A housing survey commissioned by U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo’s office drew more than 5,000 responses from Idahoans in 2025, revealing widespread financial strain among both renters and homeowners across the state. The results, released Thursday, paint a detailed picture of the affordability pressures facing Canyon County residents and Idahoans from Treasure Valley communities to rural corners of the state.
Renters Feeling the Squeeze
The survey data shows renters are bearing some of the heaviest burdens. Under the federal standard, a household spending more than 30% of its gross income on housing is considered “cost burdened” — and the numbers suggest a significant portion of Idaho renters have crossed that threshold.
Among renters bringing in less than $4,000 per month, nearly 80% fell into the cost-burdened category. Even renters earning between $4,000 and $7,000 monthly were not spared, with nearly 60% spending more than 30% of their income on housing. The findings underscore how affordability concerns stretch well into middle-income brackets, not just the lowest earners.
Beyond monthly rent, upfront costs are also proving to be a significant barrier. Roughly 90% of renter respondents cited high moving costs as a challenge, and 64% specifically flagged steep application fees as a financial obstacle. One survey respondent captured a frustration heard repeatedly across the state: “‘We don’t accept Section 8’ is the first thing I hear when I call about a listing.”
Only about 5% of all survey respondents reported using federal housing assistance, suggesting that the vast majority of cost-burdened Idahoans are navigating the housing market without a safety net from government programs.
Homeowners Face Property Tax and Insurance Pressure
Renters are not the only ones feeling the weight of rising housing costs. Among homeowner respondents, approximately 45% said property taxes had become a meaningful burden on their monthly finances. Insurance costs were also cited as a growing concern — a trend that has accelerated as premiums have climbed in recent years across much of the Mountain West, including in fast-growing areas like Nampa and Caldwell.
The largest share of survey participants fell into the 65-and-older age group, a demographic that often lives on fixed incomes and is particularly vulnerable to rising property tax assessments driven by rapid home value appreciation throughout Canyon County and the broader Treasure Valley.
Legislative Battles Over Renter Protections
The survey results arrive against a backdrop of ongoing tension between local governments and the Idaho Legislature over how to address housing affordability. In 2023, the city of Boise enacted rental protections that included a $30 cap on application fees and rules preventing landlords from discriminating against tenants using Section 8 housing vouchers. The following year, Idaho lawmakers moved to strip cities of the authority to regulate application fees or mandate Section 8 acceptance.
A 2025 effort by state Sen. Ali Rabe to impose restrictions on rental application practices advanced through the Idaho Senate but ultimately died in a House committee, leaving the regulatory landscape largely unchanged for Idaho renters.
Respondents from across Idaho’s regions expressed interest in a wider range of housing options, including townhouses, duplexes, accessory dwelling units, and multi-family housing — types of development that remain limited in many Canyon County communities but are increasingly discussed as part of long-term solutions to the housing shortage. As Canyon County grows, local businesses are also expanding to serve new residents — the recent opening of a new Dutch Bros Coffee location in Nampa reflects that growth dynamic in communities like Middleton and Caldwell as well.
What Comes Next
Sen. Crapo framed the survey findings as a foundation for policy action. “The input we received from Idahoans shapes ongoing solutions to address housing challenges facing the state and country,” he said in connection with the survey’s release.
His office has not yet announced specific legislative proposals tied to the results, but the breadth of responses — more than 5,000 Idahoans across income levels and housing situations — gives the findings a strong data foundation for future debate at both the state and federal level. For more on statewide housing and economic policy developments in Idaho, visit Idaho News.
Canyon County residents interested in housing policy developments can monitor updates through Sen. Crapo’s official Senate office as the results are used to inform future legislative discussions.