What it's like to live in Mountain Home
Mountain Home is a small city in Idaho with rent below the national average and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Mountain Home deals with household incomes below the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, cold winters, and hot summers.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Low crime rates
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Mountain Home compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Mountain Home
Based on Mountain Home's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,310
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $46,200 a year
- 39% of Mountain Home renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$61,880
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $30,940
- Homes cost 4.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 18% below US
$1,155/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,155 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $309,400. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $309,400 · 39% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Elmore County is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Elmore County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 42% below US
193 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 520/100k · Mountain Home Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 12% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23 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 hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 28°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, rated 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 39% below US
22% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 22%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
11 public schools inside the boundary
There are 11 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. 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 Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument (45 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Mountain Home's strongest points are rent below the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,155/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Mountain Home
All Idaho guides →Moving to Boise City →
42 mi away · pop. 237,242
Rent $1,446/mo · Income $83,904
Compare with Mountain Home →Moving to Garden City →
46 mi away · pop. 12,654
Rent $1,323/mo · Income $70,124
Compare with Mountain Home →Moving to Meridian →
48 mi away · pop. 130,138
Rent $1,805/mo · Income $100,795
Compare with Mountain Home →Not sure Mountain Home is the one?
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