Hell’s Canyon, which will, names aside, provide heavenly trails and (for those without heart conditions) intense whitewater rafting. And if you just want to kick back and enjoy some startling beauty, there’s Idaho’s Shoshone Falls, also known as “the Niagara of the west.”
So just where are the best places to retire in Idaho? Most of these places are off the beaten track, with most being a few hours away from the nearest big cities.
Grab your baked potatoes, settle down beside Lake Coeur d’Alene, and read on to learn the best places to retire in Idaho.
$927 median rent · $45,292 median income · #6 cheapest rent in Idaho
Weiser is a city in the rural western part of the U.S. state of Idaho and the county seat of Washington County. With its mild climate, the city supports farm, orchard, and livestock endeavors in the vicinity. The city sits at the confluence of the Weiser River with the great Snake River, which marks the border with Oregon. The population was 5,507 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,125 median rent · $72,289 median income · #16 cheapest rent in Idaho
Located in
Bonner County, Idaho
Sandpoint is the largest town in, and the county seat of, Bonner County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 7,365 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$811 median rent · $61,039 median income · #2 cheapest rent in Idaho
Preston is a city in Franklin County, Idaho, United States. The population was 5,204 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Franklin County. It is part of the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$927 median rent · $57,022 median income · #6 cheapest rent in Idaho
Located in
Latah County, Idaho
Moscow is a city in northern Idaho along the state border with Washington, with a population of 23,800 at the 2010 census. The county seat and largest city of Latah County, Moscow is the home of the University of Idaho, the state’s land grant institution and primary research university, as well as the home of New Saint Andrews College, a Christian liberal arts college.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
$839 median rent · $64,032 median income · #4 cheapest rent in Idaho
Located in
Bingham County, Idaho
Blackfoot is a city in Bingham County, Idaho, United States. The population was 11,899 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Bingham County. Blackfoot boasts the largest potato industry in any one area, and is known as the “Potato Capital of the World.” It is the site of the Idaho Potato Museum, and the home of the world’s largest baked potato and potato chip. Blackfoot is also the location of the Eastern Idaho State Fair, which operates between Labor Day weekend and the following weekend.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$837 median rent · $55,208 median income · #3 cheapest rent in Idaho
Located in
Payette County, Idaho
Payette is a city in and the county seat of Payette County, Idaho, United States. The population was 7,433 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ontario, ORID Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,042 median rent · $58,750 median income · #12 cheapest rent in Idaho
Located in
Gem County, Idaho
Emmett is a city in Gem County, Idaho, United States. The population was 6,557 at the 2010 census, up from 5,490 in 2000. It is the county seat and the only city in the county. Emmett is part of the BoiseNampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,460 median rent · $90,760 median income · #25 cheapest rent in Idaho
Located in
Blaine County, Idaho
Hailey is a city in and the county seat of Blaine County, in the Wood River Valley of the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho.
The city is named after John Hailey, a two-time Congressional delegate from the Idaho Territory.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,027 median rent · $72,197 median income · #11 cheapest rent in Idaho
Located in
Nez Perce County, Idaho
Lewiston is a city in north central Idaho and the county seat of Nez Perce County. It is the second-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d’Alene, and ninth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID – Clarkston, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Nez Perce County and Asotin County, Washington. As of the 2010 census, the population of Lewiston was 31,894, up from 30,904 in 2000.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,127 median rent · $97,799 median income · #17 cheapest rent in Idaho
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Idaho’s statewide median.
Idaho statewide median: $77,800
Idaho statewide median: $473,335
On the map
Where to retire in Idaho
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Gem State for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in Idaho to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Gem State — 224 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 5,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 28 places from across the state.
For these 28, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 28, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Weiser, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in Idaho.
The full plate
Best Places To Retire In Idaho
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Retire Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weiser | 6.90 | 5,935 | $45,292 | $363,062 | $927 |
| 2 | Sandpoint | 8.60 | 9,637 | $72,289 | $632,345 | $1,125 |
| 3 | Preston | 9.00 | 5,928 | $61,039 | $431,655 | $811 |
| 4 | Moscow | 10.70 | 26,286 | $57,022 | $467,640 | $927 |
| 5 | Blackfoot | 11.00 | 12,782 | $64,032 | $369,865 | $839 |
| 6 | Payette | 12.00 | 8,536 | $55,208 | $368,362 | $837 |
| 7 | Emmett | 12.00 | 8,275 | $58,750 | $455,351 | $1,042 |
| 8 | Hailey | 12.20 | 9,665 | $90,760 | $900,673 | $1,460 |
| 9 | Lewiston | 12.60 | 34,651 | $72,197 | $382,188 | $1,027 |
| 10 | Kimberly | 12.60 | 5,111 | $97,799 | $448,259 | $1,127 |
| 11 | Rupert | 12.80 | 6,190 | $54,741 | $326,313 | $856 |
| 12 | Jerome | 13.50 | 12,930 | $66,894 | $399,693 | $947 |
| 13 | Fruitland | 14.20 | 6,663 | $65,457 | $409,435 | $798 |
| 14 | Rathdrum | 14.60 | 10,874 | $86,563 | $574,778 | $1,459 |
| 15 | Coeur d’Alene | 15.20 | 56,447 | $72,338 | $599,946 | $1,468 |
| 16 | Rexburg | 15.20 | 40,543 | $50,617 | $420,170 | $1,004 |
| 17 | Pocatello | 15.40 | 57,635 | $60,418 | $336,559 | $948 |
| 18 | Post Falls | 16.00 | 43,391 | $82,183 | $526,055 | $1,469 |
| 19 | Middleton | 16.60 | 10,649 | $89,013 | $499,966 | $1,147 |
| 20 | Chubbuck | 16.80 | 16,126 | $82,977 | $379,219 | $1,048 |
| 21 | Rigby | 17.00 | 5,404 | $85,056 | $472,610 | $1,180 |
| 22 | Idaho Falls | 17.10 | 67,725 | $73,110 | $395,035 | $1,075 |
| 23 | Twin Falls | 17.20 | 54,164 | $61,205 | $367,064 | $1,082 |
| 24 | Mountain Home | 17.20 | 16,493 | $63,125 | $358,404 | $1,155 |
| 25 | Shelley | 17.40 | 5,092 | $77,563 | $429,812 | $1,265 |
| 26 | Meridian | 18.40 | 130,138 | $100,795 | $526,994 | $1,805 |
| 27 | Nampa | 21.20 | 110,319 | $74,279 | $412,277 | $1,420 |
| 28 | Caldwell | 22.60 | 66,516 | $73,058 | $396,876 | $1,264 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, OpenFlights. 28 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Idaho Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Idaho goes to Weiser.
The best places to retire in Idaho are Weiser, Sandpoint, Preston, Moscow, Blackfoot, Payette, Emmett, Hailey, Lewiston, and Kimberly.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley. Not sold on Idaho? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
