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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Let's be honest: Idaho isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Nampa proves it with a cost index of 91 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — , the lowest in Idaho, and we've ranked all 3 contenders to help you fin…
#1 Ranked: Nampa — cost index 91, rent $1,561/mo, income $72,122
Nampa rent up 4% over the past year
2 of 3 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Let's be honest: Idaho isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Nampa proves it with a cost index of 91 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — , the lowest in Idaho, and we've ranked all 3 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
What does daily life actually cost in Nampa? Start with the 26% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 91) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 98) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $72,122 and homes at $408,658 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
Bottom line: Nampa leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
114,268 residents · Idaho
Why Nampa ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 91 on the cost index, residents save roughly 20% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,561/month while the median household pulls in $72,122/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 91, though Healthcare (98) lags behind. Home prices average $408,658 — $58,712 below the national median.
235,421 residents · Idaho
Boise comes in at #2. Rent is $1,703 a month. Household income is $81,308. The cost of living index is 99. It lines up with what you'd expect.
134,801 residents · Idaho
Here's Meridian by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 114. Rent: $1,954/month — we had to double-check this one — . Income: $98,686/year. Home price: $526,393. Population: 134,801. The strongest category is Healthcare at 103; the most expensive is Housing at 114. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $708 more per year vs. the national median. That's a red flag worth investigating further.
Cities are ranked by their utilities cost sub-index within Idaho. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Nampa ranks #1 in Idaho for this analysis with a cost index of 91 and median income of $72,122.
Nampa, ID has the lowest utilities index at 97, compared to the national average of 100.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Nampa (ranked #1) has a cost index of 91 and rent of $1,561/mo, while Meridian (ranked #3) has a cost index of 114 and rent of $1,954/mo — a 23-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Nampa is $1,561/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $334 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Nampa is $408,658, which is 5.7× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Idaho has a 5.695% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.02%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.56%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.