Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0Measured against area pay, Priest River costs less to live in than 61% of U.S. towns
Up 3.7% in a year, 17% above the Idaho typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Sandpoint, ID micro area ($67K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Sandpoint-area micro earn ($67K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 4.5 years of area income, and 37% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $559Ktypical home, 17% above the Idaho typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $980a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 4.5 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$67K, Sandpoint-area income
- 15%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 23%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What Priest River’s housing numbers say
Renting costs far less than owning
A two-bedroom rents for about $980 a month. Owning the typical Priest River home, with 20% down at the calculator’s rate, runs about $3,190 with tax and insurance: 3 times as much. Can I afford it? ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; sales and supply are Redfin’s for May 2026; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Priest River’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Priest River is more affordable than 61% of U.S. towns. Home prices pull the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Values have outpaced Idaho: the typical Priest River home is up 16.1% in five years, against 5.7% statewide (Zillow).
Up 16.1% in five years
Faster than Idaho (5.7%).
Show as a table
| January | Priest River | Idaho |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $228,000 | $215,000 |
| 2018 | $255,000 | $235,000 |
| 2019 | $277,000 | $267,000 |
| 2020 | $307,000 | $296,000 |
| 2021 | $390,000 | $361,000 |
| 2022 | $501,000 | $467,000 |
| 2023 | $512,000 | $460,000 |
| 2024 | $516,000 | $456,000 |
| 2025 | $540,000 | $468,000 |
| 2026 | $549,000 | $474,000 |
| September 2026 | $559,000 | $477,000 |
A typical Priest River home worth $225K in October 2016 is worth about $559K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
Too few sales to read the market
Only 7 homes sold in May 2026, the latest month in Redfin’s figures: too few to describe the market or quote a median sale price.
A typical home costs 4.5 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Priest River’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $285K short of a typical Priest River home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $980 a month here, $2,210 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Priest River’s typical property tax (0.56% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $980
Renters already here pay a median of $817, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Bonner County, ID): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $1,664, under the Idaho median of $2,038, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.56% a year, against 0.49% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Priest River and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Priest River | B | $559K | $299K | 0.56% | $980 |
Questions about the cost of living in Priest River
Is Priest River expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Priest River costs less than 61% of U.S. towns: a B for cost of living. The typical home costs 4.5 years of the median household income of the Sandpoint, ID micro area ($67K).
How much does a house cost in Priest River?
About $559K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 3.7% in a year. The Idaho typical home is $477K.
What salary do you need to live in Priest River?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $137,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $3,190 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $39,000.
How much is rent in Priest River?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $980 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $817 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Priest River?
The median bill is $1,664 a year, 0.56% of the median home value (Idaho: $2,038, 0.49%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Priest River going up?
Yes: up 3.7% in the past year and 16.1% in five years, against 5.7% across Idaho (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Priest River buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.