Idaho City, Idaho STR Market Report 2026: What a $16,176 Year on 41

Aug 19

9 min read

Updated: Aug 27

Idaho City is one of the smallest county seats in the state, with a 2020 census population of 466 and a compact civic core - City Desk at 511 Main Street, the clerk's office at 419 Main Street, and Planning and Zoning at 417 Main Street, all within a few doors of each other. That scale matters for anyone underwriting a short-term rental here, because the market's numbers are genuinely small in a way that reflects the town itself, not a data gap or an undervalued opportunity waiting to be discovered.

The current published year for Idaho City's short-term rental market is $16,176 in typical annual revenue across a sample of 41 listings, with an average daily rate of $199, occupancy of 27.6 percent, and a RevPAR of $56. This report walks through what that figure actually represents, why nearby Garden Valley's and Boise's numbers shouldn't be folded into it, and what a host operating in this specific basin should actually expect from the calendar. This is not legal advice.

A Census of 466 Is Not a Footnote Under Boise's Occupancy

It's tempting, in a regional market summary, to treat a town of 466 people as a rounding error next to Boise, roughly 40 miles away with an occupancy figure near 47.8 percent. That framing gets the relationship backwards. Idaho City's small population travels with its own deed records, its own $16,176 published year, and its own distinct guest base - it is not a discount version of the Boise market, and Boise's higher occupancy figure describes a completely different scale of city, not a benchmark Idaho City should be measured against or expected to approach.

The civic geography reinforces the point: City Desk, the clerk, and Planning and Zoning all sit within a block of each other on Main Street, which is exactly what you'd expect from a county seat this size. A host operating here should understand the market on its own terms - a small, historic basin town with a real but modest tourism draw - rather than treating every gap between Idaho City's numbers and Boise's as a problem to solve.

The Published Year: $16,176 on 41 Listings

The current AirROI extract for Idaho City shows $16,176 in typical annual revenue across a sample of 41 listings, with an average daily rate of $199 and occupancy of 27.6 percent, producing a RevPAR of $56. That RevPAR figure is the number that should anchor any pro forma for a property in this market, because it already accounts for the gap between the nightly rate a listing can command and how often the calendar actually fills - and in this market, that gap is real. A $199 ADR sounds respectable on its own, but at 27.6 percent occupancy, the annual revenue that actually lands is modest, and that's the honest, published desk figure for this town, not an underperforming result waiting to be fixed with better photography.

This is a small-sample market - 41 listings is a real but limited data set - which means individual property performance can vary more from the average than it would in a larger, deeper market. That's a reason for careful, conservative underwriting, not a reason to dismiss the sample as too small to be meaningful.

Don't Blend Garden Valley or Boise Into this market

Two nearby markets get folded into Idaho City comps more often than they should. Garden Valley, a separate mountain corridor reached by a different road, carries its own published year of $27,102 across a much larger sample of 154 listings - a genuinely different market with different listing stock and a different seasonal driver. Boise, the regional metro anchor about 40 miles away via ID-21, sits at roughly $25,127 across a sample near 268 listings - an entirely different scale of market with year-round urban demand that Idaho City's small basin does not share.

Averaging either of those into Idaho City's $16,176 figure produces a blended number that describes no actual property. If you're underwriting a specific Idaho City parcel, use Idaho City's own sample. If a comp sheet or marketing packet hands you a rosier, blended figure that quietly incorporates Garden Valley's or Boise's larger numbers, treat that as a red flag on the analysis, not a reason to raise your revenue expectations for this specific town.

Boise Is an Hour on ID-21, Not Part of this sample

Idaho City sits roughly 40 miles from Boise, about an hour's drive along ID-21 through the surrounding national forest. That drive is a genuine amenity for guests who want a basin retreat within striking distance of a real city - and it's worth naming honestly in listing copy - but it does not make Idaho City part of the Boise market for underwriting purposes. The two markets have different guest profiles, different seasonal patterns, and, as shown above, meaningfully different revenue figures.

For marketing purposes, the ID-21 drive is a selling point precisely because it's a real, specific distance a guest can plan around: close enough for a day trip to Boise, far enough to feel like a genuine mountain escape. Describing it as "close to Boise" without the actual drive time undersells the specificity that makes this basin appealing in the first place.

Seasonality: October, May, and July Carry This Desk

The available seasonal data for Idaho City points to October, May, and July as the months carrying the bulk of demand, a pattern that spans both a fall shoulder window and the core of summer rather than concentrating purely on peak-summer months the way some mountain corridors do. On the other side of the calendar, February, March, and December read as this market's slower stretch. A host pricing and staffing a calendar here should plan around that specific shape - protecting rate during the October and May shoulder windows rather than treating them as afterthoughts to the summer peak, and setting realistic expectations for the winter stretch.

This spread-out peak pattern, rather than a single concentrated summer window, is itself a useful piece of market intelligence: it suggests demand here is driven by more than one seasonal factor - likely a mix of warm-weather basin recreation and a fall or late-spring draw tied to the town's own historic character and outdoor access, rather than a single-purpose river or ski season.

HB 583 Is Statewide, Not a New Statute Specific to This Town

Idaho's HB 583 sets short-term rental regulation at the state level, and it applies uniformly across Idaho jurisdictions, including Idaho City, Garden Valley, and Boise alike. It is not a new, town-specific ordinance, and it should not be presented in marketing or underwriting as something that gives Idaho City a unique regulatory position relative to its neighbors. Every comparable market referenced in this report operates under the same statewide framework.

