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

All states·Idaho·Pocatello

Bannock County · Pocatello · population 58,231

Pocatello, ID
Image: Wikipedia · Pocatello, Idaho
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
69
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Pocatello stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $341,601
1-year +0.4%
5-yr CAGR +6.2%
vs 5-yr peak -0.1%
Population +0.8%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-02$342k$134k$208k$282k$356k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
90/100
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
$1,089/mo$897$1,044$1,191202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent113110100202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 26.1
Rent

At a 26.1 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Pocatello 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
52 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
71 · w22%
Distance from peak
89 · w18%
Population growth
62 · w16%
Rent YoY
60 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
85 · w10%
Long thesis

Pocatello has held up across the cycle: home values at $341,601 with +6.2% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Pocatello'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 Pocatello

Pocatello is a city in Bannock County, Idaho, with an estimated population of 58,231. The population grew 0.8% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Pocatello is $341,601 as of 2026-04, up 0.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.2% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Pocatello average $1,089 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.3%). The composite momentum score is 69 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +6.2% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently -0.1% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

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

About Pocatello (Wikipedia)

Pocatello is the county seat of and the largest city in Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, containing the city's airport. It is the principal city of the Pocatello metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Bannock County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho.

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

City facts

MayorMark Dahlquist
Area33.40 sq mi
Elevation4462 ft
Established1889
Motto"Gateway to the Northwest"
Density1688.1/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

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 Bannock County right now.

NWS active alerts (ID)Idaho Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

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

Cities like Pocatello

Moscow, ID71 · RisingChubbuck, ID69 · RisingLewiston, ID70 · RisingMountain Home, ID73 · Rising

Run the numbers for Pocatello

ToolCan I afford Pocatello?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Pocatello rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Pocatello to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolPocatello cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

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 Pocatello 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 Pocatello 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.

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