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Community · Payette County, Idaho
Payette started in the 1880s as a railroad camp and grew into the seat of Payette County, near where the Payette River meets the Snake. Its original downtown is still standing, and most of its houses were built before 1980.
8,536
Population
$276,500
Median home value (owner estimate)
1972
Median year built
22.3 min
Average commute
$276,500
Median home value (owner estimate)
1972
Median year built
Locally owned by HGTV's Luke Caldwell
Featured in Realtor.com, People Magazine & HGTV
What it's like
The city's comprehensive plan traces Payette to "Boomerang," a camp for the Oregon Short Line at the mouth of the Payette River (1882–84). There, logs floated downstream were cut into railroad ties. The settlement then moved upstream, incorporated in 1891 under the name of fur trapper François Payette, and became the county seat when Payette County split from Canyon County in 1917.
The plan calls Payette one of the few cities still holding its original central business district intact. It also lists nine places on the National Register of Historic Places, including the City Hall and Courthouse, the A.B. Moss and Woodward buildings on 8th Street, and two homes. The Payette County Historical Museum sits at 90 South 9th Street. The Washoe Ferry Landing marks an 1862 Snake River crossing.
Payette's housing is older even than Emmett's: 68.1% of homes were built before 1980 (Emmett: 56.9%), and 18.7% date to 1939 or earlier (ACS 2020–2024, B25034). Owners occupy 59.2% of homes (B25003), and median gross rent is $837 (B25064).
Where to look
Every part of Payette has its own feel. Tell us what you're after and we'll point you to the right pockets.
Active listings
Search live Payette MLS listings right here. Enter “Payette” or a specific neighborhood, then filter by price, beds, and baths. New and updated listings appear the moment they hit the market.
Live MLS search
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Market snapshot
| Measure | Figure | Source, date |
|---|---|---|
| Owner-estimated median value, Payette | $276,500 (±$40,660) | Census ACS 2020–2024, B25077 |
The Census value margin of error here is wide, at about ±$40,000 (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024, table B25077).
Payette's average commute is 22.3 minutes, with 36.8% of workers employed inside the city (ACS 2020–2024, S0801 and B08008). Only 1.8% work from home, compared with 8.4% in Fruitland (B08301). US 95 runs south through Fruitland to Interstate 84.
Payette FAQs
Payette owners estimated a median home value of $276,500 in the Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 survey, with a wide margin of about ±$40,660.
Yes. Census estimates show about 19% of the city's housing predates 1940. The city plan also lists National Register homes on 9th Street North and 1st Avenue North.
Limited. Park Crossing adds townhomes and duplexes. Permits in Payette covered 67 new homes in 2025 and 96 from January through August 2026, half of this year’s in multi-unit buildings (Census Building Permits Survey).
For homes near the river, yes. The city's comprehensive plan places the 100- and 500-year floodplains next to the Payette River.
The entire city is inside Payette Joint School District No. 371, according to the Census Bureau’s 2025 boundary files.
State irrigation maps show both Lower Payette Ditch Co. and Lake Reservoir Co. with service areas covering about 93% of the city. Which one bills a particular lot depends on its water rights, so ask for the latest assessment.
Payette workers average 22.3 minutes each way, and about 37% have jobs inside the city itself (Census ACS 2020–2024).
Nearby
Sellers
Well-documented updates, a pre-listing inspection on an older house, and accurate floodplain information can set your listing apart.
Timber and Love Realty helps clients sell homes in Payette, Payette County. List on the open market with a local agent, or Need a faster route? Get a cash offer on your Payette home.
Local expertise
Older homes bring their own homework, like permits on past remodels, the age of systems, and floodplain status near the river. A Payette realtor can help you work through it. Timber and Love Realty is based in Boise, and we help buyers and sellers in Payette. You can work with Mira DiMaggio, Jennifer Carr (our designated broker) or Travis Bolen, who holds an associate broker license.
Talk with an agent who knows Payette block by block, whether you're buying, selling, or just getting oriented.
Timber and Love Realty, LLC; Designated Broker: Jennifer Carr, DB40824; Equal Housing Opportunity