Tag Archives: population

2021 Census estimates show Idaho’s urban cities continue to see population gains

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: June 1, 2022
Media Contact: Jan.Roeser@labor.idaho.gov or Sam.Wolkenhauer@labor.idaho.gov

Four southwestern Idaho cities ranked in the top five slots for population growth in the state from 2020 to 2021 according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 Vintage Population Estimates.* Idaho Falls, ranked fourth and was the lone city outside of southwestern Idaho to rank in the top five.

Boise remained Idaho’s largest city, followed by Meridian, Nampa, Idaho Falls and Caldwell. Meridian edged out Nampa as Idaho’s second largest city in 2014 with the population difference increasing each year. Rankings for the top 15 Idaho cities by population size are shown in Table 1, with one change from 2020 — Kuna displaced Moscow for the No.13 spot.

Nationally, Meridian, Caldwell and Nampa ranked 13, 14 and 15 of the fastest-growing cities of 50,000 residents or more across the U.S., each at or above 5% growth rate.

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Idaho population projected to top 2 million by 2031

Recent population projections from the Idaho Department of Labor anticipate Idaho will continue its record of rapid growth, with the total statewide population crossing over 2 million for the first time by 2031.

The 2020 Census revealed the Gem State was the second-fastest growing state in the nation over the decade from 2010 to 2020, and single-year population estimates have ranked Idaho as the fastest-growing state for the past five years.

Idaho’s Labor Department’s latest projections anticipate a statewide growth rate of 1.1% per year over the 10-year period from 2021 to 2031, adding a total of 227,880 new residents to the state. This will raise Idaho’s population from 1,888,533 in 2021 to 2,116,413 in 2031.

All six of Idaho’s substate regions are expected to grow over the coming decade, with southwestern Idaho leading at 16.3% projected growth, followed by northern Idaho at 13%. These two regions together are expected to account for more than three quarters of the state’s total growth.

TABLE 1: Projected population growth by region

Projected Population Growth by Idaho Region

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New Census Data Shows Growth Across Idaho Counties

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 31, 2022
Media Contacts: Sam.Wolkenhauer@labor.idaho.gov or Jan.Roeser@labor.idaho.gov

Newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows Idaho’s population growth from 2020 to 2021 was well dispersed around the state, with every Idaho county growing in population over the year. 

The Census Bureau reported the state’s population rose from 1,847,772 in 2020, to 1,900,923 in 2021, in its July 1, 2021, population estimates.US Map by county population growth rate

 The newest data release shows how the population growth was distributed around the state. 

While the largest numerical growth was concentrated in urban counties, most of Idaho’s rural counties experienced proportional growth. In all, 38 of Idaho’s 44 counties grew by at least 1%, and every county grew faster than the national average growth rate, except for the Clark County, which is Idaho’s least populous county. Continue reading →

Idaho Employment Growth Projected to Continue Through 2023

Idaho’s robust labor market is expected to continue in the short term, according to new projections from the Idaho Department of Labor. Throughout 2020 and 2021, Idaho demonstrated consistent labor market resilience, becoming one of the first states to recover its job losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, and ranking – along with Utah – far ahead of all other states in post-pandemic job growth.

This growth is expected to persist through 2023 as in-migration and a growing demand for services continue to support Idaho’s economic strength.

The department’s newest short term projections forecast roughly 34,000 new jobs to be added in the state through 2023 for a growth rate of 2.1% per year. While almost all Idaho industries are projected to see job gains, rapid growth is expected in industries tied to high in-migration levels, such as construction and sectors still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Construction is projected to add 3,000 new jobs for an annual growth rate of 2.7% as demand for new housing remains high. The fastest projected growth rate, however, is in leisure and hospitality, forecasted to grow at 3.7% annually. This sector, which includes hotels and restaurants, was slower to recover from COVID-19 and therefore has room to re-add jobs lost in 2020.

Short-term job growth in Idaho tableSource: Idaho Department of Labor

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Idaho’s Center of Population Continues Westward Shift

Once a decade, the U.S. Census Bureau releases estimates of the U.S. center of population, a common practice since 1790. The bureau defines the center of population as a balance point — the point at where an imaginary, flat, weightless and rigid map of that area would balance perfectly if each person was assigned the same specific weight.

