Payette County, Idaho Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Payette 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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C
Income Below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 79% of counties in Idaho
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Payette County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,771 | 1,929,983 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 65.3 | 23.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 2.05% | 2.12% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.0 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,692 | 712,816 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Payette County grew by 19.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 26,771 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Payette County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 19.9% of residents. That is 2.9 points below Idaho as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,340 19.9% -2.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,115 19.1% -1.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,239 19.6% +0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,961 18.5% +2.5 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 49.9% of the people living in Payette County and men 50.1%.
- Women 49.9% Idaho 49.6%
- Men 50.1% Idaho 50.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Payette County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Payette County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Payette County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,405 | $78,141 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.06% | 5.97% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Payette County is about 14% lower than in Idaho.
Housing
| Metric | Payette County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $354,910 | $394,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $860 | $1,236 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.5% | 72.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Payette County is about 34.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $860 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Payette County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 148 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Payette County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.7 | 18.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.5 | 35.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 148 | 150 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,582 | $4,641 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.9% | 13.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,994 | 4,714 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 735 | 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 Payette County is about the same as 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
Payette County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Payette County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.9% | 27.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.74 | 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
Payette County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Payette County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.0 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.2% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.4% | 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).
Payette County, ID Compared With Nearby Counties
Payette County, ID is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 26,771 residents against a local median of 250,790. The measure that sets Payette County, ID apart most is commute: 17.7 min, 24% below the local median of 23.2 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 10.1 min on commute, so Payette County, ID sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Payette County, ID has the lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payette County, ID | 26,771 | $67,405 #3/4 | $354,910 #3/4 | 17.7 min #1/4 |
| Gem County, ID | 20,614 | $65,574 | $112,500 | 30.3 min |
| Canyon County, ID | 250,790 | $76,988 | $362,701 | 23.2 min |
| Ada County, ID | 518,902 | $92,349 | $485,999 | 20.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Payette County, Idaho.
What is the population of Payette County, Idaho?
About 26,771 people live in Payette County, Idaho, in 9,692 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 38.0, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Payette County, Idaho?
Averaged over its land area, Payette County, Idaho has 65 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Payette County, Idaho?
The median home costs 5.3 times the median household income ($354,910 against $67,405), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $860 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Payette County, Idaho?
Unemployment in Payette County, Idaho is only 3.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Payette County, Idaho?
18.9% of adults in Payette 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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