The Town FilesRathdrum, Idaho
City in Kootenai County · population 9,211 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $444,100
- Household income
- $86,563
- Jan low / Jul high
- 26° / 83°
- Snow a year
- 27 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 37.1
Rathdrum is a city of 9,211 people in Kootenai County, Idaho. The median home is worth $444,100, above the typical Idaho town ($291,900). It ranks more walkable than 74% of Idaho towns, better for a vacation home than 74% of Idaho towns, better for families than 70% of Idaho towns.
How Rathdrum ranks
Percentile among Idaho towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Idaho towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Rathdrum is worth $444,100, above the typical Idaho town ($291,900). Homes cost about 5.1 times the median household income of $86,563, which is more affordable than 32% of Idaho towns. Median rent is $1,459 a month. 77.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Rathdrum | Typical Idaho town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $444,100 | $291,900 |
| Median rent | $1,459 | $1,029 |
| Median household income | $86,563 | $66,924 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.1× | 4.5× |
| Homeownership | 77.0% | 73.7% |
| Median year built | 2005 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.9% | — |
Who lives in Rathdrum
| People | Rathdrum | Typical Idaho town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.1 | 36.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 17.0% | 16.5% |
| Under 18 | 23.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.8% | 21.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 12.4% | 11.4% |
| Veterans | 9.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.9% | — |
| Work from home | 8.5% | 8.4% |
| Average commute | 24.9 min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.8% | 91.2% |
Weather in Rathdrum
July highs average 82.8°F and January lows 26.2°F. About 25.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 27.2 inches of snow (typical Idaho town: 38.8 in). Expect about 18 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 121 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Rathdrum since 1950.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 3 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 13, 2006.
Severe weather in Kootenai County since 1996
Kootenai County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 30, 2026 | Severe Storm | DR-4917: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| April 7, 2026 | Straight-Line Winds | DR-4905: Straight-Line Winds |
| March 4, 2021 | Severe Storm | DR-4589: Straight-Line Winds |
| April 9, 2020 | Biological | DR-4534: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3467: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Kootenai County
Kootenai County had 71,068 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,888 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Rathdrum itself the ACS puts it at 1.6%.
Public schools in Rathdrum
9 public schools with 3,660 students, about 16.9 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAKELAND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL | 9-12 | 846 | 19.7 |
| LAKELAND MIDDLE SCHOOL | 6-8 | 620 | 17.2 |
| NORTH IDAHO STEM CHARTER ACADEMY (charter) | K-12 | 573 | 18.5 |
| GARWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | PK-5 | 405 | 17.6 |
| BETTY KIEFER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | PK-5 | 385 | 16.0 |
| JOHN BROWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | PK-5 | 344 | 16.4 |
| TWIN LAKES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | PK-5 | 279 | 15.5 |
| MOUNTAINVIEW ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL | 6-12 | 174 | 24.9 |
| KTEC School | 9-12 | 34 | 2.6 |
Towns near Rathdrum
- Hayden, ID4.6 mi · 15,570 people · home $494,500
- Post Falls, ID5.3 mi · 38,485 people · home $477,400
- Dalton Gardens, ID7.2 mi · 2,537 people · home $803,600
- Coeur d'Alene, ID7.7 mi · 54,628 people · home $483,500
- Otis Orchards-East Farms, WA10.8 mi · 6,299 people · home $430,500
- Liberty Lake, WA13.1 mi · 12,003 people · home $577,500
- Spokane Valley, WA18.2 mi · 102,976 people · home $382,300
- Mead, WA21.2 mi · 7,576 people · home $408,200
Rathdrum questions
Is Rathdrum, Idaho a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Rathdrum scores better for retirees than 11% of Idaho towns and quieter than 35%. 17.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.1).
How much does a house cost in Rathdrum?
The median owner-occupied home in Rathdrum is valued at $444,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $86,563, so homes cost about 5.1 times income. Median rent is $1,459 a month.
What is the weather like in Rathdrum?
July highs average 82.8°F and January lows 26.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 25.4 inches of precipitation a year and 27.2 inches of snow.
Does Rathdrum get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Rathdrum in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)