These Are The 10 Laziest Places In Idaho

These Are The 10 Laziest Places In Idaho for 2026

In the workplace, encountering a coworker who seems to shirk their responsibilities can be frustrating. This article takes a light-hearted look at some Idaho towns where this ethos might be more apparent, inviting you to consider whether the environment contributes to a laid-back attitude towards work.

We analyzed data from the latest American Community Survey to identify which Idaho towns have characteristics often associated with laziness. Our goal was to provide an engaging perspective on how location can influence work ethic.

After analyzing the data, we present the ten “Laziest Places in Idaho” based on specific criteria:

Continue reading to find out where the couch potatoes call home, or skip to the end to check your town’s ranking.

Interestingly, Star is recognized as the hardest-working place in Idaho.

How We Determined The Laziest Places In The Gem State

At Zippia, we pride ourselves on data-driven insights. To determine the laziest places in Idaho, we utilized the latest American Community Survey data.

Our analysis focused on this set of criteria, which we believe reflect a lack of work ethic:

Lowest average hours worked
Shortest commute times
Fewest workers per household (calculated as the labor force divided by the number of households)
Highest unemployment rates
Fewest adults with college degrees

We ranked 32 locations in Idaho based on these criteria, averaging the rankings to establish our lazy index. Ultimately, Payette emerged as the town with the lowest index, making it the “Laziest Place in Idaho.”

1. Payette

Population: 7,447 College Educated: 8.9%
Unemployment Rate: 16.7%

2. Weiser

Population: 5,407 College Educated: 10.5%
Unemployment Rate: 12.9%

3. Rupert

Population: 5,583 College Educated: 7.8%
Unemployment Rate: 8.1%

4. Emmett

Population: 6,546 College Educated: 15.6%
Unemployment Rate: 22.9%

5. Sandpoint

Population: 7,497 College Educated: 21.2%
Unemployment Rate: 6.7%

6. Burley

Population: 10,352 College Educated: 14.1%
Unemployment Rate: 7.2%

7. Jerome

Population: 11,046 College Educated: 9.5%
Unemployment Rate: 10.3%

8. Garden City

Population: 11,223 College Educated: 35.6%
Unemployment Rate: 12.5%

9. Coeur D’Alene

Population: 45,848 College Educated: 23.7%
Unemployment Rate: 9.9%

10. Lewiston

Population: 32,178 College Educated: 22.2%
Unemployment Rate: 5.7%

Slacking Your Way Off To The Bottom

Determining the laziest places in Idaho can be subjective. However, our analysis reveals towns where low educational attainment, limited work engagement, and high unemployment rates are apparent. This list reflects those trends.

Detailed List Of The Laziest Places In Idaho

City	Rank	Population	College Educated	Unemployment Rate
Payette	1	7,447	8.9%	16.7%
Weiser	2	5,407	10.5%	12.9%
Rupert	3	5,583	7.8%	8.1%
Emmett	4	6,546	15.6%	22.9%
Sandpoint	5	7,497	21.2%	6.7%
Burley	6	10,352	14.1%	7.2%
Jerome	7	11,046	9.5%	10.3%
Garden City	8	11,223	35.6%	12.5%
Coeur d’Alene	9	45,848	23.7%	9.9%
Lewiston	10	32,178	22.2%	5.7%
Rathdrum	11	7,046	18.8%	11.8%
Twin Falls	12	45,362	17.5%	7.4%
Rexburg	13	26,301	38.6%	12.1%
Mountain Home	14	13,871	13.7%	7.5%
Moscow	15	24,406	55.4%	9.2%
Hayden	16	13,588	20.3%	9.3%
Nampa	17	84,660	17.4%	10.4%
Pocatello	18	54,466	29.9%	7.7%
Caldwell	19	48,114	14.3%	11.0%
Idaho Falls	20	57,935	25.5%	6.7%
Blackfoot	21	11,891	22.3%	5.6%
Post Falls	22	28,786	20.1%	7.8%
Boise City	23	211,655	39.1%	7.7%
Middleton	24	5,898	14.5%	10.6%
Chubbuck	25	14,117	23.1%	5.8%
Preston	26	5,172	16.2%	6.6%
Eagle	27	21,102	45.9%	5.8%
Kuna	28	16,188	22.2%	9.3%
Ammon	29	14,257	33.0%	5.6%
Meridian	30	81,025	33.3%	7.3%
Hailey	31	7,961	36.1%	3.8%
Star	32	6,379	23.5%	5.1%

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Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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