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Living in Idaho · 2026

Is $125,000 enough to live in Idaho?

Single adult · ID · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Very comfortable

Monthly take-home

$7,439

Avg monthly expenses

$2,057

Avg monthly surplus

$5,382

Savings potential

~72%

After-tax take-home in Idaho

Gross salary$125,000
Federal income tax− $18,914
State income tax− $7,250
Social Security− $7,750
Medicare− $1,813
Annual take-home$89,273
Effective tax rate28.58%

How $125,000 feels in Idaho cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL

Boise

COL index: 1.08× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,400
Food
$462
Transport
$189
Utilities
$178
Healthcare
$216
Total: $2,445/mo
Surplus: $4,994/mo
Rent burden: 18.8% — Affordable (< 25%)
Full Boise analysis →

Meridian

COL index: 0.80× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$850
Food
$466
Transport
$140
Utilities
$132
Healthcare
$160
Total: $1,748/mo
Surplus: $5,691/mo
Rent burden: 11.4% — Affordable (< 25%)
Full Meridian analysis →

Nampa

COL index: 0.98× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,200
Food
$431
Transport
$172
Utilities
$162
Healthcare
$196
Total: $2,161/mo
Surplus: $5,278/mo
Rent burden: 16.1% — Affordable (< 25%)
Full Nampa analysis →

Idaho Falls

COL index: 0.93× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,100
Food
$418
Transport
$163
Utilities
$153
Healthcare
$186
Total: $2,020/mo
Surplus: $5,419/mo
Rent burden: 14.8% — Affordable (< 25%)
Full Idaho Falls analysis →

Pocatello

COL index: 0.88× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,000
Food
$405
Transport
$154
Utilities
$145
Healthcare
$176
Total: $1,880/mo
Surplus: $5,559/mo
Rent burden: 13.4% — Affordable (< 25%)
Full Pocatello analysis →

Caldwell

COL index: 0.95× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,150
Food
$422
Transport
$166
Utilities
$157
Healthcare
$190
Total: $2,085/mo
Surplus: $5,354/mo
Rent burden: 15.5% — Affordable (< 25%)
Full Caldwell analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $7,439 ($89,268/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%
Needs50%

$3,720

per month

  • ›Rent / mortgage
  • ›Groceries
  • ›Utilities
  • ›Insurance
  • ›Minimum debt payments
  • ›Transportation
Wants30%

$2,232

per month

  • ›Dining out
  • ›Streaming services
  • ›Gym
  • ›Hobbies
  • ›Travel
  • ›Shopping
Savings20%

$1,488

per month

  • ›Emergency fund
  • ›401(k) / IRA
  • ›Investments
  • ›Down payment fund
  • ›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$44,634

Wants / year

$26,780

Savings / year

$17,854

Salary Intelligence

Excellent salary in Boise

At $125,000, housing costs only 19% of take-home income — well below the 25% threshold. This leaves strong room for savings, discretionary spending, and wealth building.

Lifestyle score: 7.6/10 (Very Good)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $125,000 salary comfortably supports a very good single lifestyle in Boise, Idaho, with approximately $4,994/month (~67% of take-home) available for savings — meeting or exceeding the recommended 20% savings rate.

Purchasing Power

Boise is near the national cost-of-living average (index: 1.08). $125,000 here is roughly equivalent to $214,120 in San Francisco or $101,852 in an affordable city like Birmingham.

State & National Benchmark

$125,000 is 206% above the Idaho individual median of $40,800 and 123% above the US national individual median of $56,000. This is a top-quartile income in this state.

State individual median

$40,800

+206%

State household median

$70,214

+78%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)
401(k) Age 50+ Catch-Up Contribution — Up to $2,775 additional tax savings (37% bracket)

$125,000 vs. Idaho income benchmarks

Individual median (Idaho)

$40,800

+206% vs. this salary

Household median (Idaho)

$70,214

+78% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Idaho

$40,000$60,000$100,000$150,000$200,000$300,000
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Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

Data updated monthly using government datasets.