What it's like to live in Post Falls
Post Falls is a small city in Idaho with crime rates well below the national average 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. Post Falls deals with home prices well above the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, cold winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Low crime rates
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- High home prices
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Post Falls compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Post Falls
Based on Post Falls's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,938
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $58,760 a year
- 49% of Post Falls renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$95,480
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $47,740
- Homes cost 5.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,469/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,469 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are steep, with a median around $477,400. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $477,400 · 49% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 12% above US
4.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.8%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 49% below US
168 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 737/100k · Post Falls Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.1 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 79°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 26°F and snow a regular occurrence.
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▼ 30% below US
25% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 25%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
14 public schools inside the boundary
There are 14 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (72 miles away).
Bottom line
Post Falls's strongest points are crime rates well below the national average and a population that has grown fast since 2020; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,469/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Post Falls
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