Moscow, ID — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Idaho·Moscow

Latah County · Moscow · population 26,894

Moscow, ID
Image: Wikipedia · Moscow, Idaho
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71
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Moscow stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 5.5% in the last year.

Median home $482,427
1-year +1.1%
5-yr CAGR +5.7%
vs 5-yr peak -0.3%
Population +1.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-02$482k$232k$322k$413k$503k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
80/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,177/mo$925$1,092$1,25820242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent10611710012020242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 34.2
Rent

At a 34.2 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Moscow for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
56 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
68 · w22%
Distance from peak
88 · w18%
Population growth
71 · w16%
Rent YoY
82 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
72 · w10%
Long thesis

Moscow has held up across the cycle: home values at $482,427 with +5.7% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Moscow's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Moscow

Moscow is a city in Latah County, Idaho, with an estimated population of 26,894. The population grew 1.4% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Moscow is $482,427 as of 2026-04, up 1.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Moscow average $1,177 per month, up 5.5% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 71 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

Bull case

Healthy 5-year run: +5.7% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
Net positive migration: population up 1.4% per year — demand fundamentals are intact.
Held the highs: currently -0.3% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
Hot rental market: rents up 5.5% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

Bear case

Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Moscow (Wikipedia)

Moscow is a city in and the county seat of Latah County, Idaho. Located in the North Central region of the state along the border with Washington, it had a population of 25,435 at the 2020 United States census. Moscow is the home of the University of Idaho, the state's land-grant institution and primary research university.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Latah County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Latah County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Moscow

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
36° / 21°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
87° / 55°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
207
~57% of year
Annual precip
19″ rain
26″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
High
Earthquake
Moderate
Flood
Low

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Moscow listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Moscow area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
60%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$70,200
Idaho state median
Top industries (state-level)
Tech (Boise)AgricultureManufacturing

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Moscow

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