What it's like to live in Jerome
Jerome is a small city in Idaho with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Jerome deals with household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Short commutes
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Jerome compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Jerome
Based on Jerome's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,894
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $37,880 a year
- 29% of Jerome renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$45,080
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $22,540
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 33% below US
$947/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $947 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $225,400. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $225,400 · 29% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Jerome County is 3.3%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Jerome County (county-wide)
SafetyNear US average
356 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 414/100k · Jerome Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 15% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 23°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 69% below US
11% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Minidoka National Historic Site (14 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Jerome's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($947/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low). It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Jerome
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