The overall cost-of-living is slightly higher than the national average, and much of this due to the recent increase in housing costs.  Coeur d'Alene Place is a planned community for all ages and is made up of three neighborhoods, the Dumont, the Marceille and the Ste. Croix, with single-family homes beginning at $220,000 and ranging up to $375,000.  Within this community are also attractive Rockwood Lodge "apartment homes," which start at $675 a month for a 1 bedroom, 1 bath unit and go up to $920 a month for 3 bedrooms and 2 baths ($300 deposit and $300 pet fee apply).  This apartment complex has a community center with a resort-style pool and fitness center, and the units feature upgraded carpet, vaulted ceilings, patios and garages.

Arrow Point Resort is a condominium complex with waterfront views.  We had heard rumors of 2 bedroom, 2 bath units available in the $200,000 range but did not find any during our search.  A 3 bedroom, 2 bath unit (2,400 square feet) overlooking Lake Coeur d'Alene, though, runs around $495,000 and can go as high as $875,000.  

Single-family homes not in a planned community and not overlooking the Lake are actually fairly affordable.  Very small (500 square feet) single-family homes can cost $119,000, but $195,000 will fetch a lovely, 2,200 square foot home with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths.   It is also very easy to find gorgeous mountain top and lakefront homes in the $500,000 - $1,000,000 range and up.

Coeur d'Alene has several manufactured home communities nestled in the pines.  Two are Northwood Estates and Oak Crest Mobile Home Park, and home prices start at $35,000 and can reach $110,000.  

Property is taxed at $14 per $1,000 market value.  There is a $50,000 homestead exemption on all primary residences.

Shopping in Coeur d'Alene is plentiful, with more than 310 restaurants, trendy shops and art galleries dotting the charming downtown.   For those seeking big-city fun, Spokane, Washington is 50 miles west and offers opportunities to attend the theater, symphony and many museums.  

Health care is quiet good.  The primary care facility in Coeur d'Alene is Kootenai Medical Center (187 beds and emergency care), but there are two other medical facilities as well, The North Idaho Immediate Care Center and the North Idaho Cancer Center, and Spokane is home to several major hospitals. 

Lake Coeur d'Alene is the center of activity here.  With 135 miles of shoreline, it brings out boaters, parasailers, water skiers, fishermen and anyone else who enjoys the water.  The massive Coeur d'Alene Resort and its championship golf course (with a floating 14th hole) spread along the Lake's horizon and make for an impressive backdrop.  During winter months, residents ice fish on the frozen Lake and snowmobile, cross country ski and snowshoe across hundreds of miles of nearby mountain trails.

Winter definitely comes to northern Idaho and can bring 80 inches of snow in a season.  January temperatures average in the low 20s, and the humidity averages 45%.  Summers are glorious with average temperatures rarely rising above 85 degrees.    The elevation is 2,187 feet.

Crime rates in Coeur d'Alene rank below the national average (83 on a scale where 100 is the U.S. average).

There are a couple of drawbacks to Coeur d'Alene that should be pointed out.  One is that the town is experiencing a boom, and as a result, traffic and congestion have increased.  To those from larger cities, though, the town still seems quaint.  The second is that the area is not ethnically diverse (much of the American northwest is not).  Click here for local information.

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