Lemhi County, Idaho Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lemhi 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 average
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 74% of counties in Idaho
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 74% of counties in Idaho
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lemhi County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,243 | 1,929,983 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1.8 | 23.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.79% | 2.12% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 53.8 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,457 | 712,816 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lemhi County grew by 5.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,243 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lemhi County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 28.7% of residents. That is 12.7 points above Idaho as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,231 14.9% -7.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,337 16.2% -4.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,725 20.9% +1.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,365 28.7% +12.7 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 48.8% of the people living in Lemhi County and men 51.2%.
- Women 48.8% Idaho 49.6%
- Men 51.2% Idaho 50.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lemhi County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lemhi County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Lemhi County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,128 | $78,141 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.83% | 5.97% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.0% | 3.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lemhi County is about 31% lower than in Idaho.
Housing
| Metric | Lemhi County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $450,000 | $394,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $754 | $1,236 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.3% | 72.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lemhi County is about 49.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $754 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lemhi County spend about 23 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 96 hours, about 4.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lemhi County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.6 | 18.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 23.1 | 35.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 96 | 150 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,984 | $4,641 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.8% | 13.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 4,714 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 100 | 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 Lemhi County is 12 minutes, shorter 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
Lemhi County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Lemhi County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.0% | 27.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 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
Lemhi County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Lemhi County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.1 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.0% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.7% | 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).
Lemhi County, ID Compared With Nearby Counties
How Lemhi County, ID compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemhi County, ID | 8,243 | $54,128 #2/2 | $450,000 #2/2 | 11.6 min #1/2 |
| Ravalli County, MT | 46,722 | $71,257 | $1,571,428 | 18.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lemhi County, Idaho.
How many people live in Lemhi County, Idaho?
About 8,243 people live in Lemhi County, Idaho, in 3,457 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 53.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 17 years.
Is Lemhi County, Idaho urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lemhi County, Idaho has 2 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 2% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Lemhi County, Idaho?
The median home costs 8.3 times the median household income ($450,000 against $54,128), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $754 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Lemhi County, Idaho?
Unemployment in Lemhi County, Idaho is only 2.0%, 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 Lemhi County, Idaho?
20.0% of adults in Lemhi 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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