What it's like to live in Eagle
Eagle is a small city in Idaho with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Eagle deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Eagle compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Eagle
Based on Eagle's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,530
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $70,600 a year
- 55% of Eagle renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$154,580
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $77,290
- Homes cost 6.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 25% above US
$1,765/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,765 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $772,900. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $772,900 · 55% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 19% below US
3.5% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.5%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety
144 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Eagle doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Ada County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 326/100k · Policed by Ada County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 29% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 88°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 24°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 60% above US
58% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument (97 miles away).
Bottom line
Eagle's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,765/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (29% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Eagle
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