It’s More Expensive To ‘Get By’ In Rural Idaho Than Boise

ImahinasyonPhotography / Flickr Creative Commons

EPI says it costs $48,720 for a family of three to live in Boise.

It costs more to get by in rural Idaho than it does in Boise, the state’s population center. That’s according to the Economic Policy Institute’s family budget calculator.

A family of four living in Boise needs $56,491 per year. A family of four in rural Idaho needs $58,071.

Here’s a comparison of what it costs for a family of four, two parents and two children, to live in four different parts of Idaho.

[spreadsheet key=”0AiLU6Cs5LWZIdHBsVDNnbGN5VXFpZzBPcWVmdU5JN3c” source=”Economic Policy Institute” sheet=0 filter=0 paginate=0 sortable=0]

EPI’s calculator measures the cost of housing, food, transportation, health care, child care, taxes and other necessities to determine a “secure and modest” cost of living. This calculator is available for 615 areas and six family types.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau Idaho’s median household income in 2011 was $43,341. That means half of Idaho households make less than that each year.

You can read about EPI’s methodology here. Here is the interactive calculator.