States › Idaho › Mountain Home

Is Mountain Home, ID expensive to live in?

ExpensiveRent takes 31 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,7361% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$68,080about $5,673/month · 22% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$309,4007% lower than U.S. average

Rent is higher than in 54% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 4.5 years of household income.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $69,440 a year. That is $33 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other Idaho cities?

No. Rent here is more expensive than in most of Idaho. It is number 26 of 36 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Mountain Home
$1,736
Hayden
$1,812
Chubbuck
$1,691
Star
$2,739
Ammon
$1,906
Jerome
$1,647
Blackfoot
$1,165

How much do households earn in Mountain Home?

Under $25k
11.7%
$25k–50k
30.9%
$50k–100k
34.7%
$100k–150k
14.9%
$150k+
4.2%

Share of households by yearly income. 19.2% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Mountain Home

SizeMountain HomeU.S. average
1 bedroom$995$1,324
2 bedrooms$1,127$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,498$1,698
4 bedrooms$1,562$2,098

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Mountain Home overall?

Everyday prices in Idaho overall are 5% below the U.S. average (index 95.5, U.S. = 100).

Housing
90
Goods (food, clothes…)
96
Utilities
70
Other services
99
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Mountain Home, so the Idaho figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Mountain Home

🏛️ Property tax$1,863a year · 0.60% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$97a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Mountain Home

Commute to work23 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree22%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home67.1%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line11.4%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment6.1%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Mountain Home?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $411 a month less.

Renting
$1,736
Owning
$2,147

Owning assumes a typical $309,400 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $30,940 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Mountain Home, ID?

Renting in Mountain Home costs a median of about $1,736 a month in 2026, including utilities. The Idaho median is $1,565.

How much do I need to make to live in Mountain Home?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $69,440 a year, or $33 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Mountain Home cheap or expensive?

Mountain Home is rated Expensive: rent takes 30.6% of the typical household income of $68,080. It ranks 26th cheapest of 36 Idaho cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Mountain Home?

The median homeowner in Mountain Home pays $1,863 a year in property taxes, about 0.60% of the median home value.

Is Mountain Home more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in Idaho are 5% below the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Mountain Home?

The median home value in Mountain Home is $309,400, about 4.5 times the typical yearly household income.

16,493 people live in Mountain Home. Numbers are typical (middle) values.