Custer County, Idaho: commercial real estate data.
Custer County, Idaho has a population of 4,470 across 4,921 square miles, up 7.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $257.3 m in 2024, 192 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 10 7(a) approvals worth $2.8 m.
117 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Custer County
How many people live in Custer County
- Population4,470
- Households1,943
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$67,574
- Median age60.0
- Median gross rent$691 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$381,700
- Home value to household income5.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher29.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over3,678
- Population under 18623
- Share under 1813.9 percent
- Population 65 and over1,634
- Share 65 and over36.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 642,213
- Civilian labor force1,915
- Unemployment rate2.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over49.8 percent
- Rank by population among Idaho counties40th of 44
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2936th
Custer County is the 40th largest of 44 Idaho counties by population. A median home costs 5.6 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 36.6 percent against 13.9 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Custer County
Is Custer County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base7.51 percent
- Census 2020 base population4,276
- Births, 202439
- Deaths, 202444
- Natural change, 2024-5
- Net domestic migration, 202465
- Net international migration, 20249
- Total net migration, 202474
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024394
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents275th
The county has grown 7.51 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Custer County
Where people moving to Custer County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving171
- People arriving, from those returns323
- Adjusted gross income arriving$11.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$64,298
- Largest single originCuster County Non-migrants (1,649 households)
- Largest single destination (1,649 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County Non-migrants | 1,649 | 3,299 | $100.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 95 | 186 | $5.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 55 | 100 | $3.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 55 | 100 | $3.5 m |
| Ada County | 21 | 37 | $2.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Custer County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Custer County
What the Custer County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$257.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$248.5 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.6 percent
- GDP change over five years46.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Idaho counties39th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2790th
- GDP per resident$57,570
Output grew 3.6 percent in the latest year and 46.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Custer County
Who employs people in Custer County
- Covered employment, annual average1,539
- Establishments reporting292
- Average annual pay$45,656
- Average weekly wage$878
- Sector 72, employment291
- Sector 72, average annual pay$32,374
- Sector 44-45, employment177
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$23,679
- Sector 71, employment82
- Sector 71, average annual pay$31,870
- Sector 81, employment72
- Sector 81, average annual pay$21,256
- Sector 23, employment62
- Sector 42, employment37
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 291 | 44 | $32,374 |
| Sector 44-45 | 177 | 27 | $23,679 |
| Sector 71 | 82 | 18 | $31,870 |
| Sector 81 | 72 | 18 | $21,256 |
| Sector 23 | 62 | 37 | $39,549 |
| Sector 42 | 37 | 7 | $63,011 |
| Sector 54 | 34 | 17 | $74,089 |
| Sector 51 | 31 | 6 | $63,956 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 291 jobs, 18.9 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Custer County
What businesses operate in Custer County
- Establishments, all industries192
- Employment at those establishments862
- Annual payroll$36.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents43.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Custer County
What is being built in Custer County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202449
- Declared construction value permitted$18.7 m
- Single family units authorised49
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$381,516
- Units authorised per 1,000 households25.2
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Custer County
How much SBA lending happens in Custer County
- 7(a) approvals recorded10
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$282,410
- Median 7(a) approval$75,000
- 10th percentile approval$22,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,076,100
- Largest single approval$1,076,100
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)56
- Jobs per approval5.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals8
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer30.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter6
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countCement Manufacturing (2)
- Most active lenderD. L. Evans Bank (3)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$902,000
- Average 504 approval$300,667
- Median 504 approval$217,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval3.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.1
- Most active CDCRegion IV Development Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals76.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$3.7 m
The average approval of $282,410 sits well above the median of $75,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 30.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Custer County
Do SBA loans in Custer County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Custer County
Which parts of Custer County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- Challis, approvals5
- STANLEY, approvals3
- Clayton, approvals1
- MACKAY, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Challis | 5 | $2,297,100 |
| STANLEY | 3 | $247,000 |
| Clayton | 1 | $270,000 |
| MACKAY | 1 | $10,000 |
Challis accounts for 5 approvals against 3 in STANLEY. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Custer County
How big is Custer County
- Land area4,921 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Idaho counties3rd of 44
- Width, east to west98.2 mi
- Height, north to south90.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land1
- Establishments per square mile0.04
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Custer County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Custer County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population4,470
- Households1,943
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$67,574
- Median age60.0
Common questions
Custer County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Custer County, Idaho?
4,470, in 1,943 households, ranking 40th of 44 Idaho counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Custer County growing?
The population has grown 7.51 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 39 births against 44 deaths, with net migration of 74. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Custer County?
$67,574. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $381,700, which is 5.6 times income, and median gross rent is $691 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Custer County?
192 establishments, employing 862 people with an annual payroll of $36.1 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Custer County?
Average annual pay is $45,656, or $878 a week, across 1,539 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Custer County?
10 7(a) approvals totalling $2.8 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $75,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $902,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Custer County?
49 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $18.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Custer County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Custer County come from?
The largest single origin is Custer County Non-migrants, with 1,649 households. Arriving households report an average income of $64,298 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Custer County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Custer County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.