What it's like to live in Pocatello
Pocatello is a smaller city in Idaho with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Pocatello deals with household incomes below the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, cold winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Clean air
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Pocatello compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Pocatello
Based on Pocatello's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,896
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $37,920 a year
- 46% of Pocatello renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$54,200
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $27,100
- Homes cost 4.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 33% below US
$948/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $948 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $271,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $271,000 · 46% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
331 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 1431/100k · Pocatello Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 38% below US
16 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 16.2 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 21°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 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
33% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 33% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
21 public schools inside the boundary
There are 21 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 Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve (56 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Pocatello'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 cold winters. A year of median rent ($948/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Pocatello
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