What actually sets Idaho apart
Because the homeowner's exemption is capped in dollars rather than being a straight 50%, it shelters proportionally less of an expensive home. In fast-appreciating parts of Idaho the exemption has been steadily eroded as a share of value, which is why owner-occupier bills have risen faster than the headline levy rate implies.
Property taxes in Idaho at a glance
- Average effective tax rate: 0.53% of home value per year
- Median home value: $376,000
- Estimated tax on a median-value home: $2,006 per year (about $167 per month)
- Rank by tax rate: 43rd of 50, highest first
- Rank by amount actually paid: 33rd of 50, highest first
- Where these figures come from: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, for the Idaho statewide averages shown above — ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates, last reviewed September 2026.
Why the Idaho rate understates the bill
Ranked by rate, Idaho is 43rd of the fifty. Ranked by what an owner actually pays, it is 33rd — 10 places higher. The rate is not doing that work; the $376,000 median home value is. A modest percentage of an expensive house is still an expensive bill.
Missouri makes the point. It charges 0.88%, roughly 1.7 times the Idaho rate, and its median owner still pays about $1,887 a year — some $119 less than an Idaho owner on a median-value home.
How Idaho works out what you owe
County assessors value property at market value each year, and taxing districts divide their budgets across that value to set the levy rate.
There is no cap on assessed value, but district budget growth is limited by statute, which restrains how fast total levies can rise even when values jump.
Exemptions Idaho homeowners should claim
Each of these reduces an Idaho bill every year you hold the property, and almost none are granted without a claim:
- Homeowner's exemption: Exempts half the value of an owner-occupied primary residence and up to one acre of land, subject to a statutory maximum amount.
- Property tax reduction (circuit breaker): Reduces the bill for lower-income owners who are 65 or older, widowed, disabled or a qualifying veteran.
Where you buy inside Idaho changes the bill
A statewide average hides its extremes. Where they show up in Idaho:
- Ada County: Boise and its suburbs, where in-migration produced some of the fastest assessment growth in the western states
- Kootenai County: Coeur d'Alene and the northern lakes, a second-home market where the homeowner's exemption does not apply
- Canyon County: Nampa and Caldwell, the more affordable side of the Boise commute
Idaho and its neighbours
The same $376,000 — the Idaho median — taxed at each neighbouring state's average rate:
- Washington at 0.84%: about $3,158 a year, roughly $1,152 more than the $2,006 an Idaho owner would pay on the same value.
- Oregon at 0.83%: about $3,121 a year, roughly $1,115 more than the $2,006 an Idaho owner would pay on the same value.
- Nevada at 0.49%: about $1,842 a year, roughly $164 less than the $2,006 an Idaho owner would pay on the same value.
- Utah at 0.53%: about $1,993 a year, roughly $13 less than the $2,006 an Idaho owner would pay on the same value.
- Wyoming at 0.58%: about $2,181 a year, roughly $175 more than the $2,006 an Idaho owner would pay on the same value.
- Montana at 0.75%: about $2,820 a year, roughly $814 more than the $2,006 an Idaho owner would pay on the same value.
Appealing an Idaho assessment
If the assessed value on your Idaho home overstates what it is worth, the route is an appeal to the county Board of Equalization. The window is appeals are due by the fourth Monday in June, and it is strict — missing it means waiting a full cycle.
Frequently asked questions
When are Idaho property taxes due, and when must exemption claims be filed?
Bills are mailed in November. The first half is due 20 December and the second half 20 June. The homeowner's exemption is filed once with the county assessor; the circuit breaker must be reapplied for annually, generally by 15 April.
Does this calculator use my exact Idaho county tax rate?
No — it applies the Idaho statewide average of 0.53%. Rates are set locally, and the spread inside Idaho is wide enough to matter: on a $376,000 home, $1,713 a year separates Idaho from an averagely taxed state before any county variation is counted. Check the parcel's own rate with its Idaho county before relying on this figure.
Reference sources
Related calculators
How this estimate is built
Principal and interest come from the standard amortization formula, worked through in full on the formula reference page. Property tax, insurance, PMI and loan-program figures layer on top from published assumptions — each one sourced, dated and listed on the methodology page. Every result here is an estimate built from public data, not a quote: confirm the specifics with a lender before relying on it.
For developers
This calculation is also available as a REST API and through an MCP server, both running the same engine as this page — so the figures match by construction rather than by convention. No key required.