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Living in Idaho · 2026

Is $55,000 enough to live in Idaho?

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

Statewide verdict:Very comfortable

Monthly take-home

$3,592

Avg monthly expenses

$2,057

Avg monthly surplus

$1,535

Savings potential

~43%

After-tax take-home in Idaho

Gross salary$55,000
Federal income tax− $4,494
State income tax− $3,190
Social Security− $3,410
Medicare− $798
Annual take-home$43,108
Effective tax rate21.62%

How $55,000 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

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,400
Food
$462
Transport
$189
Utilities
$178
Healthcare
$216
Total: $2,445/mo
Surplus: $1,147/mo
Rent burden: 39.0% — High (35–50%)
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: $1,844/mo
Rent burden: 23.7% — Affordable (< 25%)
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: $1,431/mo
Rent burden: 33.4% — Manageable (25–35%)
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: $1,572/mo
Rent burden: 30.6% — Manageable (25–35%)
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: $1,712/mo
Rent burden: 27.8% — Manageable (25–35%)
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: $1,507/mo
Rent burden: 32.0% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Caldwell analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $3,592 ($43,104/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%
Needs50%

$1,796

per month

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

$1,078

per month

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

$718

per month

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

Needs / year

$21,552

Wants / year

$12,931

Savings / year

$8,621

Salary Intelligence

Below comfortable level in Boise

Rent would consume 39% of take-home income — above the 35% stress threshold. A higher salary or lower-cost housing is needed for financial stability in this city.

Lifestyle score: 6.2/10 (Good)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $55,000 salary comfortably supports a good single lifestyle in Boise, Idaho, with approximately $1,147/month (~32% 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). $55,000 here is roughly equivalent to $94,213 in San Francisco or $44,815 in an affordable city like Birmingham.

State & National Benchmark

$55,000 is 35% above the Idaho individual median ($40,800) and 2% below the US national median of $56,000.

State individual median

$40,800

+35%

State household median

$70,214

-22%

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)

$55,000 vs. Idaho income benchmarks

Individual median (Idaho)

$40,800

+35% vs. this salary

Household median (Idaho)

$70,214

-22% 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.