What actually distinguishes Idaho City from its neighbors is its listing stock, its basin geography, and its own $16,176 sample - not a state law that applies everywhere else in Idaho too. Hosts should know the law applies here, understand what it requires, and then move on to the market factors that genuinely differentiate this town.

41 Listings, and a Meaningful Share Under Professional Management

The current sample of 41 listings includes a notable share, roughly 7 percent, of listings under professional management. That's a smaller professional-management footprint than some larger markets, which means an independent host operating in Idaho City is competing primarily against other independent, owner-run listings rather than against a heavily professionalized competitive set. That's a meaningfully different competitive dynamic than Garden Valley, where a recognized national operator has a genuine presence.

For a host weighing whether professional presentation and pricing discipline can meaningfully differentiate a listing in this market, the answer leans favorable: with roughly 93 percent of the sample independently run, careful photography, honest description of the basin's specific draws, and disciplined seasonal pricing around the October-May-July demand pattern can meaningfully separate a listing from the bulk of its local competition.

How a Host Should Read a Tiny County Seat Market

The honest summary of Idaho City's short-term rental market is this: a small, historic basin town of 466 people, generating a real but modest $16,176 typical year across 41 listings, at a $199 ADR and 27.6 percent occupancy, with demand concentrated in October, May, and July rather than a single summer peak. It sits an hour from Boise on ID-21 without being part of the Boise market, and its own figures should never be blended with Garden Valley's larger corridor sample or Boise's metro-scale numbers to produce a rosier composite.

For a host or buyer, that means underwriting conservatively against the RevPAR of $56, pricing the shoulder months as seriously as the summer peak, and leaning into the specific, small-town, historic-basin character that this market genuinely has rather than trying to market it as a scaled-down version of a bigger neighboring town. This is a real market with real numbers - just a small one, and it should be evaluated as exactly that.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Idaho City's current published short-term rental revenue?

The current AirROI extract shows $16,176 in typical annual revenue across a sample of 41 listings, with a $199 average daily rate, 27.6 percent occupancy, and a RevPAR of $56. That RevPAR figure is the most useful single number for underwriting, since it already accounts for the gap between nightly rate and how often the calendar actually fills.

Why shouldn't Idaho City's numbers be blended with Garden Valley or Boise?

Garden Valley carries its own separate published year of $27,102 across 154 listings, and Boise sits at roughly $25,127 across a much larger sample near 268 listings - both meaningfully different markets with different inventory, guest bases, and seasonal drivers. Blending any of them into Idaho City's $16,176 figure produces a number that doesn't describe any actual property in either market.

How far is Idaho City from Boise, and is it effectively part of the Boise market?

Idaho City is roughly 40 miles from Boise, about an hour's drive on ID-21. It's a real and marketable distance for guests wanting a basin retreat within reach of a city, but the two markets have distinct guest profiles and revenue figures, and Idaho City should not be underwritten as a Boise submarket.

What is Idaho City's population, and does it affect the short-term rental market?

Idaho City's 2020 census population is 466, making it one of the smallest county seats in the area. That small scale is reflected honestly in the market's modest revenue figures, and it should be understood as the character of a small historic basin town rather than a gap to explain away.

When is peak season in Idaho City's short-term rental market?

The available data points to October, May, and July as the months carrying the bulk of demand - a pattern spanning a fall shoulder window and summer rather than one single peak month. February, March, and December read as the market's slower stretch, and pricing strategy should reflect both ends of that pattern.

Does Idaho's HB 583 give Idaho City a unique regulatory advantage for short-term rentals?

No. HB 583 is a statewide law that applies uniformly across Idaho jurisdictions, including Idaho City, Garden Valley, and Boise. It should be treated as background regulatory context rather than marketed as something unique to this town.

How much of the Idaho City market is professionally managed versus independently run?

Roughly 7 percent of the current 41-listing sample is under professional management, meaning the large majority of competing listings are independently owner-run. That gives independent hosts a meaningful opportunity to differentiate through disciplined pricing and honest, specific presentation.

Where are Idaho City's key civic offices located?

City Hall is at 511 Main Street, the city clerk's office is at 419 Main Street, and Planning and Zoning is at 417 Main Street - all within a short walk of each other, reflecting the compact scale of this small county seat.

Is a 27.6 percent occupancy rate a sign of a weak market?

Not necessarily on its own. Combined with the seasonal pattern showing demand concentrated in specific months rather than spread evenly across the year, a blended annual occupancy in this range is consistent with a small, seasonally driven basin market rather than evidence of a failing asset or listing.

What should a host underwriting an Idaho City property actually plan around?

Plan around the published RevPAR of $56 rather than the higher $199 ADR alone, price the October and May shoulder windows deliberately rather than as afterthoughts to summer, and market the property's specific basin and historic-town character rather than positioning it as a smaller alternative to Boise or Garden Valley.

Work with Crest & Cove Creative

Idaho City's real published year is $16,176 across 41 listings - a small county seat's honest number, not a discount line item under Boise's occupancy or a rounding error next to Garden Valley's bigger corridor sample.

We build listing and photo strategy around Idaho City's own $16,176 published year, not a bigger neighboring market's borrowed number. Start at crestcove.co/audit or call (256) 998-7502.

Reach out at crestcove.co or (256) 998-7502.