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Living in
Mountain Home.
About
Life in Mountain Home
Living in Mountain Home means settling into a genuinely quiet mid-sized Idaho city where the economy is anchored by Mountain Home Air Force Base 12 miles away—a major employer that brings stability and a younger, family-oriented demographic to town. The job market is solid with an unemployment rate around 4.2 percent, though beyond the base and government work, options can feel limited—many people here either work at the air base or commute 45 minutes northwest to Boise for better career opportunities. Winters are short and cold, summers are hot and dry with that semi-arid climate, so if you hate intense heat you'll struggle July through September, but the trade-off is low rainfall and plenty of sunshine most of the year.
Mountain Home at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
31.7 yrs
Poverty Rate
11.4%
Foreign-Born
9.2%
Broadband Internet
93.0%
of households
Population Growth
+4.6%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics9.2% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in Mountain Home: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Mountain Home, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (32.3%), and 8.3% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
25.1%
of residents
65 and Older
13.2%
of residents
Households with Kids
34.3%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
31.4%
of households
Married Couples
43.5%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.54
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 7% below ID average
Rent, home values, and income in Mountain Home
In Mountain Home, rent runs 7% below the ID average, and home values are 26% below the ID average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
38.7%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
13.4%
spending 50%+
Median Property Tax
$1,863
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
67.1%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1989
median year built
Vacant Homes
4.2%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $360,315 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.6 pts above ID average
Unemployment in Mountain Home
Unemployment in Elmore County, which includes Mountain Home, is 0.6 percentage points higher than the ID average.
Unemployment rate
Mountain Home: Elmore County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Elmore County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Mountain Home Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute23 min avg
How Mountain Home residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Mountain Home, most residents drive alone to work (88%), and 76% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 40 mi
Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field (BOI)
Medium hub2.6M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 42% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Mountain Home runs 42% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
192.6
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
519.6
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Mountain Home Police Department
Natural DisastersHeavy Snow most common — 6 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Low
52.0 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Elmore County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Elmore County, which includes Mountain Home, the most common type is heavy snow, with 6 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2024 | 25 | Heavy Snow | None reported |
| 2023 | 12 | Heavy Rain | None reported |
| 2022 | 13 | Heavy Snow | None reported |
| 2021 | 12 | Heavy Snow | None reported |
| 2020 | 4 | High Wind | None reported |
| 2019 | 12 | Heavy Snow | None reported |
| 2018 | 4 | Heavy Snow | Not estimated |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
19 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Elmore County, county-wide
Air Quality42 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Ada County, ID (the nearest EPA-monitored county, about 35 miles from Mountain Home) is typically good — 270 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
42
Good Days
270
per year
Moderate Days
95
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Nearest EPA monitor county: Ada County, ID (35 mi away)
Climate92°F summers, 28°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Mountain Home has hot summers (avg high 92°F) and cold winters (avg low 28°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
68°/41°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
92°/58°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
69°/40°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
46°/28°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
10.7"
Hot Days/Year
65
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
139
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
50
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°F | 27°F | 0.97" |
| Feb | 51°F | 29°F | 0.48" |
| Mar | 61°F | 35°F | 0.73" |
| Apr | 68°F | 40°F | 0.72" |
| May | 76°F | 48°F | 1.17" |
| Jun | 85°F | 55°F | 0.60" |
| Jul | 96°F | 61°F | 0.14" |
| Aug | 94°F | 58°F | 0.13" |
| Sep | 84°F | 49°F | 0.26" |
| Oct | 70°F | 40°F | 0.62" |
| Nov | 54°F | 32°F | 0.61" |
| Dec | 43°F | 26°F | 0.95" |
Healthcare1 hospital, avg 5.0/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Mountain Home
Mountain Home has 1 hospital, averaging 5.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating — above-average care.
Hospitals
1
within city limits
Uninsured
6.2%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
5.0 / 5
St Luke's Elmore Medical Center
Critical Access Hospitals · ER available
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education19.1:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Mountain Home
Mountain Home's student/teacher ratio is 19.1:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 22.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
11
within city limits
Private Schools
2
within city limits
College Degree Rate
22.0%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
19.1:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Parks & Recreationclosest: Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, 45 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Mountain Home
Mountain Home has 2 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument (45 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
National Monument
45 mi awayMinidoka National Historic Site
National Historic Site
80 mi awayPublic Libraries in Mountain Home
Mountain Home Public
790 N 10th E, Mountain Home
Cities Near Mountain Home
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Mountain Home?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Mountain Home FAQ
Is Mountain Home, Idaho affordable?⌄
Mountain Home's median rent is $1,155/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $63,125/year. Median home value is $309,400.
Is Mountain Home, Idaho safe?⌄
Mountain Home's violent crime rate was 193 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 520 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Mountain Home, Idaho?⌄
Elmore County, which includes Mountain Home, has an unemployment rate of 4.3%, which is close to the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Mountain Home, Idaho?⌄
The cost of living in Mountain Home is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,155/month and median household income is $63,125/year. The median home value is $309,400. About 39% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Mountain Home, Idaho?⌄
The average commute in Mountain Home is 23 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from