The story of this market
The typical home in Gem County, Idaho sells for about $525,000, or $292 per square foot.
Prices are up +16.7% from a year ago, so sellers still have some momentum. Homes take about 27 days to sell, which is fast. Over the long run, values in this county have grown 280% since 2000. The biggest natural hazard here is wildfire, which FEMA rates very high. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $1,071 a month.
HUD sets the fair market rent for a 2-bedroom at $1,071 a month. FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall hazard risk here as Relatively High.
Price climate
Every year of price change, 2000–2025
+2.2%
2025
Each stripe is one year's median price change across the area's census tracts (FHFA repeat-sales index). Deep blue is a strong gain year, red a falling year. Best: 2006 (+23.3%). Worst: 2011 (-20%). Hover to read a year.
Monthly price momentum
Home values since 2015
+5.3%
ID · past 12 months
Freddie Mac House Price Index, single-family homes, monthly through 2026-08. Each line starts at 100 in January 2015, so a reading of 180 means prices are up 80% since then.
Rent benchmark
Fair market rent by size
$1,461
3-bed / month
HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal 2027, for this county. A typical rent for a modest unit, used to set housing-voucher payments.
Neighborhood price trend
Long-run price trend, 2000–2025
+2.2%
2025 change
FHFA repeat-sales index, median of 4 census tracts in this county (2000 = 100). Bars are each year's median change.
Natural hazard exposure
The area's risk shape
77
Relatively High
FEMA National Risk Index. Each spoke is a hazard ranked nationally, where 100 is the most exposed. Expected annual loss: $11,153,319.
Mortgage activity
Home lending in this county
82.4%
2019 approval rate
| Year | Applications | Loans made | Approval | Investor share | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1238 | 717 | 78.4% | 5.1% | $215,000 |
| 2019 | 1402▲ | 798▲ | 82.4%▲ | 4.8% | $285,000▲ |
CFPB Home Mortgage Disclosure Act records: every mortgage application reported by lenders for homes in this county. Approval rate is approved ÷ decided (withdrawn and incomplete files excluded). Investor share and home value are the median census tract.
Gem County, Idaho
Gem County represents an exurban submarket of the Boise metropolitan area that is experiencing sustained price appreciation alongside modest sales turnover. A tight listing inventory and continued buyer spillover from higher-cost Ada and Canyon counties support stable valuations, though higher interest rates have moderated transaction velocity compared to previous peak years.
No ARED distress-ledger coverage for this county yet — the foreclosure ingest rotates the national county directory, and filings appear here once the county's posted notices are read. Key-figure check: no independent anchor retained yet — first-researched cycles establish the anchor baseline this pass.
Select a city to expand its ZIP intel reports beneath · 4 cities · 6 ZIP reports
Median prices moved down 1.6% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 57 days on market with 0.1 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
0% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 6.06% of asking — demand is holding steady.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 3.7% · poverty 9.6% — a stable, low-distress profile.
Deterministic aggregate of 6 researched ZIP reports — sales_count-weighted (population fallback); per point, children lacking the value or its weight are excluded. Tax rates, sentiment and context notes are tier-native and never roll.
Gem County, Idaho — researched county-level history with a deterministic 1 / 3 / 5-year projection
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 12.0%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
No researched properties in this county yet — the property base layer populates as property research runs, and each property feeds its ZIP's roll-up.
researched Sep 29
researched Sep 29
researched Sep 29
researched Sep 29
researched Sep 29
researched Sep 29
| 83617 | Emmett | $488,000 | $235 | — | 46 | — | — | — | 34 | $2,402 | researched Sep 29 |
| 83636 | Letha | $525,000 | $265 | +2.1% | 42 | 98.5% | 12.5% | 2.8 | 148 | $2,150 | researched Sep 29 |
| 83637 | Lowman | $336,816 | $233 | +4.2% | 882 | — | — | — | — | $1,071 | researched Sep 29 |
| 83654 | New Meadows | $869,000 | $401 | +48.5% | 39 | 96.2% | — | 1 | 3 | $1,071 | researched Sep 29 |
| 83657 | Ola | $420,995 | — | — | 49 | 100% | — | — | — | $1,071 | researched Sep 29 |
| 83670 | Sweet | $755,000 | $310 | -42.4% | 33 | 97.1% | — | 2.3 | 83 | $1,874 | researched Sep 29 |
Figures are each ZIP report's own latest research — the county roll-up aggregates them sales_count-weighted (population fallback); ZIPs cycle quarterly.
Gem County experiences lower overall violent and property crime rates compared to both Idaho state medians and larger neighboring Boise metropolitan counties like Ada and Canyon. Law enforcement is primarily handled by the Gem County Sheriff's Office and the Emmett Police Department, with rural property crime and petty theft representing the predominant issues.
Most students are served by the Emmett Independent School District #221, which includes Emmett High School, Gem State Adventist Academy, and several rural elementary campuses. School performance generally tracks around state averages, with strong community support for career-technical and agricultural education programs.
Wildfire risk is moderate to severe along the rolling foothills and rangelands surrounding the Emmett Valley, while properties adjacent to the Payette River and Black Canyon Reservoir carry seasonal flood exposure. Property insurance premiums have seen moderate upward pressure tracking broader Western regional wildfire risk evaluations.
