Custer County, Idaho: commercial real estate data.
Custer County, Idaho had an estimated 4,597 residents on July 1, 2024, up 7.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 4,276, across 4,921 square miles. 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 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Custer County
How many people live in Custer County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20244,470
- 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-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2936th of 3,222
Custer County is the 40th largest of 44 Idaho counties by population. A median home costs 5.6 times median household income, which is severely unaffordable by national standards. 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 story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Custer County
Is Custer County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20244,597
- Census 2020 base population4,276
- Population change since the 2020 census base7.51 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202466
- 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 of 3,144
The county has grown 7.51 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration 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 are people moving to Custer County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving171
- People arriving, from those returns323
- Tax returns filed by households leaving144
- Net household movement27
- Adjusted gross income arriving$11.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$4.7 m
- Average income of an arriving household$64,298
- Average income of a leaving household$43,639
- Largest single originAda County (21 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ada County | 21 | 37 | $2.2 m |
Households arriving report $20,659 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Ada County, 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 is the Custer County economy?
- 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 the Idaho areas BEA publishes39th of 44
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2790th of 3,127
- 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
Employment by industry in Custer County
- Covered employment, annual average1,539
- Establishments reporting292
- Average annual pay$45,656
- Average weekly wage$878
- Accommodation and food services, employment291
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$32,374
- Retail trade, employment177
- Retail trade, average annual pay$23,679
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, employment82
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, average annual pay$31,870
- Other services, except public administration, employment72
- Other services, except public administration, average annual pay$21,256
- Construction, employment62
- Wholesale trade, employment37
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 291 | 44 | $32,374 |
| Retail trade | 177 | 27 | $23,679 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 82 | 18 | $31,870 |
| Other services, except public administration | 72 | 18 | $21,256 |
| Construction | 62 | 37 | $39,549 |
| Wholesale trade | 37 | 7 | $63,011 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 34 | 17 | $74,089 |
| Information | 31 | 6 | $63,956 |
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 291 jobs, 18.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Custer County
How many businesses are 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. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Custer County
Building permits in Custer County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202449
- Declared construction value permitted$18.7 m
- Single family units authorized49
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$381,516
- Units authorized per 1,000 households25.2
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Custer County
SBA loans in Custer County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded10
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$282,410
- Median 7(a) approval$62,500
- 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
- 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
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$3.7 m
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
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in 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
Only 3 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Custer County
SBA lending by place in Custer County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending4
- Challis, approvals5
- Stanley, approvals3
- Clayton, approvals1
- Mackay, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Challis | 5 | $2,297,100 |
| Stanley | 3 | $247,000 |
| Clayton | 1 | $270,000 |
| Mackay | 1 | $10,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Custer County
How large 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.
Custer County
Flood risk in Custer County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Custer County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 160211
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Custer County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Custer County (community 160211), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Custer County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
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.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20244,470
- 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?
The Census Bureau estimates 4,597 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 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's population growing?
The population has grown 7.51 percent since the 2020 census base of 4,276, to 4,597 on July 1, 2024. 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 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 employment by industry in Custer County?
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 291 jobs, 18.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,539 jobs at an average annual pay of $45,656, or $878 a week. 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 totaling $2.8 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $62,500, plus 3 504 approvals worth $902,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Custer County?
49 housing units were authorized 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 Ada County, with 21 households. Arriving households report an average income of $64,298 against $43,639 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?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Custer County
Cities and places in Custer.
5 Census places lie wholly or partly in Custer County. All 5 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Challis | city | 854 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Mackay | city | 602 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Stanley | city | 319 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Lost River | city | 55 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Clayton | city | 0 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
Nearby