Kootenai County vs Twin Falls County
Kootenai County, Idaho versus Twin Falls County, Idaho: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Kootenai County and Twin Falls County score about the same overall (51 vs 52 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Kootenai County | Twin Falls County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $72k | $61k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $47k |
| Home Value | $407k | $262k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $951 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.50% | 0.70% |
| Income Tax | 5.80% | 5.69% |
| Sales Tax | 6.03% | 6.03% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.60% | 10.66% |
| Unemployment | 3.1% | 3.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 30°F | 29°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 70°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 29.1 in | 10.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 32.3 in | 24.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 230 days | 236 days |
| Summer Humidity | 47°F | 41°F |
| Comfortable Days | 57 days | 57 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 79.0 | 46.9 |
| Air Quality | 32 AQI | 25 AQI |
| School Quality | 25.8 | 21.6 |
| Violent Crime | 962/100k | 1157/100k |
| Property Crime | 895/100k | 1096/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 173,396 | 90,592 |
| Median Age | 40.7 | 35.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.19 | 0.29 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.00 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | R+44 | R+47 |
| White (%) | 87.5% | 76.4% |
| Black (%) | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.2% | 17.4% |
| Asian (%) | 0.7% | 1.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.3% | 4.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 19 min |
| Walkability | 8.0/20 | 7.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 40 mi | 115 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.7% | 88.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 5.48 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Excellent |
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 Kootenai County or Twin Falls County more affordable?
- Twin Falls County has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Kootenai County's $49k and Twin Falls County's $47k. Median rent is $1k in Kootenai County versus $951 in Twin Falls County.
- Is Kootenai County or Twin Falls County safer?
- Kootenai County has the lower violent crime rate. Kootenai County reports 962/100k and Twin Falls County reports 1157/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Kootenai County or Twin Falls County?
- The median home value is $407k in Kootenai County and $262k in Twin Falls County, so homes are more affordable in Twin Falls County.