What it's like to live in Kuna
Kuna is a small city in Idaho with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, a population that has grown fast since 2020, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Kuna deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and cold winters.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Kuna compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Kuna
Based on Kuna's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,548
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $70,960 a year
- 30% of Kuna renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$84,780
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $42,390
- Homes cost 4.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 26% above US
$1,774/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,774 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $423,900. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $423,900 · 30% 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
Kuna 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 around▲ 11% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 88°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 27°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 21% below US
29% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 29%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
12 public schools inside the boundary
There are 12 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument (87 miles away).
Bottom line
Kuna'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 ($1,774/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Kuna
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