Is Idaho Falls cheaper than St. George?

Idaho Falls is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 3% below St. George's (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Which has higher household income, Idaho Falls or St. George?

Household incomes are similar — $85,767 in the Idaho Falls metro versus $86,983 in St. George (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Does a paycheck go further in Idaho Falls or St. George?

It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($90,843 versus $89,377).

Which has cheaper rent, Idaho Falls or St. George?

Idaho Falls has cheaper rent — a median of $1,257/mo versus $1,653/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Idaho Falls vs St. George

Metro-area medians — Idaho Falls, ID Metro Area vs St. George, UT Metro Area — not the cities proper.

St. George comes out ahead, winning 4 of the 7 clearly-decided measures.

Idaho Falls costs about 3% less to live in, and household incomes are similar. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches about as far in either.

Their widest everyday difference: St. George has the tighter job market — 3.4% unemployment versus 5%.

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

Idaho Falls, ID

$58,173

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$61,616

real value after local prices

St. George, UT

$57,939

take-home / yr · 23% to tax

$59,533

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Idaho Falls leaves you about $2,083/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

Idaho Falls

St. George

Livability (CityLedger)

59/100

67/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

94.4

97.3

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$90,843

$89,377

Median household income

$85,767

$86,983

Median rent

$1,257/mo

$1,653/mo

Median home value

$410,400

$567,200

Unemployment

3.4%

Bachelor's degree or higher

34.2%

37%

Average commute

21.2 min

19.3 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

44°F

50°F

Choose Idaho Falls for

+ Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
+ Median rent
+ Median home value

Full Idaho Falls profile →

Choose St. George for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Unemployment
+ Bachelor's degree or higher
+ Average commute

Full St. George profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Idaho Falls and St. George on cost, income, size, and education.

Idaho Falls vs Eau Claire→Idaho Falls vs Blacksburg→Idaho Falls vs Midland→St. George vs Bellingham→St. George vs Grand Junction→St. George vs Coeur d'Alene→

Idaho Falls vs St. George — frequently asked

Is Idaho Falls cheaper than St. George?: Idaho Falls is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 3% below St. George's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Idaho Falls or St. George?: Household incomes are similar — $85,767 in the Idaho Falls metro versus $86,983 in St. George (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).
Does a paycheck go further in Idaho Falls or St. George?: It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($90,843 versus $89,377).
Which has cheaper rent, Idaho Falls or St. George?: Idaho Falls has cheaper rent — a median of $1,257/mo versus $1,653/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).