Calculated payments and savings are estimates. The calculator result does not constitute an offer for a loan and will not solicit a loan offer. Savings will depend on the actual amounts and rate for which you are approved, should you choose to apply.
Taking Out a Mortgage in Idaho
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Last updated November 19, 2025
Idaho, the Gem State, has become far less affordable in recent years, with housing costs rising faster than incomes.
In Ada County, home to Boise, the state’s most populous city, the typical monthly mortgage payment for a median priced home reached $3,305 in Q1 2025, based on a median home value of $563,865, according to the National Association of Realtors.
By comparison, the national median was $2,120 on a single-family home valued at $402,300.
As you move west from Boise into Canyon County, housing costs drop significantly, with a typical monthly payment of $2,381 on a median home valued at $406,163.
Taking U.S. Census data, NerdWallet has crunched the numbers to help you understand what property tax rate you can expect to pay on your future home in Idaho. Because assessed values aren't frequently updated, you may pay a higher rate at first but eventually you'll pay a similar rate.
County
Avg. property tax rate
Median home value
Ada County
0.61%
$549,800
Adams County
0.38%
$284,300
Bannock County
0.77%
$313,000
Bear Lake County
0.50%
$194,700
Benewah County
0.47%
$241,700
Bingham County
0.57%
$230,500
Blaine County
0.43%
$558,600
Boise County
0.45%
$369,300
Bonner County
0.45%
$378,200
Bonneville County
0.63%
$368,300
Boundary County
0.40%
$318,600
Butte County
0.56%
$194,700
Camas County
0.49%
$225,000
Canyon County
0.60%
$397,700
Caribou County
0.66%
$204,400
Cassia County
0.44%
$227,100
Clark County
0.34%
$172,500
Clearwater County
0.63%
$213,000
Custer County
0.28%
$282,000
Elmore County
0.58%
$235,200
Franklin County
0.46%
$269,100
Fremont County
0.52%
$243,700
Gem County
0.40%
$324,700
Gooding County
0.49%
$197,800
Idaho County
0.33%
$258,900
Jefferson County
0.55%
$284,700
Jerome County
0.64%
$234,300
Kootenai County
0.49%
$547,800
Latah County
0.65%
$309,300
Lemhi County
0.35%
$254,800
Lewis County
0.62%
$184,800
Lincoln County
0.54%
$183,400
Madison County
0.58%
$324,300
Minidoka County
0.57%
$198,400
Nez Perce County
0.81%
$259,600
Oneida County
0.47%
$226,000
Owyhee County
0.44%
$247,200
Payette County
0.49%
$265,500
Power County
0.72%
$174,200
Shoshone County
0.65%
$183,200
Teton County
0.41%
$479,800
Twin Falls County
0.70%
$340,600
Valley County
0.37%
$471,000
Washington County
0.59%
$212,000
Source: American Communities Survey 2022, U.S. Census
How to use the mortgage calculator
To use our mortgage calculator, add your details to the following fields:
1. Home price: What you're hoping to spend on a home.
2. ZIP code: The home's location.
3. Down payment: How much cash you're paying up front toward the home's price.This calculator defaults to showing a 20% down payment, but you can adjust it up or down by changing the dollar amount or the percentage. This calculator assumes you're using a conventional loan, so it will automatically add private mortgage insurance (PMI) if the down payment amount is less than 20%.
4. Loan term: The default is 30 years, but you can also choose a shorter term.
5. Interest rate: Use today's average APR, enter the rate you've been quoted or use the lowest APR NerdWallet partners are offering today.
That's the least you can do. To get more accurate results, fill in the following four categories. (Estimates are fine, but this goes over how to get more specific numbers.)
6. Property taxes (per year): This is autofilled with an estimate, but property taxes vary tremendously throughout the country. Get more precise by looking up the tax rate where you're planning to buy or looking at the tax history for the home you're interested in. You can change the property tax amount by editing the dollar amount or the percentage.
7. Homeowners insurance (per year): Mortgage lenders require borrowers to have homeowners insurance. Not sure what you might pay? This calculator puts in an estimate, but you can use NerdWallet's home insurance calculator to fine-tune it. All you need to know is the property location and the rough amount you'd be looking to insure — use the home's price as a proxy.
8. HOA fees: If the home is part of a homeowners association, put the monthly dues here. (The calculator default is no HOA costs.) This is also information you can likely crib from a home's listing. One other note — if there are HOA fees but you're going to pay them directly rather than with an escrow account, you can omit them here.
9. PMI (monthly): If you've entered a down payment amount under 20%, this will autofill, since the calculator assumes you're using a conventional loan. PMI is tied to your credit score, so if you want a more accurate figure, pop over to NerdWallet's PMI calculator. If you're using a VA loan, you can zero this out, since VA loans do not require mortgage insurance. On the other hand, if you're getting an FHA loan, you'll have to pay mortgage insurance premiums regardless of your down payment amount. For more accurate payment info, use our FHA mortgage calculator.
The calculator's results will update as you adjust the numbers in these fields. The results show you the monthly payment, as well as:
Loan amount: How much you're actually borrowing in principal.
Total interest paid: How much interest you will pay over the life of the mortgage if you keep it until its term ends. (Most people sell or refinance well before that point, but it's still interesting info.)
Payoff date: If you kept the same loan for its entire term, here's the month and year when you'd own the home free and clear.
There's also a simple annual amortization schedule. Amortization shows how your mortgage payment changes over time. Even though the principal and interest payment doesn't change with a fixed-rate mortgage, the percentage of that payment that's going toward each component does. At the beginning of the loan, more goes toward interest; the closer to the end of the loan's term, the more of the payment goes toward principal. If you want a more detailed month-by-month look, yes, NerdWallet has an amortization calculator, too.
CONSIDERING A REFI? If you're looking to see how much you could save by refinancing your mortgage, try NerdWallet's refinance calculator.
