Cost of living in Mountain Home research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Mountain Home is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Idaho, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Mountain Home is 100, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Mountain Home is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Mountain Home ranks as the #15 cheapest in Idaho out of 33.
Mountain Home ranks as the #2,621 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Mountain Home is $357,002.
The median income in Mountain Home is $58,486.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Mountain Home has an overall cost of living index of 100, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Idaho, Mountain Home has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Idaho's index of 94.
The standard of living in Mountain Home ranks as #15 most affordable out of the 33 places we measured in Idaho. By definition, that implies Mountain Home ranks as the #18 most expensive place in the Gem State.
For more reading on life in Mountain Home, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Mountain Home. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Mountain Home is 107.
The Groceries index in Mountain Home is 105.
The Health index in Mountain Home is 103.
The Housing index in Mountain Home is 83.
The Transportation index in Mountain Home is 112.
The Utilities index in Mountain Home is 86.
| Living Expense | Mountain Home | Idaho | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 100 | 94 | 100 | |
| Services | 107 | 99 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 105 | 103 | 100 | |
| Health | 103 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 83 | 86 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 112 | 103 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 86 | 86 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Idaho, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Mountain Home is $357,002.
The Median Rent in Mountain Home is $1,061.
The Median Income in Mountain Home is $58,486.
The Home Value To Income in Mountain Home is 6.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Mountain Home is 0.22x.
| Statistic | Mountain Home | Idaho | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $357,002 | $468,436 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,061 | $1,150 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $58,486 | $74,636 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.1x | 6.3x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.22x | 0.18x | 0.21x |
| Item | Mountain Home | Idaho |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.21 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.6 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $18.53 | $18 |
| Haircut | $27.88 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $41.57 | $45.56 |
| Item | Mountain Home | Idaho |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.96 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.46 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.91 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.57 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $11.56 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.59 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $4.22 | $3.7 |
| Item | Mountain Home | Idaho |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $152.62 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $150.9 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $97.0 | $113.29 |
| Item | Mountain Home | Idaho |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.6 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $75.93 | $59.92 |
| Item | Mountain Home | Idaho |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $154.2 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $176.97 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Mountain Home. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Meridian, ID has a cost of living index of 116, 1.2x Mountain Home.
Kuna, ID has a cost of living index of 112, 1.1x Mountain Home.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Mountain Home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meridian, ID | 124,865 | 116 | 1.2x |
| Kuna, ID | 25,960 | 112 | 1.1x |