AnswerIn Idaho, a middle-class household earns roughly $54,400 to $162,400 per year — bracketing the state median household income of $81,200.
Middle-class range: $54,400 – $162,400 · State median: $81,200
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-Year Estimates · Pew Research Center methodology (0.67× to 2× median)
Middle Class Income in Idaho (2026)
What it takes to count as middle class in Idaho— anchored to the state's ACS 2024 median household income and the Pew Research Center's 0.67×-to-2× framework. Most populous city: Boise.
In Idaho, a household is middle class in 2026 if it earns between $54,400 and $162,400 per year, bracketing the state median of $81,200. That is the Pew Research Center's 0.67×-to-2× window applied to US Census Bureau ACS 2024 data — 0.5% below the national median.
Idaho middle-class bounds
Following Pew Research Center methodology, middle-income households earn two-thirds to double the median. For Idaho, that means anywhere from $54,400 on the low end up to $162,400 on the high end. Below $54,400 is classified as lower-income; above $162,400 is upper-income.
Local context: Boise
Idaho's economy mixes Boise's growing tech and back-office sector (anchored by Micron, HP, and Idaho Power), agriculture across the Snake River Plain (potatoes, dairy, sugar beets), tourism around Sun Valley and Coeur d'Alene, declining timber in the Panhandle, and energy and federal employment around the Idaho National Laboratory in eastern Idaho. The Mormon-majority south anchors a culturally distinct economic geography from the more libertarian north. Population grew roughly 20 percent from 2010 to 2023, the fastest in the West outside Utah, driven mostly by California and Pacific Northwest in-migration. Sun Valley and McCall second-home markets create local middle-class affordability crises analogous to Colorado resort towns. Idaho's flat-rate state income tax (5.695 percent) and below-average property taxes have anchored its low-tax brand.
Compare West states
Frequently asked questions
What income is considered middle class in Idaho in 2026?
In Idaho, a household is considered middle class if it earns roughly $54,400 to $162,400 per year, using the Pew Research definition (two-thirds to double the state median household income of $81,200).
How is the middle class defined?
We use the Pew Research Center definition: middle-income households earn between two-thirds (0.67×) and double (2.00×) the relevant median household income.
Is $81,200 a middle-class income in Idaho?
Yes. $81,200 is the ACS 2024 median household income for Idaho, so it sits at the center of this page's $54,400 to $162,400 middle-class range.
Related tools and guides
- What Is Middle Class Income in 2026? — full guidedefinition, methodology, history of the term
- Am I Middle Class? — interactive calculatorplug in your income, household size, state
- Middle Class Income by State — huball 50 states + DC compared
Methodology & data sources
Calculations on this page use published benchmarks from US federal statistical agencies. Percentile breakpoints are interpolated linearly between published cells. Figures are in current-year USD unless noted. Numbers are educational estimates, not personalized financial advice.