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Living in Idaho · 2026

Is $42,000 enough to live in Idaho?

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

Statewide verdict:Comfortable

Monthly take-home

$2,785

Avg monthly expenses

$2,057

Avg monthly surplus

$728

Savings potential

~26%

After-tax take-home in Idaho

Gross salary$42,000
Federal income tax− $2,934
State income tax− $2,436
Social Security− $2,604
Medicare− $609
Annual take-home$33,417
Effective tax rate20.44%

How $42,000 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

Manageable
Rent (1BR)
$1,400
Food
$462
Transport
$189
Utilities
$178
Healthcare
$216
Total: $2,445/mo
Surplus: $340/mo
Rent burden: 50.3% — Unaffordable (> 50%)
Full Boise analysis →

Meridian

COL index: 0.80× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$850
Food
$466
Transport
$140
Utilities
$132
Healthcare
$160
Total: $1,748/mo
Surplus: $1,037/mo
Rent burden: 30.5% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Meridian analysis →

Nampa

COL index: 0.98× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,200
Food
$431
Transport
$172
Utilities
$162
Healthcare
$196
Total: $2,161/mo
Surplus: $624/mo
Rent burden: 43.1% — High (35–50%)
Full Nampa analysis →

Idaho Falls

COL index: 0.93× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,100
Food
$418
Transport
$163
Utilities
$153
Healthcare
$186
Total: $2,020/mo
Surplus: $765/mo
Rent burden: 39.5% — High (35–50%)
Full Idaho Falls analysis →

Pocatello

COL index: 0.88× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,000
Food
$405
Transport
$154
Utilities
$145
Healthcare
$176
Total: $1,880/mo
Surplus: $905/mo
Rent burden: 35.9% — High (35–50%)
Full Pocatello analysis →

Caldwell

COL index: 0.95× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,150
Food
$422
Transport
$166
Utilities
$157
Healthcare
$190
Total: $2,085/mo
Surplus: $700/mo
Rent burden: 41.3% — High (35–50%)
Full Caldwell analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $2,785 ($33,420/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%
Needs50%

$1,393

per month

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

$836

per month

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

$557

per month

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

Needs / year

$16,710

Wants / year

$10,026

Savings / year

$6,684

Salary Intelligence

Financial pressure in Boise

Rent alone would take 50% of take-home income. This salary creates significant financial pressure in this city — a $56,000 annual income or lower rent is needed to reach affordability.

Lifestyle score: 3.7/10 (Challenging)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $42,000 salary supports a challenging single lifestyle in Boise, Idaho. After essential expenses, approximately $340/month (~12% of take-home) is available for savings or discretionary spending.

Purchasing Power

Boise is near the national cost-of-living average (index: 1.08). $42,000 here is roughly equivalent to $71,944 in San Francisco or $34,222 in an affordable city like Birmingham.

State & National Benchmark

$42,000 is slightly above the Idaho individual median of $40,800 (+3%). The state household median is $70,214.

State individual median

$40,800

+3%

State household median

$70,214

-40%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)
Contribute to a Traditional IRA — Up to $1,540 in federal tax (22% bracket)

$42,000 vs. Idaho income benchmarks

Individual median (Idaho)

$40,800

+3% vs. this salary

Household median (Idaho)

$70,214

-40% 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.