No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.
Are you looking to buy a home in Boise, Idaho? If so, understanding current market trends and looking ahead at the future housing market in the city will help ensure that you make a sound purchasing decision.
What are the top Boise real estate trends over the past year? Perhaps more importantly, what is the Boise housing market forecast for 2026? Let’s answer these questions to help you determine whether next year is a good time to buy.
After years of rapid appreciation, Boise home prices are showing more modest increases in early 2026. According to recent market reports, the median home price in the Boise metro area was about $485,000 in Q1 2026, representing a slower, more sustainable trajectory than the double-digit spikes seen earlier in the decade. This reflects a market that is balancing strong demand with growing supply.
Some forecasts even suggest slight price dips through 2026 in the wider Boise area, with projected declines of around 0.8% for certain segments as affordability pressures and mortgage rate effects take hold.
Inventory levels — once extremely tight — have started to loosen up, giving buyers more options. Listings have increased compared with past years, meaning houses are staying on the market longer and buyers may have a bit more negotiation power.
While inventory is still below a balanced market benchmark, this shift helps moderate bidding wars and reduces the blistering pace of sales that characterized the pandemic era.
Boise continues to draw significant in-migration due to its high quality of life, lower cost than many West Coast metros, and growing job base, especially in tech and service sectors. Population and economic expansion are long-term drivers supporting housing demand.
The city’s status as one of the fastest-growing in the nation keeps overall demand elevated, even if price gains cool.
Certain areas around Boise are seeing rental demand increase sharply, driven by affordability and spillover from core Boise neighborhoods. Downtown Boise condos also maintain high occupancy, indicating strong urban living interest.
In established neighborhoods like North End and East Boise, buyers still prize location, charm, and community feel, keeping prices supported in those segments.
Elevated mortgage rates continue to temper buying power for many first-time homebuyers, resulting in slower market activity in certain price ranges. This has increased focus on affordability solutions and alternative housing options to attract new residents.
Considering the remarkable gains in home prices in Boise, many might wonder if the housing market ‘bubble’ has burst. After all, how high and fast can home prices climb? Will the market crash, or won’t it?
Despite soaring home prices, a Boise real estate market crash in 2026 does not seem very likely. Demand is expected to stay relatively healthy while supply continues to remain tight. Housing markets don’t typically crash under these circumstances.
Only when there’s a surplus of inventory and a drop in demand can a housing crash be imminent. Instead, it’s more likely that home prices may increase over the course of 2026, though perhaps at a very conservative pace.
Currently, Boise has a mere 1.32-month supply of available housing to meet demand. That’s a lot lower than the 5- or 6-months’ supply that’s characteristic of a ‘balanced’ market.
In the meantime, population growth in Boise remains very strong. Over the past decade, Boise’s population has grown 14.6% and is one of the 10 fastest-growing cities in the US as a result. With a rise in numbers among residents comes a continued demand for housing.
Both of these factors combined paint the picture of a city that’s not yet poised for a housing market crash. Add inflation, specifically asset inflation due to the Fed’s easy monetary policy and exploding balance sheet, current housing prices may look like a bargain in the future.
The bottom line is, Boise’s 2026 real estate market is transitioning from a rapid boom to a more measured and balanced phase — with moderate price growth, rising inventory, continued migration-driven demand, and evolving neighborhood patterns all shaping buyer and seller behavior.
Your age, work commute (or lack thereof), family size and future plans can all directly affect where you choose to buy in or around Boise.
If you live in the city itself, and want a nice neighborhood, be prepared to pay for it. You’ll get your money’s worth in these three neighborhoods:
Too rich for your blood? You can find lovely, slightly more affordable homes when you move a little outside the city. For telecommuters this could be the idea way to enjoy being close to the big city without paying the inflated prices driven by inventory shortage and a seller’s market.
Considering the fact that home prices have increased significantly over the recent past, though prices have recently slowed, is it still a good time to buy? Or has the opportunity passed to make an affordable home purchase?
There are still good reasons to buy a home in Boise, even if you’re a first-time homebuyer. In fact, a recent study ranked Boise as the second-best city in the US for first-time buyers.
Personal finance website WalletHub looked at 300 cities of different sizes across 26 key indicators. From this comparison, Boise was found to be the second most favorable housing market for first-timers in terms of affordability, attractiveness, and quality of life.
While the best time to buy a home in Boise may have been before home prices started to take off, now is still a great time to buy. Home prices are expected to continue rising, giving homebuyer hopefuls the chance to take advantage of an increase in home equity and the opportunity to build wealth over the long run.
Further, mortgage interest rates are on their way down, despite hitting 6.91% over a year ago. As of this writing, the interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is 6.15%. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), rates are expected to decline slightly over 2026 and end the year off at around 6% and even lower.
If you’re ready to buy a home, be sure to consult with a seasoned mortgage company in Boise so you’re adequately prepared for the home buying process.
At Sammamish Mortgage, we can help you get fully preapproved for a mortgage in Boise, including underwriting if you’re competing for a home in a tough market like Boise.
Sammamish Mortgage has been in business since 1992 and has assisted many homebuyers in the Pacific Northwest. If you are looking for mortgage financing in Washington State, we can help you get preapproved. Sammamish Mortgage offers mortgage programs in Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and California.
Contact a loan officer if you have any mortgage-related questions or concerns. If you are ready to move forward, you can view rates, obtain a customized instant rate quote, or apply instantly directly from our website.
Whether you’re buying a home or ready to refinance, our professionals can help.
{hours_open} - {hours_closed} Pacific
No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.
Adjust the parameters based on what you want to track