Latah County, Idaho Real Estate
Nestled against the western edge of Moscow Mountain, this 9,159 square foot stunner boasts amazing architectural details and exquisite craftsmanship, with a finish that uses more than 20 different types of wood. It can comfortably accommodate three living quarters, or be enjoyed as a spacious single-family home with three kitchens and five bedrooms. Gorgeous views of lush evergreen woodland fill every room. This legacy property is listed for $2,200,000.
Latah County
Latah County is located on the eastern side of the Palouse Region, which encompasses the area around the borders of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Found in the heart of the Inland Pacific Northwest, the Palouse is well known for two things – its unique, breathtaking beauty that has made it one of the most photographed landscapes in the United States, and the rich agricultural land that produces much of the world’s supply of soft winter white wheat.
Making up a large portion of the Palouse, Latah County has everything the region is known for — and more. It boasts a strong agricultural heritage, gorgeous natural features, and vibrant communities with proud small-town traditions. Comprising nine cities and 10 unincorporated communities, the county has a population of around 37,244 as of the 2010 Census. Moscow, the county seat, is home to the University of Idaho. The entire area is mostly agricultural, with Moscow serving as a business and commercial center.
A Brief History
Latah County is the only US county that was created by an act of Congress. In the 1870s, the first settlers came to the Palouse Region, leading to the birth of its earliest towns, including Genesee and Moscow. Residents of these towns petitioned for the creation of Latah County but were opposed by Lewiston, the seat of Nez Perce County to which the towns were then attached.
In 1887, the residents appealed for help from Fred T. Dubois, who was Idaho’s delegate in Congress at the time. Mr. Dubois authored a bill in Congress creating Latah County, and the bill was passed in 1888. The creation of the county paved the way for a college land grant that led to the establishment of the University of Idaho in 1889.
The county’s name was derived from two Nez Pierce Indian terms — “lah”, or the places of pine trees, and “toh”, the stone used to ground the camas roots.
Living in Latah County, ID
Come to Latah County and experience what this beautiful region has to offer. There are numerous reasons why you should buy a home or invest in property here.
The breathtaking agricultural landscape with colors that change with the season, small-town charm, and proximity to nature can give your well-being a much-needed boost. And with “sheltering in place” becoming part of the “new normal”, you can’t find a more nurturing environment for it than here at the heart of the Palouse Region.
Latah County also offers great investment and business potential. As more and more people are learning to appreciate the value of country living, Latah County is well-positioned as the ideal place for investments in the rural sector. The land is perfect for agriculture, and the region appeals to millennials, retirees, and young families for its rich culture, history, educational opportunities, and amazing outdoor recreation.
All around Latah County are commercial and industrial centers that are in the throes of major improvements, as well as safe, spacious residential areas offering a great quality of life.
Latah County Communities
Nestled in the heart of the beautiful St. Joe National Forest, just less than 35 miles to the city of Moscow, Bovill is a picturesque small community with a population of only 272. Living in Bovill means enjoying the great outdoors all year round. Fishing, hunting, and off-roading are just a few of the activities you can do here.
Bovill residents mostly make the short commute to nearby Latah County cities for work. Students can attend Whitepine Joint School District, an above-average school district with an elementary school, middle school, and high school.
With its pristine location, Bovill is a great choice for your very own nature retreat. You’ll find charming single-family homes with large lot areas, some over 40 acres. There are also opportunities for investment properties, including multifamily homes and vacant lots that are perfect for starting a resort or subdividing.
The city of Deary is a small community of around 500 residents and an area of 0.66 square miles. Located at the base of Potato Hill, Deary is surrounded by rich whitepine forests that define the way of life here.
Deary started out as a timber community in the 1800s, and was developed into a town by the owners and managers of Potlatch Lumber Company. To this day, logging and forestry remain the top employers of the city. Family-owned farms and small businesses also play an important role in the economy and the residents’ way of life.
With an elevation of only 2,900 feet, Deary is a convenient bedroom community for the city of Moscow, where many residents work. Homes in Deary are single-family properties with large lots and living areas. There are plenty of opportunities for acreage properties of over 5 to 80 acres, perfect for a mountain getaway, private farms, or as investment properties.
