Ada County vs Kootenai County
Ada County, Idaho versus Kootenai County, Idaho: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Ada County and Kootenai County score about the same overall (49 vs 51 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Ada County | Kootenai County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $84k | $72k |
| Cost of Living | $58k | $49k |
| Home Value | $424k | $407k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $136k | $48k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.59% | 0.50% |
| Income Tax | 5.80% | 5.80% |
| Sales Tax | 6.03% | 6.03% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.78% | 10.60% |
| Unemployment | 3.2% | 3.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 32°F | 30°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 70°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 13.1 in | 29.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 19.1 in | 32.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 268 days | 230 days |
| Summer Humidity | 43°F | 47°F |
| Comfortable Days | 61 days | 57 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 87.8 | 79.0 |
| Air Quality | 44 AQI | 32 AQI |
| School Quality | 26.8 | 25.8 |
| Violent Crime | 882/100k | 962/100k |
| Property Crime | 826/100k | 895/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 497,494 | 173,396 |
| Median Age | 38.1 | 40.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.25 | 0.19 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.02 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | Even | R+44 |
| White (%) | 82.7% | 87.5% |
| Black (%) | 1.2% | 0.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.9% | 5.2% |
| Asian (%) | 2.5% | 0.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.7% | 6.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 21 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 10.7/20 | 8.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 7 mi | 40 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.3% | 89.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 0.04 | 5.48 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Ada County or Kootenai County more affordable?
- Kootenai County has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Ada County's $58k and Kootenai County's $49k. Median rent is $1k in Ada County versus $1k in Kootenai County.
- Is Ada County or Kootenai County safer?
- Ada County has the lower violent crime rate. Ada County reports 882/100k and Kootenai County reports 962/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Ada County or Kootenai County?
- The median home value is $424k in Ada County and $407k in Kootenai County, so homes are more affordable in Kootenai County.