Owyhee County, Idaho Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Owyhee 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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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 88% of counties in Idaho
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 77% of counties in Idaho
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in Idaho
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Owyhee County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,503 | 1,929,983 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1.6 | 23.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.21% | 2.12% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.9 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,339 | 712,816 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Owyhee County grew by 13.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 12,503 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Owyhee County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.9% of residents. That is 1.9 points below Idaho as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,616 20.9% -1.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,381 19.0% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,428 19.4% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,295 18.4% +2.4 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 47.7% of the people living in Owyhee County and men 52.3%.
- Women 47.7% Idaho 49.6%
- Men 52.3% Idaho 50.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Owyhee County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Owyhee County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Owyhee County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,581 | $78,141 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 8.89% | 5.97% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.0% | 3.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Owyhee County is about 12% lower than in Idaho.
Housing
| Metric | Owyhee County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $65,937 | $394,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $820 | $1,236 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.6% | 72.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Owyhee County is about 6.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $820 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Owyhee County spend about 48 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 199 hours, about 8.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Owyhee County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.8 | 18.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.7 | 35.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 199 | 150 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,158 | $4,641 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.6% | 13.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,439 | 4,714 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 449 | 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 Owyhee County is 24 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
Owyhee County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Owyhee County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.6% | 27.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.84 | 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
Owyhee County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Owyhee County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.8 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.4% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.0% | 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).
Owyhee County, ID Compared With Nearby Counties
Owyhee County, ID is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 12,503 residents against a local median of 250,790. Where Owyhee County, ID breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 84% below the local median of $421,052 at $65,937.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 23.8 min against a local median of 20.2 min, 18% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 18% above the local median it puts Owyhee County, ID at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves sit within $123,298 of each other on median home price, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Owyhee County, ID, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Owyhee County, ID has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owyhee County, ID | 12,503 | $68,581 #3/4 | $65,937 #4/4 | 23.8 min #4/4 |
| Ada County, ID | 518,902 | $92,349 | $485,999 | 20.2 min |
| Elmore County, ID | 29,321 | $66,194 | $421,052 | 15.8 min |
| Canyon County, ID | 250,790 | $76,988 | $362,701 | 23.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Owyhee County, Idaho.
What is the population of Owyhee County, Idaho?
About 12,503 people live in Owyhee County, Idaho, in 4,339 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 37.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Owyhee County, Idaho?
Averaged over its land area, Owyhee 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 Owyhee County, Idaho?
The median home costs 1.0 times the median household income ($65,937 against $68,581), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $820 a month takes about 14% 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 Owyhee County, Idaho?
Unemployment in Owyhee 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.
What share of adults in Owyhee County, Idaho have a college degree?
12.6% of adults in Owyhee County, Idaho hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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