Discontinued Operations and Assets and Liabilities Held-for-Sale - Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenues and other income:
Sale of real estate and water assets	$ 43	$ 33	$ 25,140	$ 130
Other income, net	8,591	817	9,687	1,504
Total revenues and other income	8,634	850	34,827	1,634
Cost of sales and expenses:
Cost of real estate and water assets sold	17	19	12,549	64
General, administrative, and other	2,832	5,321	6,922	10,404
Depreciation and amortization	36	181	134	540
Total cost of sales and expenses	2,885	5,521	19,605	11,008
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	5,749	(4,671)	15,222	(9,374)
Benefit (provision) for federal and state income taxes	(2,946)	271	(3,126)	182
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	4,434	1,688	8,322	1,484
Loss on sale or impairment loss on classification of assets as held-for-sale, net of tax	(4,257)	(10)	(11,403)	(1,859)
Net income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	177	1,678	(3,081)	(375)
Net income (loss)	2,980	(2,722)	9,015	(9,567)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1,405)	(675)	(2,796)	(634)
Net income (loss) attributable to PICO Holdings, Inc.	1,575	(3,397)	6,219	(10,201)
Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale
Revenues and other income:
Sale of real estate and water assets					$ 633	$ 3,856	$ 1,220
Impairment loss on investment in unconsolidated affiliate					(2,170)	(20,696)	(1,078)
Other income, net					9,471	4,472	1,077
Total revenues and other income					7,934	(12,368)	1,219
Cost of sales and expenses:
Cost of real estate and water assets sold					326	1,239	738
General, administrative, and other					32,830	20,027	24,156
Impairment loss on intangible and long-lived assets					201	2,085	10,219
Depreciation and amortization					865	1,660	2,385
Total cost of sales and expenses					34,222	25,011	37,498
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes					(26,288)	(37,379)	(36,279)
Benefit (provision) for federal and state income taxes					1,135	2,961	2,450
Equity in loss of unconsolidated affiliate						(3,422)	(2,076)
Income (loss) from continuing operations					(25,153)	(37,840)	(35,905)
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	4,434	1,688	8,322	1,484	13,899	(24,310)	(23,700)
Loss on sale or impairment loss on classification of assets as held-for-sale, net of tax	(4,257)		11,405		(1,775)	(18,729)
Net income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	$ 177	$ 1,678	$ (3,081)	$ (375)	12,124	(43,039)	(23,700)
Net income (loss)					(13,029)	(80,879)	(59,605)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests					(8,836)	(979)	7,180
Net income (loss) attributable to PICO Holdings, Inc.					$ (21,865)	$ (81,858)	$ (52,425)