Nursing Homes in Idaho

As families consider senior living options, Idaho should be at the top of the list for those looking for a unique geographic blend of dry, desert-like conditions and rugged, snowy wilderness — along with a relatively low cost of living.

Sandwiched between the lush, temperate Pacific Northwest and the snowy peaks of the Rocky Mountains, the aptly nicknamed “Gem State” is truly a hidden gem of the United States. Idaho’s landscape consists of scenic wonders and untamed natural features such as Craters of the Moon National Monument, City of Rocks National Reserve, and the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area. Even part of Yellowstone — the country’s first and most well-known national park — spills over from neighboring Wyoming into Idaho’s northeast corner, just below the state’s jagged, mountainous border with Montana. Rivers and waterfalls are also distinguishing features of Idaho, and the Snake River Plain through the state’s central region is home to its most populous cities, like Boise.

There are more than 45 nursing homes in Idaho. A Place for Mom’s Senior Living Advisors can provide you with a list of nursing homes in Idaho to help you find the community that fits your needs and budget.

The median monthly cost of a private room in a nursing home in Idaho is about $8,600, according to Genworth.

Top cities in Idaho

Boise Meridian Coeur D'alene Caldwell Idaho Falls Blackfoot

Idaho Nursing Home Regulations

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is a federal agency that regulates and provides ratings for nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities. CMS offers guidance to state Medicaid services regarding rules for facilities that are Medicaid-certified. Medicare provides a national nursing home website to view the audit and licensing history of Medicare-approved nursing homes.

Each state regulates senior living communities differently, but you can use APFM’s guide to assisted living regulations to learn more about access to facility records in Idaho.

In Idaho, nursing homes — also called convalescent homes or skilled nursing facilities — are intended for seniors who require 24-hour monitoring and medical assistance. These communities are designed to promote independence among seniors who require constant nursing care to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), but do not require hospital-level care.

Cost of Living

Overall, the cost of living in Idaho is considered to be more affordable than the national average. All index scores are based on a scale with the national average set at 100.

Price Indexes

Cost of Living: 94
Groceries: 92
Housing: 87
Utilities: 83
Transportation: 107

Demographics

About 16% of Idaho’s population are seniors. In the 2016 presidential election, Idaho leaned conservative.

2016 Presidential Election

28% voted Democratic
59% voted Republican
13% voted third party

Population

Median age: 37
Over the age of 55: 28%
2018 population: 1,754,208
2020 population: 1,827,006
Estimated 2025 population: 2,022,494

Miscellaneous

35% regularly attend a religious service
38% consider themselves atheist, agnostic, or a non-believer
The state has a total of 2,427 congregations
There are 55 Masonic lodges in the state

Climate and Weather

As both a Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain state, Idaho has many different climate types. There’s a somewhat-neutralizing oceanic effect in the western and central regions of the state, which creates a warm-summer Mediterranean climate with four distinct seasons, and milder temperatures than elevations would suggest. Much of south-central Idaho has a cold semi-arid climate with desert-like conditions, with extreme temperature swings, cold winters, hot summers, and not much precipitation. Along Idaho’s mountainous eastern border with Montana, higher elevations lead to a range of colder climates including warm-summer humid continental, subarctic, dry-summer subarctic, and tundra.