City profile · Idaho · Census ACS 2023

Moscow, ID

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Moscow - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

25,868
Residents
$56,497
Median income
$352,000
Median home
$1,011
Median rent (state)

Moscow - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Moscow lands in the 30th percentile for household income and the 62nd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

30th
percentile, household income
72nd
percentile, home value
21st
percentile, median rent
62nd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Moscow, ID

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 25,868 residents in Moscow, a small city within Idaho. Moscow households earn a median of $56,497 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 11.0%. Moscow's housing stock carries a median value of $352,000, and the median resident age is 25.3 years. About 54.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 60.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 133 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 108% from five years earlier. Moscow reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1034.3 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Living costs in Idaho run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Idaho at 95.5 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,011 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Idaho's average monthly utility costs around $170 (state average). The average commute for Moscow workers runs 12.6 minutes, with 59.6% driving alone and 9.9% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 33.3 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).

Population

25,868 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Idaho

Median Household Income

$56,497 /yr

Poverty 11.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

95.5 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Idaho average

How does Moscow compare to other US cities?

Where Moscow sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 30% higher than other cities
Home value 72% pricier than other cities
Median rent 21% pricier than other cities
Safety 62% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Idaho alone, Moscow ranks #34 of 53 Idaho cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Moscow against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Idaho only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Idaho-relative analysis

Bachelor's Degree or Higher is Moscow's strongest outlier among Idaho cities

Among the 215 Idaho cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Moscow ranks #10 - the 95th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Moscow only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#132 of 206
36th percentile in Idaho
Median Gross Rent
#159 of 215
23rd percentile in Idaho
Median Home Value
#39 of 204
81st percentile in Idaho
Poverty Rate
#76 of 215
64th percentile in Idaho
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#10 of 215
95th percentile in Idaho

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Idaho only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

30thIncome percentile
62ndSafety percentile

30th percentile nationally for median household income · 62nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Moscow's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Moscow's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 49 Avg. percentile National median
Moscow's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Moscow's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$352,000 28th percentile more affordable than 28% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Moscow $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Moscow, ID Moscow, ID's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Moscow, ID-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Moscow, ID median $56,497/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Moscow, ID's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Moscow, ID. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 54.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 11.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 60.9%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
25,868
Median Income
$56,497
Median Home Value
$352,000
Median Age
25.3
Poverty Rate
11.0%
Labor force participation
60.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
54.3%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1034.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
18.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1015.6
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
9
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
25,000 residents25,500 residents26,000 residents26,500 residents27,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 25,528 residents 26,721 residents ▲ +4.7%
Moscow's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
133
housing units authorized
Single-Family
55
detached homes
Multifamily
78
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
5.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 64
2020 59
2021 97
2022 57
2023 101
2024 133

Permit volume increased 108% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
12.6 minutes
Drive Alone
59.6%
Carpool
10.0%
Public Transit
0.2%
Walk
17.6%
Work from Home
9.9%
Other
2.7%

Based on 13,245 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Idaho - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$80
avg/month
Natural Gas
$50
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$40
avg/month
Total Utilities
$170
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Idaho state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Idaho state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Moscow sits in

Cost of Living Index
95.5
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,011/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
33.3 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Idaho

Kuna
25,960 people
Eagle
31,490 people
Ammon
18,496 people
Lewiston
34,471 people
Mountain Home
16,265 people
Hayden
16,021 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Moscow's 25,868 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Ballenger Creek, MD
25,866 people
Terrytown, LA
25,844 people
Fort Washington, MD
25,843 people
Imperial Beach, CA
25,897 people
Colleyville, TX
25,906 people
Key West, FL
25,824 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Moscow's $56,497 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Elbert, CO
$56,500 median income
Babson Park, FL
$56,500 median income
Hagan, GA
$56,500 median income
Ridgeway, IA
$56,500 median income
Rozel, KS
$56,500 median income
Atlanta, MO
$56,500 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Moscow, ID Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Moscow, ID - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 86.5% 7.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5.6% White 86.5% Black or African American 1.5% Asian 3.0% American Indian 0.7% Native Hawaiian 0.3% Some other race 0.9% Two or more races 7.2% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Moscow compares to nearby Idaho cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Moscow (this city) 25,868 $56,497
Kuna 25,960 $93,545
Eagle 31,490 $118,037
Ammon 18,496 $84,154
Census ACS 5-year FIPS ID FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Moscow, ID?

What is the population of Moscow, ID? +

25,868 people live in Moscow, ID according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Moscow, ID? +

The median household income in Moscow is $56,497 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Moscow? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Moscow; the closest available measure is the Idaho state average, a cost of living index of 95.5 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Idaho vary by metro area.

Is Moscow, ID safe? +

Moscow has a total crime rate of 1034.3 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Moscow, ID? +

The median home value in Moscow is $352,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.