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City · 16,493 residents · Elmore County, Idaho

Mountain Home , Idaho

In Mountain Home, a typical home is worth $309,400 and typical rent is $1,155 a month. Compared with all of Elmore County, typical rent is 7% lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $309,400

    2% below the county

    26% below Idaho

    • Mountain Home
    • Elmore
    • Idaho

  • Typical rent

    $1,155a month

    7% below the county

    7% below Idaho

    • Mountain Home
    • Elmore
    • Idaho

  • Typical household income

    $63,125a year

    3% below the county

    19% below Idaho

    • Mountain Home
    • Elmore
    • Idaho

  • Households that own their home

    67%

    2 points above the county

    5 points below Idaho

    • Mountain Home
    • Elmore
    • Idaho

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$360,315
1.8% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$1,555 a month
6% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Mountain Home is in Elmore County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Elmore County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

The homes here

Housing in Mountain Home

What homes there are in Mountain Home, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

In Mountain Home, 8 in 10 homes are single-family detached houses; in Elmore County, 7.

Year built

By age, homes in Mountain Home look like those in Elmore County: the typical year built is 1989.

In Mountain Home, 69% of homes have 3 bedrooms or more, about the same as in Elmore County.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes

About 97% of owner-occupied homes in Mountain Home are worth less than the FHA loan limit for Elmore County ($541,287).

Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,383 a month

Elmore County: $1,397 a month

Without a mortgage

$394 a month

Elmore County: $396 a month

Owners with a mortgage

69%

Elmore County: 61%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Mountain Home is $1,383 a month, near the figure in Elmore County ($1,397).

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Since 2015–2019, homes in Mountain Home gained value faster than in Elmore County: 115% against 106%.

Much as in Elmore County, the typical rent in Mountain Home rose 46% since 2015–2019.

The typical household income in Mountain Home rose 28%: less than home values (+115%) and rent (+46%).

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureMountain HomeElmore CountyIdahoUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate3.9%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0.7%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate3.7%3.1%3.4%
People per household 2.542.542.642.53
Drive alone 88%83%73%69%
Carpool 5%7%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Walk or bike 2%4%3%3%
Work from home 4%5%13%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%1%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate10 to 19 minutes10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Much as in Elmore County, a household in Mountain Home has 2.54 people on average.

In Mountain Home, 88% of workers drive alone to work; in Elmore County, 83%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Mountain Home?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Mountain Home, worth $309,400, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 47% of the typical household income in Mountain Home, which is $63,125 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $106,221 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Elmore County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Mountain Home. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $10,829 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$2,478

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$303,796
Total interest
$437,091
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $5,225 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,473 a month

  • Tight

    $1,473 to $1,894 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,894 a month

    Your payment · 47%

Compared with the typical household income in Mountain Home ($63,125 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$2,478
Principal & interest$2,058
Property tax$155
Home insurance$129
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$137

You need at least $10,829 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Mountain Home and Elmore County

Mountain Home is in Elmore County, Idaho. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Mountain Home's own numbers

Typical home value
$309,400
Typical monthly rent
$1,155
Typical yearly household income
$63,125
Households that own their home
67%
Effective property tax rate
0.6%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Elmore County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,285
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+69%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Elmore County.

Everything about Elmore County

Buying

Buying a home in Mountain Home

A typical home in Mountain Home is worth $309,400: 2% below the county and 26% below Idaho. With the typical household income in Mountain Home ($63,125 a year), a typical home costs 4.9 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Mountain Home 4.9 years
  • Elmore 4.8 years
  • Idaho 5.4 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Elmore County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Elmore County rose 177% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Elmore County.

Period County Idaho U.S.
Last year (2025) +9.5% +2.3% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +69% +57% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +177% +149% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Mountain Home next to Elmore County, Idaho and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Mountain Home $309,400
  • Elmore $316,500
  • Idaho $418,600
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Mountain Home $1,155
  • Elmore $1,243
  • Idaho $1,238
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Mountain Home $63,125
  • Elmore $65,359
  • Idaho $77,800
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Mountain Home next to Elmore County and Idaho
Measure Mountain Home Elmore County Idaho U.S.
Typical home value $309,400 $316,500 $418,600 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,155 $1,243 $1,238 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $63,125 $65,359 $77,800 $80,734
Households that own their home 67% 66% 72% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,863 $1,701 $2,038 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.6% 0.54% 0.49% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 42% 44% 47% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Elmore County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Mountain Home

For a typical $309,400 home in Mountain Home, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Mountain Home's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $2,478a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $10,829
    Cash to close
    $20,111
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $137

  • Conventional, 5% down $2,422a month

    Down payment
    $15,470
    Cash to close
    $24,752
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $147

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,960a month

    Down payment
    $61,880
    Cash to close
    $71,162
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $2,246a month

    Down payment
    $46,410
    Cash to close
    $55,692
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Mountain Home and for Elmore County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Mountain Home

0.6%of the home’s value each year

$1,863 a year for the typical owner in Mountain Home.

