Coeur d'Alene vs Pasco
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $376,300 in Pasco and $483,500 in Coeur d'Alene.
- Households earn more in Pasco ($85,586 vs $72,338 median).
- Pasco has the warmer winter: January highs of 41°F vs 36°F.
- Coeur d'Alene gets far more snow: 27 inches a year vs 2.
- Pasco has more scorching days: 55 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 18.
- Commutes are shorter in Coeur d'Alene (18 vs 23 minutes each way).
- Washington has no state income tax on wages; Idaho's top rate is 5.3%.
Side by side
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | Pasco, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 58,179 | 82,848 |
| Growth since 2020 | +6.5% | +7.1% |
| People per square mile | 3,449 | 2,126 |
| Median age | 40.1 | 30.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31% | 21% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $72,338 | $85,586 |
| Median home value | $483,500 | $376,300 |
| Home value to income | 6.7× | 4.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,468 | $1,227 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 98.3 | 100.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 105.6 | 94.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $73,700 | $75,100 |
| Homeowners | 60% | 71% |
| Top state income tax | 5.3% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 6.03% | 9.57% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 18.1 | 22.5 |
| Work from home | 13% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 2.9% | 5.3% |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 12.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 36° / 26° | 41° / 28° |
| July high / low | 83° / 57° | 93° / 57° |
| Precipitation per year | 25 in | 8 in |
| Snowfall per year | 27 in | 2 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 18 | 55 |
| Nights below freezing | 120 | 112 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 79.0 | 72.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 78% | 79% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.5% | +1.9% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +33.3% | +33.2% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Coeur d'Alene: May to September. Pasco: May to June and September.
Full monthly tables: Coeur d'Alene weather by month and Pasco weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $73,700 in Coeur d'Alene and $75,100 in Pasco. Moving from Coeur d'Alene to Pasco, you would need about $76,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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