Students in Deary go to the well-respected Whitepine Joint School District.
Genesee is one of the earliest communities in Latah County and the Palouse Region. This thriving agricultural city of around 971 residents offers plenty of cultural and educational opportunities, thanks to the universities and colleges in the nearby cities of Moscow, Pullman, Lewiston, and Clarkson.
Outdoor recreation abounds in the surrounding whitepine forests, as well as the Clearwater and Snake River in neighboring Lewiston, WA. The downtown area boasts charming historic buildings and is the site of community events.
With its ideal location between Moscow and Lewiston, close to the Idaho-Washington border, Genesee makes a great bedroom community for the region’s bustling economic centers. Real estate here includes affordable single-family homes with large lot areas, as well as a host of acreage properties.
Genesee students are zoned to the Genesee Joint School District, an above-average school district with an elementary, middle, and high school.
Named after Harvard University, Harvard is an unincorporated community of around 290 residents. It’s located along the Palouse River and State Highway 6, about eight miles east of the city of Potlatch. Harvard is 100% rural, with farmlands, meadows, creeks, and mountains defining the landscape.
Surrounded by great Northern Idaho outdoors, this small community offers excellent opportunities for investment properties, including working farms and vacant land of 40 acres or more. You can start a farm or ranch, have your very own getaway, or invest in residential or commercial development.
There are excellent camping, fishing, and hunting sites nearby. The community is served by the Potlatch School District, which includes an elementary school and a high school.
Helmer is a small unincorporated community located halfway between the cities of Bovill and Deary on Highway 3. Helmer residents enjoy the community amenities found in both neighboring cities but generally have a Dreary address. It’s zoned to the Whitepine Joint School District.
The community is 100% rural, with hayfield, pastureland, and timberland dominating the landscape. Its highly accessible location, nearby outdoor destinations, and fertile land give real estate here great potential as investment properties. You’ll find a wide range of acreage properties, with sizes anywhere from 5 acres to over 500 acres. Some are working farms, estates, and gardens that have been highly productive for years, while others are vacant land that you can use for a variety of purposes.
Located midway between the cities of Moscow and Lewiston along Highway 3, Juliaetta is an ideal bedroom community for the Palouse Region’s economic centers. This proudly rural community of around 600 residents has a rich farming tradition but is moving toward a future that blends its residential, commercial, and industrial sectors with its agricultural nature.
The city of Juliaetta grew with the coming of the National Pacific Railroad in the late 1890s, and today, the railroad continues to have a big impact on the community. It serves as a dike that protects the lower-lying, industrial part of the city from the seasonal flooding of the Potlatch River. It has also been converted into the Ed Corkill Memorial Trail, a paved walking and biking path that connects the city with neighboring Kendrick, located four miles away.
The typical home in Juliaetta sits on a sprawling lot with stunning views. Many properties come with an area of 5 acres or more. Vacant land with potential for various uses is also available in a wide range of sizes.
The city is part of the Kendrick Joint School District, which includes the Juliaetta Elementary School and the Kendrick Junior/Senior High School.
Kendrick is connected to the neighboring city of Juliaetta via the Ed Corkill Memorial Trail, a 5.3 mile Rails to Trails path. The city boasts a great location along Highway 3, less than 40 minutes from the cities of Moscow and Lewiston.
Kendrick is a small rural community of only 300 residents, with a landscape of rolling hills, rich agricultural land, mountains, and whitepine forests. Just like its neighbor, Juliaetta, the city is transitioning from a farming community into a mixed residential-agricultural area. Public school education is provided by the Kendrick Joint School District.
Real estate in Kendrick includes charming starter homes with large lot areas, as well as luxurious properties surrounded by acres of forests or farmland. With fantastic outdoor recreation options, Kendrick is an excellent choice for a getaway home near the city. There are also plenty of opportunities to invest in vacant land with acreages varying from a few to over a hundred acres.
The beautiful city of Moscow is one of the oldest communities in the Palouse Region. Straddling the Idaho-Washington border, it is the economic, agricultural, and cultural hub of Latah County, and its population of around 26,000 makes up about 60% of the county’s population.
