Bear Lake County, Idaho
Among the top 16% of US counties for affordability.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade B+, better than 84% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade D, better than 23% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B, better than 61% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade D, better than 17% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B+, better than 83% of US counties
- top 3% for amenities nearby
- top 3% for summer humidity
- bottom 1% for school quality
Bear Lake County is a county in Idaho with about 6,436 residents. It grades B+ for affordability and D for getting around. Standout strengths include amenities nearby, summer humidity, and natural disaster risk. It rates lower on comfortable days and school quality.
Official websitebearlakecounty.info (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm, dry summers · Harsh winters · Dry · Heavy snow
freez.
v.cold
cold
cool
comf.
warm
hot
comf.
cool
v.cold
freez.
86%48%clearovercast
Precipitation 2.0 in1.0 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$63k58th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$49kbetter than 23% of US counties
Home Value$195k66th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$636better than 90% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$1kbetter than 67% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.51%better than 85% of US counties
Income Tax5.10%better than 42% of US counties
Sales Tax6.03%better than 80% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden8.66%better than 69% of US counties
Unemployment4.3%better than 59% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)20°F13th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)68°F7th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation19.2 in12th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall83.0 inbetter than 4% of US counties
Sunny Days252 daysbetter than 65% of US counties
Summer Humidity44°Fbetter than 97% of US counties
Comfortable Days19 daysbetter than 1% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk6.6better than 91% of US counties
School Quality18.1better than 1% of US counties
Violent Crime540/100kbetter than 68% of US counties
Property Crime585/100kbetter than 68% of US counties
Community
Population6,43614th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age40.036th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.099th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0262nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+7998th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)92.5%82nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)0.1%8th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)4.3%46th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.8%63rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)2.3%22nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time30 minbetter than 17% of US counties
Walkability5.6/20better than 34% of US counties
Airport Distance110 mibetter than 43% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access88.2%better than 80% of US counties
Amenities Nearby27.97better than 97% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 29% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bear Lake County an affordable place to live?
- Bear Lake County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $49k, better than 23% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Bear Lake County?
- The median home value in Bear Lake County is $195k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Bear Lake County?
- Median household income in Bear Lake County is $63k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Bear Lake County?
- Median gross rent in Bear Lake County is $636 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Bear Lake County safe?
- Bear Lake County is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 540/100k (better than 68%). Property crime is 585/100k.
- What is the weather like in Bear Lake County?
- Bear Lake County averages 68°F in July and 20°F in January, with 19.2 in of annual precipitation and about 252 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Bear Lake County?
- Public-school quality in Bear Lake County is below average, scoring better than 0% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Bear Lake County?
- The average one-way commute in Bear Lake County is 30 min.
Other counties in Idaho
Explore Idaho
Data sources
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)