8 Best Places To Retire In Idaho
Framed by the Sawtooth Mountains and the clear waters of Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho offers retirees dramatic scenery without sacrificing everyday comfort. In Boise, the 25-mile Boise River Greenbelt and nationally recognized St. Luke’s and St. Alphonsus hospitals anchor an active, well-supported lifestyle. Up north in Coeur d’Alene, retirees pair lake views and the resort’s famous floating green. From affordable hubs like Twin Falls to upscale mountain enclaves like Ketchum, these eight Idaho communities stand out for balancing recreation, healthcare access, and long-term livability.
Boise
The capital city of Boise is a natural choice for retirees when considering Idaho as their home. While Boise has seen a large increase in population over the past decade, housing prices are trending down. The median home listing price in Boise as of November, was around $565,000. Major hospitals in Boise include St. Lukes Health System and St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center which are both nationally, award winning healthcare facilities.
Boise is a friendly community with many outdoor recreational activities. Retirees will appreciate the multiple scenic areas just minutes away from downtown like the Boise Greenbelt (a 25-mile pathway along the Boise River), the Idaho Botanical Garden, and multiple hiking or walking trails in the foothills surrounding the city. Boise offers a variety of unique social activities for locals to enjoy like the Idaho Shakespeare Festival (an outdoor theatre that puts on superb plays all summer long), farmers markets, and a fantastic music community for live performances.
Eagle
Bordering Boise, Eagle is a thriving suburb community with well-designed neighborhoods and several senior living communities including Eagle Manor, Paramount Parks, Edgewood Spring Creek, Foxtail, and Revel. Eagle is a phenomenal choice for retirees wanting to be close to a larger, accessible city but far enough away to have some space and a sense of community. Eagle's median home listing prices are trending upward, at just under $1M.
Eagle Island State Park is a local favorite for swimming, walking or hiking trails, and picnics. Sturman’s Eagle is an excellent place for seniors craving a glass of wine and entertainment. There are also many award-winning wineries nearby Eagle: 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards and Dude DeWalt Cellars are two of the most frequented.
Twin Falls
With a good balance of outdoor recreation and affordable living, Twin Falls is an attractive choice for retirement in southern Idaho. Twin Falls is an affordable option, with the median home listing price around $415,000. The city is known for its friendly and welcoming population and nearby recreation. Shoshone Falls "the Niagara of the West" is a massive natural waterfall that can be admired from an observation deck and the Canyon Rim trail along the Snake River Canyon is a great spot to watch BASE jumpers off the Perrine Bridge. There are several medical facilities to choose from in the area, St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center being the largest with major services and specialists available.
Coeur d’Alene
Northern Idaho's gem beauty, Coeur d’Alene, is an exceptional place for retirees to reside long term. Golfing at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course is at the top of bucket lists among golf enthusiasts from all over the world. It features the world’s only floating green and stunning panoramic views of the lake.
Kootenai Health has been recognized as a top 100 hospital in Coeur d’Alene, which is close to other major hospitals in neighboring Washington, such as Spokane, just 34 miles away. Lake City Center provides seniors with home-delivered meals, daily activities, and exercise classes. The area also boasts excellent assisted living facilities like The Renaissance, offering various floor plans and memory care specialties. Meanwhile, the median home listing price continues to rise and is approximately $668,000.
Ketchum
Retired skiers commence! Nearby Sun Valley Resort boasts world-class skiing in the winter months; snowboarders and skiers from all over the world come to Ketchum for its incredible slopes. Ketchum is appealing to retirees, with a low population, a supportive community of other active seniors, and views of the Sawtooth Mountains around every corner.
St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center is the most accessible hospital, featuring a beautiful facility with over 30 providers and visiting physicians across various specialties. Retirees can also benefit from The Senior Connection, a well-established program for seniors in the Ketchum area that offers transportation, fitness classes, caregiving, and meal delivery services. For those interested in purchasing property, housing costs in Ketchum tend to be high, with a median listing price of approximately $3.8 million. However, the median selling price is significantly lower at around $1.2 million.
Idaho Falls
In Eastern Idaho, Idaho Falls is a top choice when it comes to balancing affordability with other desirable assets of livability. Cost of living in Idaho Falls is significantly lower than other options in Idaho with median home listing prices around $420,000. The award winning Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center is a full-service care facility and easily accessible in town. Idaho Falls Senior Citizen’s Community Center is a great resource for retirees offering meal deliveries and various activities and exercise classes.
Locals love the Idaho Falls Zoo, the Snake River Greenbelt for walking, and the Japanese Pavilion. Craters of the Moon National Monument and Lava Hot Springs are nearby favorites among Idaho Falls residents.
Sandpoint
Sandpoint is a tranquil lakefront town located at the northern tip of the state in the panhandle, known for its close-knit community of retirees. It was named the most beautiful town in America by USA Today in 2011, and for a good reason—surrounded by Lake Pend Oreille and three mountain ranges: the Selkirk, Cabinet, and Bitterroot. The town offers numerous outdoor activities such as swimming, hiking, huckleberry picking, fishing, and skiing, which are all very popular among residents.
Bonner General Hospital in Sandpoint provides a variety of services for retirees, while Spokane, a nearby major city, offers many specialized centers if needed. The Sandpoint Senior Center has been supporting seniors for 50 years and focuses on health and wellness with various exercise classes and meal delivery services. The median home listing price in Sandpoint was $850,000. Assisted living options such as The Bridge at Sandpoint or Lakeside Assisted Living typically cost around $5,000 per month.
Emmett
A small town close to Boise’s amenities, Emmett is an attractive getaway for retirees. Known for its fertile soil, Emmett produces a variety of delicious fruit like apples, peaches, and cherries! There is an annual cherry festival every June and nearby Black Canyon Reservoir has fantastic fishing, boating, and hiking.
Emmett's housing costs are somewhat lower than those in nearby Boise or Eagle, with a median home listing price of $515,000. The Valor Health Center offers an urgent care facility along with some specialized medical practices. For more extensive medical services, residents can go to larger hospitals in Boise. Seniors will appreciate the Gem County Senior and Community Center, which offers various exercise classes and activities.
Retiring in Idaho
Active retirees who love the great outdoors will thrive in Idaho’s overlooked beauty. The quaint communities are surrounded by natural beauty and endless recreation opportunities. Idaho is tax friendly for retirees drawing social security (not taxed), making it an affordable option for stretching every dollar. Excellent healthcare, low population, pretty seasons, and the lack of many natural disasters, Idaho truly is a Gem state. Considering retirement in Idaho is an easy “yes, please!”
