Is Coeur d'Alene cheaper than Midland?

They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Coeur d'Alene and Midland metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.

Which has higher household income, Coeur d'Alene or Midland?

Midland has the higher median household income — $89,627 versus $83,061 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 8% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Coeur d'Alene or Midland?

A paycheck stretches further in Midland. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $93,573 there versus $84,503 in Coeur d'Alene.

Which has cheaper rent, Coeur d'Alene or Midland?

Rents are close — $1,578/mo in the Coeur d'Alene metro versus $1,558/mo in Midland (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Coeur d'Alene vs Midland

Metro-area medians — Coeur d'Alene, ID Metro Area vs Midland, TX Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Midland comes out ahead, winning 5 of the 5 clearly-decided measures.

Coeur d'Alene and Midland cost about the same to live in, but Midland households earn about 8% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Midland.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Coeur d'Alene, ID

$58,173

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$59,184

real value after local prices

Midland, TX

$61,314

take-home / yr · 18% to tax

$64,013

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Midland leaves you about $4,829/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Coeur d'Alene

Midland

Livability (CityLedger)

61/100

72/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

98.3

95.8

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$84,503

$93,573

Median household income

$83,061

$89,627

Median rent

$1,578/mo

$1,558/mo

Median home value

$577,600

$313,200

Unemployment

2.6%

2.1%

Bachelor's degree or higher

31%

31.8%

Average commute

23.1 min

23.2 min

Air quality (median AQI)

—

Avg temperature

50°F

66°F

Choose Coeur d'Alene for

No clear edge

Full Coeur d'Alene profile →

Choose Midland for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
+ Median household income
+ Median home value
+ Unemployment

Full Midland profile →

Coeur d'Alene vs Midland — frequently asked

Is Coeur d'Alene cheaper than Midland?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Coeur d'Alene and Midland metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Coeur d'Alene or Midland?: Midland has the higher median household income — $89,627 versus $83,061 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 8% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Coeur d'Alene or Midland?: A paycheck stretches further in Midland. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $93,573 there versus $84,503 in Coeur d'Alene.
Which has cheaper rent, Coeur d'Alene or Midland?: Rents are close — $1,578/mo in the Coeur d'Alene metro versus $1,558/mo in Midland (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).