Lemhi County, Idaho

ID · FIPS 16059 Republican

Located in Idaho, Lemhi County has a population of 8,249 residents and a median age of 53.3 years, making it the #2,633 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.8%. The median home value is $326,100, and the median household income is $53,202, which is 29% below the national median.

8,249
Population
#2,633 of 3,222
$53,202
Median Income
-29.2% #2,584 of 3,222
53.3 years
Median Age
+37.0% #97 of 3,222
12.8%
Poverty Rate
+1.9% #1,480 of 3,222

Demographics

Lemhi County has a population of 8,249, making it the #2,633 most populous county in the US. The median age is 53.3 years, which is 37.0% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.4%
Native Born
0.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Lemhi County is $53,202, ranking #2,584 out of 3,222 counties — 29.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.8% and unemployment stands at 2.0%.

Income#2,584
$53,202
-29.2%
vs nation
20th percentile
Per Capita#1,667
$34,545
-16.3%
vs nation
48th percentile
Poverty#1,480
12.8%
+1.9%
vs nation
54th percentile
Unemployment#287
2.0%
-62.1%
vs nation
91th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Lemhi County is $326,100 (+15.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $754/mo and the homeownership rate is 79.3%.

Home Value#506
$326,100
+15.7%
vs nation
84th percentile
Rent#2,455
$754
-35.2%
vs nation
24th percentile
Homeownership#750
79.3%
+23.1%
vs nation
77th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Lemhi County, 24.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 28.6% below the national average, ranking #1,356 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
24.1% −28.6% vs nation
Rank #1,356 of 3,222
58th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Lemhi County is 75.3 years. 17.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,505
75.3
+0.2%
vs nation
51th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,127
17.2%
-12.1%
vs nation
64th percentile
Diabetes#395
8.8%
-20.9%
vs nation
88th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#708
34.0%
-8.9%
vs nation
78th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#844
5.3
-6.4%
vs nation
73th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,505
4.4
-1.5%
vs nation
52th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,249
12.6%
+20.3%
vs nation
29th percentile
Physical Inactivity#749
22.6%
-14.3%
vs nation
76th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,049
12.7%
-11.8%
vs nation
67th percentile

Substance Use

15.2% of adults in Lemhi County smoke , 32.9% are obese , and 19.5% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#702
15.2%
-15.4%
vs nation
78th percentile
Adult Obesity#428
32.9%
-13.2%
vs nation
86th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,367
19.5%
-2.1%
vs nation
57th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 29.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 30.3 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,296
29.3
+48.7%
vs nation
10th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,362
34.6
+93.7%
vs nation
4th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,421
30.3
+49.8%
vs nation
14th percentile

Families & Children

17.0% of children in Lemhi County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 16.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,040
16.1
-26.0%
vs nation
65th percentile
Child Poverty#1,419
17.0%
-10.5%
vs nation
55th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Lemhi County is 73.9%. The mean commute time is 17.3 min, which is 37.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
73.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
17.3 min −37.3% vs nation
Rank #3,057 of 3,222
5th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Lemhi County voted Republican with a margin of 55.0%. The vote was 21.3% Dem / 76.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +55.0%
21.3% 76.3%
Dem 4,873 votes Rep
2020 REP +54.0%
21.8% 75.8%
Dem 4,738 votes Rep
2016 REP +56.0%
18% 74%
Dem 4,068 votes Rep
2012 REP +50.3%
23.4% 73.7%
Dem 4,109 votes Rep
2008 REP +45.8%
25.8% 71.6%
Dem 4,105 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Lemhi County, Idaho

Lemhi County, Idaho has a total population of 8,249, making it the 2,633rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Lemhi County is 53.3 years, which is 37.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Lemhi County is $53,202, which ranks #2,584 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 29.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.0%.

The median home value in Lemhi County is $326,100, 15.7% above the national median. Renters in Lemhi County pay a median gross rent of $754 per month. The homeownership rate is 79.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Lemhi County, 24.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 28.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 17.3 min.

Lemhi County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.5% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).

All data for Lemhi County, Idaho comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.