Bear Lake County, Idaho Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Bear Lake County, ID Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 71% of counties in Idaho
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 70% of counties in Idaho
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Bear Lake County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,650 | 1,929,983 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 6.3 | 23.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.44% | 2.12% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.7 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,278 | 712,816 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Bear Lake County grew by 13.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 6,650 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Bear Lake County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.7% of residents. That is 5.7 points above Idaho as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,274 19.2% -3.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,136 17.1% -3.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,202 18.1% -1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,444 21.7% +5.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Idaho, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.2% of the people living in Bear Lake County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Idaho 49.6%
- Men 49.8% Idaho 50.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Bear Lake County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Bear Lake County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Bear Lake County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $75,298 | $78,141 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.04% | 5.97% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% | 3.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Bear Lake County is about 4% lower than in Idaho.
Housing
| Metric | Bear Lake County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $286,110 | $394,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $632 | $1,236 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 89.5% | 72.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Bear Lake County is about 37.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $632 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Bear Lake County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 155 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Bear Lake County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.6 | 18.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.2 | 35.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 155 | 150 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,800 | $4,641 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.3% | 13.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 943 | 4,714 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 353 | 865 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Idaho:
Custer County (8.9 min), Lemhi County (11.6 min), Madison County (12.0 min).
Slowest:
Camas County (49.5 min), Boise County (38.0 min), Lincoln County (32.0 min).
The average commute time in Bear Lake County is 19 minutes, longer than the 18 minutes in Idaho.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Bear Lake County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Bear Lake County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.4% | 27.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.89 | 2.64 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Idaho:
Latah County (0.4), Teton County (0.3), Ada County (0.3).
Lowest:
Clark County (0.1), Owyhee County (0.2), Lincoln County (0.2).
Health
Bear Lake County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Bear Lake County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.0 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.3% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.3% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Idaho:
Madison County (0.8), Latah County (0.8), Ada County (0.8).
Lowest:
Shoshone County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Lincoln County (0.8).
Bear Lake County, ID Compared With Nearby Counties
How Bear Lake County, ID compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Lake County, ID | 6,650 | $75,298 #3/3 | $286,110 #1/3 | 18.6 min #3/3 |
| Lincoln County, WY | 20,486 | $89,660 | $185,298 | 17.3 min |
| Cache County, UT | 139,938 | $82,057 | $239,881 | 15.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bear Lake County, Idaho.
How big is Bear Lake County, Idaho by population?
About 6,650 people live in Bear Lake County, Idaho, in 2,278 households of 2.9 people on average. The median age is 40.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Bear Lake County, Idaho urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Bear Lake County, Idaho has 6 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 7% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Bear Lake County, Idaho?
The median home costs 3.8 times the median household income ($286,110 against $75,298), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $632 a month takes about 10% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Bear Lake County, Idaho?
Unemployment in Bear Lake County, Idaho is only 2.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Bear Lake County, Idaho?
19.4% of adults in Bear Lake County, Idaho hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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