How Poor Are You Compared to the Rest of Idaho?

How Many Idaho Households Fall Into Each Income Bracket — And How We Compare to the Nation

If you ever feel like there’s more month than money from your Idaho paycheck, you’re in good company. We did a deep dive into household income in Idaho to see just how we compare to the rest of the US.  Thanks to the latest Census data, we can break down Idaho’s wages by both percentages and number of households. So, let’s see how the Gem State and YOU stack up against the rest of the country.

Idaho’s Household Income Breakdown

Idaho has about 751,000 households statewide. Here’s how those households break down by income:

• Under $50,000: about 31%, or roughly 232,800 households
• $50,000 to $99,999: about 33%, or roughly 247,900 households
• $100,000 to $199,999: about 27%, or roughly 202,800 households
• $200,000 or more: about 9%, or roughly 67,600 households

So almost two-thirds of Idaho households earn less than $100,000 each year, while just under 70,000 households cross the $200,000 mark.

The National Picture

From a national standpoint, household incomes run slightly higher. The median U.S. household income is $80,610 according to the US Census,  compared to Idaho’s $74,800.

Nationally, about one-third of households earn under $50,000 per year, which is on par with Idaho’s 31%. Just under 29% fall in the $50,000 to $99,999 range. 17% earn between $100,000 and $149,999, give or take. And about 12.4% bring in $200,000 or more annually.

Idaho vs. the U.S.

When stacking Idaho’s stats against the rest of the country, a few trends stand out. Idaho has a higher number of households in the $50,000 to $99,999 bracket, meaning we have more middle-income families. That said, we don’t have as many high earners in Idaho. We have fewer households earning $200,000 or more compared to the national average. Bottom line… Idaho sits just below the national curve but still maintains a strong middle class.  Most Idaho households sit somewhere in the middle.

This will come as either good news or bad news, depending on how your paycheck stacks up. If you're not where you want to be, maybe it's time to look for a better gig.