The Surprising Hourly Wage You Need in 2025 to Actually Afford Rent in Idaho

Every September, I get this sinking feeling in my stomach when I glance up the stairs and see a folded piece of white paper sticking out of the door. Deep down, I know that’s not a note about parking lot resealing or a newsletter announcing the next porch decorating contest. It’s my lease renewal notice.

Three years ago, that note at my old apartment complex told us we had a month to vacate our apartment so they could renovate it. Sure, they called us valued residents and offered us a similarly sized unit…at double the rent. That’s why my hands shake a little when I’m the one that has to open the lease renewal. Even though our dual-income, no-kids family is doing alright financially, I still dread seeing whatever number is printed on that renewal notice.

READ MORE: Boise's Outrageous Rental Prices Have Residents Fleeing to 9 Cities

I know I’m not alone in feeling that way. Rent in Idaho has increased tremendously over the past decade. Just look at Boise. In 2015, fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment was $736. In 2025? $1,838. That’s nearly 2.5 times more.

The Math Just Doesn’t Add Up

Scour the internet for the best opinions and you’ll discover that most financial experts say that you should spend no more than 30% of your gross income on rent. Let’s be real. In a world where things like car payments, insurance premiums and grocery bills keep getting larger and paychecks are either staying flat or getting smaller, the 30% rule just doesn’t seem feasible anymore.

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And the numbers prove that. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, in order to pay no more than that 30%, Idahoans would need to earn $27.83 an hour to afford a two-bedroom at the statewide fair market value ($1,446 per month.) That’s well over the average renter’s hourly wage of $18.81.

Rent becomes even more of a challenge for those working minimum wage jobs. The NLHIC says that someone working minimum wage ($7.25 an hour) would have to work 126 hours to afford a 1-bedroom apartment. That’s the equivalent of 3.1 full-time jobs.

However, with 28% of Idahoans identifying themselves as renters, you can assume that many renters also have families and a 1-bedroom apartment isn’t going to cut it. In order to afford a 2-bedroom apartment at fair market rent, Idahoans making minimum wage have to work 154 hours. That’s basically 3.8 full-time jobs. There are only 168 hours in a week, which means you’d have about two hours a day for sleep, meals or doing anything that isn’t work. That’s not just unsustainable — that’s mathematically insane.

How Wages Needed to Afford Rent Vary from Metro-to-Metro

Obviously, those numbers change from metro to metro. Here’s a look at how some of those rent numbers look in Idaho’s most bustling metros. These reflect the wage and number of jobs it would take to afford a fair rent 2-bedroom apartment.

Power County HMFA

• Hourly wage necessary: $18.96
• Full-time jobs at minimum wage needed: 2.6

Jerome County HMFA

• Hourly wage necessary: $21.67
• Full-time jobs at minimum wage needed: 3.0

Pocatello HMFA

• Hourly wage necessary: $21.90
• Full-time jobs at minimum wage needed: 3.0

Logan MSA

• Hourly wage necessary: $22.84
• Full-time jobs at minimum wage needed: 3.1

Lewiston MSA

• Hourly wage necessary: $23.23
• Full-time jobs at minimum wage needed: 3.2

Twin Falls County HMFA

• Hourly wage necessary: $24.71
• Full-time jobs at minimum wage needed: 3.4

Butte County HMFA

• Hourly wage necessary: $25.21
• Full-time jobs at minimum wage needed: 3.5

Idaho Falls HMFA

• Hourly wage necessary: $25.21
• Full-time jobs at minimum wage needed: 3.5

Gem County HMFA

• Hourly wage necessary: $25.42
• Full-time jobs at minimum wage needed: 3.5

Coeur d’Alene MSA

• Hourly wage necessary: $28.08
• Full-time jobs at minimum wage needed: 3.9

Boise City HMFA

• Hourly wage necessary: $35.35
• Full-time jobs at minimum wage needed: 4.9