Gem County is transitioning from an agricultural and timber foundation toward an exurban bedroom community serving Boise and Meridian commuters. Significant employer anchors include the Emmett School District, Walter Knox Memorial Hospital, and local light industrial and agricultural packing operations.
Composed from the ARED governance burden registry — tier-native tax structure (state + county + city + special districts), never averaged. Federal (United States (federal)) — Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Superfund Liens: Establishes a statutory federal lien upon the parcel running in favor of the United States for all unrecovered cleanup costs, damages, and statutory interest incurred by the EPA. Rate and formula: Direct Dollar-for-Dollar Reimbursement (Lien Amount = Incurred Response Costs + Administrative Costs + Federal (United States (federal)) — Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA) Withholding: Imposes an affirmative withholding tax obligation on the transferee (buyer) to withhold and remit tax on the gross amount realized (gross sales price). The statutory base withholding rate is 15% of the total purchase price (Formula: Tax = Amount Realized × 15%). Exemptions and reductions: (1) 0% wit Federal (United States (federal)) — Federal General Tax Lien Encumbrance: Under IRC § 6321, a statutory lien arises automatically as of the date of assessment and attaches to all real property owned or acquired by the taxpayer.
Gem County's economy relies on healthcare, public education, agriculture, light manufacturing, and construction. A rising percentage of resident income is tied to Ada and Canyon County employers via out-commuting workers seeking lower-density rural residential living.
Transit relies entirely on private vehicles and regional highway corridors, primarily Idaho State Highway 16 and Highway 52 connecting south toward Eagle and Boise. Recent Idaho Transportation Department expansions along Highway 16 have significantly improved highway access toward the central Boise Valley.
Gem County and Emmett planning commissions balance farmland preservation with growing demands for rural-residential subdivisions and urban fringe annexations. The local comprehensive plan prioritizes managing water rights, septic permitting, and roadway capacity along feeder corridors.
The Gem County Assessor conducts annual mass appraisals using market sales comparisons and physical inspections to calculate 100% fair market value as mandated by Idaho statute.
Parcels are subject to overlapping taxing jurisdictions including Gem County general fund, Emmett Independent School District, Gem County Fire Protection District #1, Gem County Mosquito Abatement, and local cemetery and irrigation districts.
Homeowners insurance remains broadly accessible, though properties situated in wildland-urban interface perimeters face heightened underwriting scrutiny regarding defensible space and brush clearance. Overall annual premiums generally align with Idaho statewide averages.
- Fly High Boise Trampoline Park4.528.8 mi
- K1 Speed Boise4.528.8 mi
- Pojos Family Fun Center4.528.8 mi
- Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park429.4 mi
- Dave & Buster's Boise4.229.5 mi
- Expo Idaho4.526.7 mi
- Boise Fairgrounds4.426.7 mi
- Idaho Central Arena4.529.9 mi
- The Haunted World4.427.7 mi
- Knitting Factory Boise4.329.9 mi
- Black Canyon Park4.68 mi
- 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards, LLC4.414.1 mi
- Emmett City Park4.512.7 mi
- Wild Rose Park4.68.1 mi
- Frontier Cinema4.812.9 mi
- Freak Alley Gallery4.729.7 mi
- Hyde Park4.828.8 mi
- Basque Block4.730 mi
- Re-POP Gifts4.829.7 mi
- Basque Museum and Cultural Center4.730 mi
- Black Canyon Park4.68 mi
- Emmett City Park4.512.7 mi
- Valley View Chevron Horseshoe Bend4.911.3 mi
- Cobblestone Park4.78.3 mi
- Wild Rose Park4.68.1 mi
- Anderson Reserve4.34.6 mi
- Albertsons413.5 mi
Theme parks, venues, golf, airports, museums, water and shopping across the area from Google Maps, ranked by popularity within the radius shown.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this county — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
A primary regional destination for boating, fishing, and camping along the Payette River.
Host of the Gem-Boise County Fair, Emmett Cherry Festival events, and regional rodeo competitions.
Riverfront walking trails and public access points located within and surrounding Emmett.
Retrieved from Census Bureau QuickFacts and ACS 5-Year Estimates profile for Gem County, ID (FIPS 16045).
applies when — Applies to the transfer of any real property improved by one to four dwelling units.
Requires the seller to provide a written property condition disclosure form to the buyer, detailing the condition of the property.
Idaho Code Title 55, Chapter 25.
applies when — The property must be owner-occupied and used as the primary dwelling place of the owner.
Exempts the lesser of $125,000 or 50% of the market value for assessment purposes from property taxation. Formula: Exemption = min($125,000, 0.50 * Market Value).
Idaho Code 63-602G; as amended by House Bill 885 (2026).
applies when — Applies to parcels governed by a homeowners' association as defined in Idaho Code 55-3203.
Imposes obligations regarding association governance, financial disclosures, and restrictions on covenants (e.g., limitations on short-term rental bans and accessory dwelling unit restrictions).
Idaho Code Title 55, Chapter 32.
Governance registry — every jurisdiction re-researches on a rolling 90-day cycle. Property reports compose these inherited burdens into a per-parcel ledger with conditional determinations. Informational only — not legal advice.