According to the 2023 Census Bureau’s Building Permit Survey, Kootenai County needs a minimum of nearly 5,000 homes.

And as such, developers in Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hayden, and Rathdrum are building a mix of housing types, including single-family homes, condos, townhomes, and multi-family dwelling units. 

“Our members are engaged in many types of home building at all levels,” said Jessica Cargile, president of the North Idaho Building Contractors Association Board of Directors and co-owner and CFO of North Ridge Contracting. “Last year, there were 1,152 single-family permits pulled, and this year to date, there have been 310.”

In 2025, Cargile said the median home price for Kootenai County was $595,000, up 8% from 2024. With local communities experiencing housing shortages, the hefty price tag is well above the affordability threshold for many would-be homeowners. 

“Price point has been a primary concern of ours. Each time regulation and fees are added, or material and labor costs increase, they impact the consumer and create greater obstacles to obtaining homeownership,” Cargile said.  

It’s because of that, Cargile said, that some developers are investing in more diverse options, including smaller home sizes, cottage or tiny home communities, and infill building. 

“Many of our developer members are aiming to provide more attainable options, but the continual increase in permitting and impact fees, increasing requirements by municipalities, and labor shortages in the trades only grow the price of homes for consumers,” Cargile said. “It’s something we can work on in partnership with the cities and county by allowing more diverse options, reducing regulations and fees, and allowing smaller lot sizes,” 

The largest gap in the market, she said, continues to be starter homes. 

“The people most affected by this are the young working families who have grown up here but cannot afford the dream of homeownership,” Cargile said.  

It also impacts the workers needed to fill the labor gaps in North Idaho industries, who move here to work but cannot afford to own a home.  

“This is a great concern for us — and our focus is on finding ways to increase the availability of attainable home ownership,” Cargile said. “We cannot stop the growth of our area, but we can work together with the cities and county governments to find ways to make home ownership affordable and attainable for our local Idahoans.”