The center of population is one of several measures that are useful for visualizing changes in population over time. The location and distance of the center of the population, relative to some point such as the geographic center or previous center of the population, indicate the aggregate magnitude and direction of the population growth. Continue reading →

Idaho Leads Country in Population Growth Rate in 2021

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Dec. 22, 2021
Media Contact: Jan Roeser, Jan.Roeser@labor.idaho.gov or Craig Shaul, Craig.Shaul@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho’s annual population growth from 2020 to 2021 at 2.9% led the other 49 states and Washington, D.C., in percent increase for the fifth consecutive year. The state gained 53,151 new residents – the ninth largest numeric change in the nation – for a new population estimate of 1.9 million, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released this week.

Idaho’s neighboring states of Utah and Montana ranked second and third respectively, each growing by 1.7%.

Domestic migration, or people moving from other states, was the primary driving component of Idaho’s population growth.

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Idaho’s Economic Recovery Exceeds Expectations in 2020

Idaho continued to experience rapid population growth, relatively low unemployment and a significant increase in business growth in 2020, even as the coronavirus pandemic caused major interruptions to the national and state economies.

Comparing Idaho’s 2020 economy with neighboring states gives economists a clearer perspective of the state’s economy and creates a roadmap of expectations for a full economic picture in 2021.

Idaho’s 2.1% population growth from 2019 to 2020 was the highest among the states for the fourth consecutive year. The U.S. Census Bureau will release state population estimates for 2021 on Dec. 21, 2021, and will reveal if Idaho’s population growth will continue to lead the nation. Figure f-1: Population growth by state, 2019 to 2020, ranked

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Census 2020 Confirms Idaho Ranks Second Nationally in Population Growth

Idaho’s population grew 17.3% in the 10 years since the 2010 Census, which was the second-fastest rate nationally, to Utah’s first-place growth of 18.5%. During the decade, the state netted 271,524 new residents through natural increases and in-migration internationally and from other U.S. states. After Utah and Idaho, the top five growth states included Texas, North Dakota and Nevada.

Census 2020 logo

Census 2020 reports that among Idaho’s 200 cities and towns, 37 outpaced the state growth rates from 2010 to 2020. This data springboards off the Aug. 12, 2021, release of Census 2020 statistics and is commonly referred to as redistricting data.

It provides information necessary for the process of redrawing political boundaries, both statewide and locally, after each decennial census. The largest numerical increases were in and around the capital city of Boise and the surrounding Treasure Valley, contributing mightily to the headline-grabbing growth.

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Census Bureau Releases 2020 County, City Population Data

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Aug. 13, 2021
Media Contact: Jan Roeser, Jan.Roeser@labor.idaho.gov or Craig Shaul, Craig.Shaul@labor.idaho.gov

The U.S. Census Bureau has released 2020 Census data for county and municipality population changes, race, ethnicity, age 18 and over population, group quarters population and housing occupancy status.

Data for all of Idaho’s 44 counties and 201 municipalities is available in detailed tables on Idaho Department of Labor’s website at lmi.idaho.gov/census.

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Idaho’s Rural-to-Urban Population Shift Continued in 2020

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:  June 11, 2021
Media Contact: Kathryn Tacke, (208) 799-5000 ext. 3984 or Craig Shaul, (208) 332-3570 ext. 3201

Idaho’s urban areas continue to see significant population growth according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s recently released city population estimates for 2020.  

The Gem State had the fastest growing population in the nation — up 2.1% — between 2019 and 2020, with much of the growth occurring in Idaho’s urban areas. Nationwide, there are 3,093 cities with populations larger than 10,000. When those cities are ranked based on their percentage growth between 2019 and 2020, eight of the top 200 fastest-growing cities are in Idaho — Kuna (43), Post Falls (46), Star (55), Eagle (65), Meridian (70), Nampa (151) Ammon (167) and Caldwell (171) — all with growth rates ranging from 7.5% to 3.5%.

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