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Pocatello is a mid-sized city of approximately 55,000 people in southeastern Idaho, situated where several mountain valleys converge along the Portneuf River at an elevation of roughly 4,500 feet. The city serves as the regional hub for a wide swath of southeastern Idaho and is home to Idaho State University, which gives Pocatello a lively academic and cultural pulse that belies its modest size. The local economy is anchored by healthcare, education, manufacturing, and rail industries, with Portneuf Medical Center and ISU together employing a large share of the workforce. Pocatello earned the nickname the Gateway to the Northwest thanks to its historic role as a Union Pacific railroad junction, and echoes of that heritage are visible in the well-preserved downtown and the Idaho Museum of Natural History on the ISU campus. Outdoor recreation is a defining feature of daily life here. Pebble Creek Ski Area sits just 25 miles from downtown, the Pocatello Range Trail system offers mountain biking and hiking minutes from the university, and the Snake River Plain is within easy reach for fishing and kayaking. Rents in Pocatello are among the lowest of any Idaho college city, making it an attractive destination for students and young professionals who want genuine outdoor access without the high cost of living found in Boise or Sun Valley.
The streets flanking ISU along South 5th, 6th, and 7th Avenues put students within walking distance of class and the student union. This area has the densest concentration of student rentals and is popular with both undergraduates and graduate students.
Alameda is a major east-west street roughly a mile from campus lined with affordable duplexes, small apartment complexes, and older homes. Bus service along this corridor gives car-free students a workable commute to ISU.
Downtown has a revitalized historic core with locally owned restaurants, coffee shops, and galleries within a short commute to campus. Health sciences students particularly favor this area for its proximity to Portneuf Medical Center.
Chubbuck is a distinct city bordering Pocatello to the north with newer apartment complexes and lower average rents. The area has abundant big-box retail and grocery options, though students need a car or reliable ride to commute the 10 to 15 minutes to campus.
Here's what you need to know about getting around Pocatello.
Pocatello Regional Transit operates a network of fixed bus routes connecting ISU's campus to downtown, the Alameda corridor, and the Chubbuck commercial area. ISU students can board buses with a valid student ID, and the service runs Monday through Friday with limited Saturday coverage. Routes are most useful for students living within a half-mile of a bus stop, and the city has been gradually expanding service frequency in recent years.
The neighborhoods immediately surrounding ISU's campus are quite walkable, with grocery options, coffee shops, and restaurants accessible on foot from South 5th through South 8th Avenues. Pocatello has invested in a growing network of shared-use paths along the Portneuf Greenway, which connects the university area to downtown along the river. Biking is practical in the flat central areas of the city, though the hilly terrain toward the foothills requires more effort and the winters bring snow and ice that limit year-round cycling for many students.
Parking in Pocatello is far less stressful than in larger university cities, with ample free street parking available in most residential neighborhoods surrounding campus. ISU offers student parking permits for designated campus lots, and the cost is relatively modest compared to peer institutions. Students living off campus typically find that a car is the most practical way to navigate the city, especially for reaching grocery stores, healthcare facilities, and the Chubbuck retail corridor north of downtown.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
One-bedroom apartments in Pocatello typically rent for $650 to $900 per month, and two-bedroom units run $800 to $1,100. Costs are significantly lower than in Boise or other fast-growing Idaho cities, and sharing a two-bedroom apartment with a roommate can bring monthly housing costs down to $400 to $550 per person.
Browse student housing near each Pocatello-area university.