The Housing Crisis Grows in Rural Idaho

The state’s smaller communities are feeling the pressure of sharply rising housing costs, stagnating wages, and an aging population.

1 minute read

August 15, 2023, 10:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Distant view of Lewiston, Idaho nestled in green hills against cloudy blue sky

Nez Perce County, Idaho, home to Lewiston (pictured here), faces one of the state’s biggest unmet needs for rental housing. | knowlesgallery / Adobe Stock

Idaho’s housing woes extend beyond its urban centers, writes Laura Guido in Boise Dev. “While there is certainly a significant issue regarding supply, demand and lack of affordability in these areas, the vast majority of Idaho is rural and those residents are also feeling the pressure,” according to a housing assessment report completed for the Clearwater Economic Development Association in 2022.

Guido points out that similar trends—“lack of housing options, getting squeezed out by people moving in from more expensive areas, aging populations, and wages that have not kept pace with housing prices”—affect all parts of the state, which grew faster than any other between 2019 and 2020.

The large number of retirees looking to downsize their homes is putting them in competition with first-time homebuyers for smaller, more affordable homes, while high housing costs are driving workers far from their jobs. Meanwhile, wages stagnated as housing costs shot up. “The 2022 housing assessment report also found that the region was ‘desperate’ for rentals, both market rate and subsidized.”

Monday, August 14, 2023 in Boise Dev

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight