ZIP Code 83251 — Lost River city, ID Demographics & Data

ZIP code 83251 covers Lost River, ID in Custer County with a population of about 1,322.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 59.5 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 208, 986; U.S. House district ID-2; the IDAHO FALLS - POCATELLO media market.

Lost River, ID fits a retirement-oriented profile (older median age or known retirement-community context). Residents and relocators commonly research healthcare access, everyday amenities (dining, personal services), and housing costs rather than tech or campus life.

Median household income in ZIP 83251 is about $55,938 — about 26% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 14.7%; unemployment rate near 7.6%; 24.6% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 9.1 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Professional services, Healthcare, and Agriculture; about 9.7% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 5.5 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $327,200 — about 6% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $578 (about 50% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 81.0% (about 15.6 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 83251 in Lost River, ID, a household would need roughly $90,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $2,102. That is about 61% above the local median household income ($55,938), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Lost River city, ID as Relatively Low (composite score 52.4), which is near the middle of the national distribution. The strongest component scores on US5 are wildfire (87.0) and flood (57.3). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Lost River city, ID show little to no average snow and around 8.0 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 87 for ZIP 83251 (Lost River city, ID) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.