  • Mountain Home 0.6%
  • Elmore 0.54%
  • Idaho 0.49%

What Idaho publishes Homeowner’s exemption (Idaho State Tax Commission)

Exemptions and deadlines in Idaho

Flood risk in Elmore County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Elmore County.

FEMA’s maps count no homes in the high-risk zone in Elmore County. That does not mean it cannot flood: check your address.

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Mountain Home

Typical rent in Mountain Home is $1,155 a month: 7% below the county. In Mountain Home, 42% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Elmore County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,285 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $24.71 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Elmore County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $976 $18.77 $39,040
1 bedroom $982 $18.88 $39,280
2 bedrooms $1,285 $24.71 $51,400
3 bedrooms $1,779 $34.21 $71,160
4 bedrooms $2,148 $41.31 $85,920

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Mountain Home

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Mountain Home is in ZIP code 83647.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,500: $215 more than the fair market rent for Elmore County ($1,285).

  • 83647 $1,500$2,090

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Mountain Home when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Mountain Home

HUD lists 5 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Mountain Home. These are the largest.

  • Skyview Terrace 945 W 5th N, Mountain Home 83647 56 homes, 55 low-income · 2 bd: 28 · 3 bd: 28 · In service since 1998 · For families
  • Day Meadows 445 N Haskett St, Mountain Home 83647 44 low-income homes · For families (208) 587-7832
  • Northparke II 175 E 12th N, Mountain Home 83647 36 homes, 35 low-income · 2 bd: 24 · 3 bd: 10 · 4 bd: 2 · In service since 2004 · For families
  • Northparke 175 E 12th N, Mountain Home 83647 44 homes, 34 low-income · 1 bd: 8 · 2 bd: 20 · 3 bd: 16 · In service since 2001 · For families
  • Sunset Manor V 835 N 3rd E, Mountain Home 83647 16 low-income homes · For older adults (208) 343-6438

See all 7 buildings in Elmore County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Mountain Home

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Elmore County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

A pregnant woman reads paperwork on the sofa while the grandmother plays with the girl on the floor.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Mountain Home

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Mountain Home or Elmore County. The ones below are statewide in Idaho: they work in Mountain Home the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Idaho

Housing counselors near Mountain Home

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Mountain Home, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Idaho Housing and Finance Association

    565 West Myrtle, Boise · 42 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 8 more
    (877) 695-2655

  • Idaho Housing and Finance Association

    565 W Myrtle St, Boise · 42 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in French.

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 7 more
    (877) 695-2655

  • Jesse Tree

    1121 W Miller St, Boise · 42 miles away

    • Budget and credit workshops
    • Fair housing pre-purchase workshops
    • and 3 more
    (209) 383-9486

All counseling agencies in Idaho

Help in Spanish near Mountain Home

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Mountain Home

HUD lists no housing authority with an office in Elmore County. One in a neighboring county or the state’s may serve the area.

All housing agencies in Idaho Source: HUD

Cities

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Mountain Home, with the typical home value.

Everything about Elmore County Housing in Idaho

Neighboring counties

If Elmore County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Mountain Home.

All guides
A mother holds hands with her two daughters on the beach at sunset.

Questions

Housing questions about Mountain Home

Short answers with the numbers for Mountain Home and all of Elmore County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Mountain Home?

The typical home value in Mountain Home is $309,400, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Elmore County it is $316,500.

How much does it cost to rent in Mountain Home?

Typical rent in Mountain Home is $1,155 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Elmore County is $1,285.

What is the FHA loan limit in Mountain Home?

Mountain Home uses the FHA limit for all of Elmore County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Mountain Home?

The typical homeowner in Mountain Home pays $1,863 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.6% of the home’s value; in Elmore County, the rate is 0.54%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Mountain Home?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Elmore County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).