Shoshone County, Idaho Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Shoshone 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 averageLeast healthy county in Idaho
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 86% of counties in Idaho
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in Idaho
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Shoshone County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,782 | 1,929,983 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5.2 | 23.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.15% | 2.12% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.6 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,761 | 712,816 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Shoshone County grew by 7.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 13,782 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Shoshone County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.3% of residents. That is 7.3 points above Idaho as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,338 17.0% -5.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,488 18.1% -2.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,957 21.5% +2.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,205 23.3% +7.3 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 49.8% of the people living in Shoshone County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Idaho 49.6%
- Men 50.2% Idaho 50.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Shoshone County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Shoshone County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Shoshone County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,255 | $78,141 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.35% | 5.97% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 3.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Shoshone County is about 28% lower than in Idaho.
Housing
| Metric | Shoshone County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $276,351 | $394,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $943 | $1,236 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.0% | 72.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Shoshone County is about 24.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $943 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Shoshone County spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 112 hours, about 4.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Shoshone County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.4 | 18.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.9 | 35.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 112 | 150 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,473 | $4,641 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.1% | 13.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,606 | 4,714 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 251 | 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 Shoshone County is 13 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
Shoshone County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Shoshone County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.0% | 27.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 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
Shoshone County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Shoshone County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.0 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.7% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.2% | 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).
Shoshone County, ID Compared With Nearby Counties
How Shoshone County, ID compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoshone County, ID | 13,782 | $56,255 #2/2 | $276,351 #2/2 | 13.4 min #1/2 |
| Kootenai County, ID | 181,718 | $82,253 | $484,895 | 18.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Shoshone County, Idaho.
How big is Shoshone County, Idaho by population?
About 13,782 people live in Shoshone County, Idaho, in 5,761 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 43.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Shoshone County, Idaho?
Averaged over its land area, Shoshone County, Idaho has 5 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 6% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Shoshone County, Idaho?
The median home costs 4.9 times the median household income ($276,351 against $56,255), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $943 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Shoshone County, Idaho have a college degree?
11.0% of adults in Shoshone County, Idaho hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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