Idaho

How Idaho ranks among the states

Idaho ranks 38th most distressed on the State Distress Index. The debt balance is high, but the shares of people behind on their bills are low. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York counted $69,450 in household debt per person with a credit report at the end of 2025, 15th highest. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found 12.3% with a debt at least 90 days late in early 2025, tied for 12th lowest. The panels count different things and cover different dates.

Idaho’s score is above its 2020 low, but below its 2012 high

Is Idaho expensive to live in?

Idaho’s median monthly gross rent was $1,238 over 2020 to 2024, below the U.S. $1,413 (U.S. Census Bureau). Still, 23.4% of Idaho renters spent at least half their income on rent and utilities in 2024. That was below the U.S. 26.1%. These measures cannot rank the full cost of living because they omit food, transport, insurance and other expenses.

A lower statewide median does not mean every Idaho town is cheap. The county map below shows how different places rank on household financial distress.

Which Idaho counties are poorest and most distressed?

Madison County had Idaho’s highest poverty rate in 2024: 24.3% of residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Shoshone County is the most distressed on our County Distress Index, scoring 76. Blaine County scores 0 and is the least distressed. Poverty and the county score answer different questions.

Every county, by score

The county map has one county in the 70–79 group, 4 in the 50–69 group and 24 below 30. Those groups show where scores cluster, not how many people live with financial strain.

All 44 Idaho counties, ranked →

Are Idaho households behind on bills?

In early 2025, 12.3% of Idahoans with a credit record had a debt at least 90 days late, below the U.S. 17.2% (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia). The card, auto and mortgage shares were also below their U.S. counterparts. These figures count borrowers, not dollars.

Late payments by loan type

The next chart compares Idaho and the U.S. for each kind of late payment in early 2025.

Idaho’s late-payment shares are below the U.S. across cards, auto loans and mortgages

Share of borrowers with a loan at least 90 days late in the first quarter of 2025; share with a debt in collections counts people with credit records.

Credit cards

Idaho 9.4% U.S. 13.5%

Auto loans

Idaho 6.0% U.S. 8.5%

Mortgages

Idaho 0.7% U.S. 1.2%

Collections

Idaho 10.4% U.S. 13.2%

Debt balances tell a different story

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York counts dollars instead of people. At the end of 2025, household debt per Idaho person with a credit report was $69,450, above the U.S. $63,200. Credit card balances 90 days late were 9.5% in Idaho, below the U.S. 12.4%. Neither panel measures Idaho state government debt.

What is happening with Idaho jobs?

Idaho’s unemployment rate was 3.6% in August 2026, below the U.S. 4.1% (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). It matched the state’s August 2025 rate of 3.6%. Idaho’s population grew 9.8% from July 2020 to July 2025 by the Census Bureau’s vintage 2025 estimate, so the jobless rate alone does not tell the whole economic story.

The historical chart compares Idaho’s rate with the U.S. rate over the same months.

Is Idaho a poor state?

The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 10.4% of Idaho residents lived in poverty in 2024, below the U.S. 12.1%. Idaho’s median household income was $80,852, near the U.S. $81,604. Poverty and median income do not describe every household’s budget.

The statewide rate hides large county differences. Madison County’s poverty rate was 24.3%, while Blaine County’s was 6.7%. The county map above compares poverty with a broader distress score.

What changed in Idaho in the past year

Changes to food benefits and health coverage affect household budgets. These are dated decisions and releases, not explanations of the distress score.

1. Sept. 18, 2026

   Federal figures put Idaho unemployment below the U.S. rate

   The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an Idaho jobless rate of 3.6% for August, against 4.1% nationally. The rate was the same as Idaho’s August 2025 reading of 3.6%.

   U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, archived August 2026 release

2. June 30, 2026

   Idaho describes Medicaid expansion changes planned for 2027

   The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare says adults covered through Medicaid expansion will face work or community-engagement checks beginning January 2027, with exemptions. It says eligibility will be checked every six months. The rules concern coverage; no estimate of how many people may lose it is available here.

   Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Medicaid expansion page

3. Feb. 15, 2026

   SNAP no longer covers candy or soda purchases

   Idaho began excluding candy and soda from purchases made with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. The state says other eligible foods remain covered. This rule changes what benefits buy, not the participation rate printed on this page.

   Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Feb. 13, 2026

4. Jan. 27, 2026

   Federal population estimates show Idaho grew fastest since 2020

   The U.S. Census Bureau’s vintage 2025 estimates place Idaho’s population growth from July 2020 to July 2025 at 9.8%, highest among states and D.C. The comparison starts in July 2020, not at the April census base. Growth alone does not explain rents or financial distress.

   U.S. Census Bureau, Jan. 27, 2026 population release

How many Idaho households filed for bankruptcy?

Idaho recorded 2,474 bankruptcy filings in 2025, up 15.3% from 2024, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. The rate was 121.9 filings per 100,000 residents, below the U.S. 166.3. These are filings, not a count of households in distress.

Chapter 13 is rare in Idaho

Chapter 13 accounted for 7.3% of Idaho filings in 2025, lowest among the states and D.C. The chapter mix does not show why someone chose a filing type.

The 2025 count remained below the 3,724 filings in 2018. These totals include multiple chapters and do not identify why people filed. See national bankruptcy statistics →.

What do Idaho’s mortgage figures show?

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reported 1.3% of Idaho mortgages 30 to 89 days late in September 2025, against 1.6% nationally. The Federal Housing Finance Agency found 4.7% of Idaho mortgages had less than 10% equity in mid-2026. Neither figure is a foreclosure rate.

Idaho’s foreclosure process and deadlines are explained on our separate Idaho foreclosure law page. The mortgage figures here describe different borrowers and dates.

What are Idaho mortgage borrowers complaining about?

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishes mortgage payment and help complaints it receives. It does not verify every account. The latest records below are individual reports, not a measure of how common a problem is.

What to watch before the next edition

These scheduled releases and rule dates could change the next Idaho edition.

1. Nov. 20, 2026

   October state employment report

   The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is scheduled to publish October unemployment rates for states. The August Idaho rate in the October 2026 figures is 3.6%.

   U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026 release calendar

2. Dec. 2, 2026

   County income figures for 2025

   The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis schedules a release of county personal income for 2025. It may add context to the differences across Idaho counties.

   U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2026 release calendar

3. Dec. 23, 2026

   Third-quarter state personal income

   The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis schedules state personal income for the third quarter of 2026. The per-person income figure cited here covers 2024.

   U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2026 release calendar

Where Idaho ranks highest and lowest

Idaho’s household debt stands out more than its late-payment rates. Each row gives the period for that measure; the rows are not a single survey.