As the home of the University of Idaho, Moscow is a vibrant college town with plenty of cultural and entertainment options, retail shops, and restaurants. The city’s rich history is preserved in old buildings and landmarks that dot the downtown area, and its thriving agriculture industry plays a major role in the region’s economy. On top of all these, Moscow’s location in the heart of the Palouse Region gives it unparalleled natural beauty.
Real estate in Moscow is a dynamic mix of agricultural estates, vacant land, historic homes, and new construction, as well as distinctive homes built in the mid-1900s. Architectural styles are widely varied. You’ll find log homes, Craftsman, ranch, Colonial, and others. While single-family homes make up the majority of the housing stock, there’s also a growing number of condos and townhouses, especially in the city’s new developments. Large lot areas and acreages are the standard in the city.
Moscow is served by the highly-rated Moscow School District, which includes five elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school, as well as the alternative school, Paradise Creek Regional High School. Two public charter schools also serve the area, along with several private schools.
With a population of only around 200 and an area of 0.15 square miles, the small city of Onaway is ideally located near State Highway 6, just steps from the historic city of Potlatch. Onaway boasts a storied past that’s closely linked to its neighbor’s. Its earliest residents worked at the Potlatch Lumber Company, which, in 1906, was the main employer in the area and the world’s largest whitepine sawmill.
Onaway provides great access to major thoroughfares and the city of Moscow, which lies just 23 minutes away. The city is an unpolished gem that lives up to its early reputation as a town “on the way” to everywhere. If you’re looking for affordable housing with a great location, Onaway offers fantastic options for single-family homes with spacious lots and living areas.
Potlatch is one of Idaho’s historic company communities. It was created in 1906 to house workers for the Potlatch Lumber Company, which, at that time, was the largest whitepine sawmill in the world.
Today, lumber and forestry remain a major source of livelihood for the city’s population of more than 800. Farming is also an important industry, along with tourism. With acres of pine forests, proximity to the Palouse River, and beautiful historic downtown, the city provides locals and tourists with numerous things to see and do. And with its great location just 22 minutes from Moscow, ID, Potlatch also makes the perfect bedroom community.
Homes here are a mix of historic properties, new construction, and everything in between. They come with large lot areas, including acreage properties that are perfect for a farm or ranch.
The city is zoned to the Potlatch School District, which includes Potlatch Elementary and Potlatch Junior/Senior High School.
Princeton is an unincorporated community on the scenic Highway 6, just 3 miles from Potlatch and 22 miles from Moscow. With a population of only 150 and surrounded by whitepine forests and lush farmland, it makes a great getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Real estate in Princeton is mostly made up of farms, ranches, and acreages — perfect for those looking for investment properties or dreaming of a rural way of life while being close to big city amenities. The community is part of the Potlatch School District.
Troy is a thriving agricultural community of around 860 residents. Centrally located in Latah County, the city brings you close to the best that the Palouse Region has to offer. Just 12 miles west is the city of Moscow, home to the University of Idaho, and a little further west from Moscow is the city of Pullman, WA, the home of Washington State University. Troy is connected to Moscow via the Latah Trail, a 12 mile paved walking and biking path that runs parallel to State Route 8.
To the east, south, and north are outdoor destinations that have earned the city its reputation as a sportsman’s paradise, including Elk River Falls, Dworshak Reservoir, the Clearwater and Snake Rivers, Salmon River, and more.
Real estate in Troy includes working farms and ranches with large acreages, as well as more regular-sized homes near the bustling downtown. There are also great opportunities for vacant land ranging from a few to over a hundred acres.
Troy School District is highly rated, and includes an elementary school and a junior/senior high school.
Explore the Beautiful Latah County with Idaho’s Best
We are proud locals who were raised in the Palouse Region, and we are eager to share our heritage with homebuyers and investors from around the United States and the world. We are not afraid to get our feet dirty and take you out to show why this region is one of the most beautiful areas in Idaho.
Learn more about our historic and tranquil communities, explore the stunning North Central Idaho countryside, and find the perfect place for a new investment or to set down roots. Get in touch with us for a video tour and chat with us if you have any questions about Latah County. We’d love to hear from you.
Contact us at 208.875.8100 or drop us a note here.