A new study says rents exceed wages in a majority of Idaho cities and counties.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, fair-market rent in Idaho for a two-bedroom apartment is $804 – considered affordable for households earning $15.47 per hour, which implies an annual income of $32,178.
Counties across the Gem State are experiencing a shortage of rental properties available to “extremely low income” households, defined as families whose incomes are at or below federal poverty guidelines. Nearly 190,000 people in Idaho rent the property in which they live.
An Idaho resident working at the $7.25 minimum wage – or a little more than $15,000 per year – would need to work 67 hours a week to afford an average one-bedroom rental. For a two-bedroom, a worker would have to put in 85 hours a week.
The report says cashiers, janitors, cooks, substitute teachers, retail salespeople, and personal care aides are among the workers who make less than the necessary amount required to afford a one-bedroom home.
Analysts say increasing prices in Idaho stem from the state’s rapid growth. The latest Census Bureau data ranks Idaho first nationwide in terms of growth, with a 2.2 percent annual population increase recorded from 2016 to 2017. (Coeur d’Alene Press)
