Idaho

Idaho by the Numbers:
Key Statistical Data and Facts

Key Details

• Idaho is the 13th least-populated state in the US, with a population of 1.94 million people as of 2022. 
• The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $266,500, and the average rent was $952 per month in 2021. 
• Non-Hispanic white (81.1%) make up the majority of ethnic groups in the state, while 2.7% have an ethnic heritage of two or more races. 
• The Republican Party has controlled Idaho’s governor and both chambers of the state legislature since 2006, with Brad Little as its 33rd governor. 
• In April 2023, Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.6%, and 960,800 people were employed, with the Trade, Transportation, and Utilities sectors leading employment opportunities with 162,400 jobs. 
• As of 2021, Idaho has a marriage rate of 7.4 marriages per 1,000 residents and 3.4 divorces per 1,000 people each year. 
• Life expectancy is 78.4 years, and the infant mortality rate is 5.1 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2020 in Idaho. 

Idaho Population Demographics

Located in the Western US, Idaho has a population of approximately 1,939,000 residents, making it the 13th least-populated state in the country as of 2022. US Census data shows that residents under five constitute 6% of Idaho’s population, while those under 18 make up 24.7%. A further breakdown of the age demographic shows that 16.6% of residents are 65 and older. Additionally, the state has a nearly even gender split, consisting of 50.4% males and 49.6% females. 

Idaho Housing

796,958 housing

As of July 2022, there are 796,958 housing units in Idaho, with an average of 2.71 persons in each household.

71.7%

The US Census Bureau estimates that 71.7% of the state’s housing units are owner-occupied, and 83.8% had residents living in the same house for over a year.

$266,500

Between 2017 and 2021, the median value of owner-occupied housing units was $266,500.

$1,395

During this period, the median monthly owner costs with a mortgage were $1,395

$411

While those without a mortgage were $411

$952

Depending on where you live in Idaho, you may have to pay an average rent of $952 per month.

Idaho Racial Demographics

Elections in Idaho

Like most states in the US, Idaho elects its governor every four years by a plurality, and there are no limits to the term in office. Since 1890, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party in Idaho have taken alternate turns controlling the governor’s office.  

However, this changed in 2006 when the following four sets of governors in the state were Republicans. As of 2023, Idaho has a Republican trifecta, meaning that the Republican Party controls the office of the governor and both chambers of the state legislature. The Republican Party also holds the secretary of state and attorney general offices.  

Brad Little is the 33rd governor of Idaho. Elected in November 2018, Little was re-elected in 2022 after defeating Democrat Stephen Heidt. 

Republican Scott Bedke was elected to serve as the Senate president in 2023, while Chuck Winder holds the office of the President pro tempore from 2020. Kelly Anthon serves as the majority leader for the Republican Party, while Melissa Wintrow became the minority leader for the Democratic Party on December 1, 2022. As of 2023, Republican Mike Moyle is the Idaho House of Representatives speaker and the longest-serving member of the House (having served 12 terms). 

2020 Presidential Election 

During the 2020 presidential election, Idaho had 1,082,417 registered voters and 878,527 ballots cast. Republican candidate, Donald Trump, won the election by a vote of 63.8% (which represents 554,119 votes). Democrat nominee Joe Biden had only 287,021 votes (33.1%), while third-party candidates received the remaining 3.1% votes. 

Donald Trump

Joe Biden

Idaho Voting Statistics

As of April 6, 2023, Idaho has 985,621 registered voters. Of this number, 125,642 are registered as Democrats, while 575,466 are registered as Republicans.  

General Election 

For the 2020 general elections, the state of Idaho registered 4,892,871 voters, according to data released by the Idaho Secretary of State. A total of 4,116,894 ballots were counted. The state saw a voter turnout of 84.14%. Idaho has seen a relatively high voter turnout since 2008. The state has only recorded a voter turnout lower than 70% just twice since 2008, those years being 2022 (63.82%) and 2014 (54.16%).  

How Educated is Idaho

As of 2022, 91.2% of residents aged 25 and older have a high school diploma or higher in Idaho. However, only 29.1% of residents within this age category hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Generally, approximately 26.86% of the state’s population have attained a college certificate (420,711 people), and 17.96% hold a bachelor’s degree (242,956 people). 4.4% of residents have an associate degree (126,590), while 6.6% didn't attend high school (40,307).  

As of 2023, Idaho has 15 colleges and universities, consisting of four public and eleven private institutions. Brigham Young University Idaho is the largest college in the state, recording 44,304 enrolled students as of 2023. Boise State University is ranked second with 25,794 students, Idaho State University with 12,135 students, and the University of Idaho with 11,303 students. 

Idaho Employment Rate

According to data released by the Idaho Department of Labour, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.6% in April 2023. This figure remains unchanged from that recorded in the previous month. The data further reveals that April’s labor force increased by 744 people (0.1%) to 960,758. 

In the same year, there was a 3.4% (307) increase in the number of unemployed people within 12 months, while the number of employed people rose by 1.2% (11,490). Additionally, the state’s total nonfarm jobs increased by 3.1% (25,700). Most of the major sectors in Idaho had over-the-year job gains, except for nondurable goods manufacturing (-2.6%), transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-2.4%), and retail trade (-0.6%).

Based on the Bureau of Labour Statistics, Idaho has a civilian workforce of approximately 960,800 persons as of April 2023. Of this figure, 936,300 persons were employed, and 24,500 were unemployed. The Trade, Transportation, and Utilities sector was the leading employer in providing 162,400 jobs, followed by the Government sector with 131,700 jobs, and the Education and Health Services with 125,200 jobs. Other major industries are the Professional and Business Services (111,000 jobs), Manufacturing (72,500 jobs), Construction (68,900 jobs), and Financial Activities (41,400 jobs). 

Compared to other sectors, Mining and Logging and Education and Health Services recorded a steady increase in employment growth between 2022 and 2023. In contrast, most other industries in the state have had a rise and fall in job growth during this period. 

Average Income in Idaho

Between 2017 and 2021, Idaho recorded a median household income of $63,377 and an average household income of  $83,777. The state also recorded a per capita income of $31,509 within 12 months. Approximately 5.7% of Idaho's households are high-income households that earn over $200,000 annually. According to the US Census, householders between ages 25 and 44 make up to $70,146, while those between ages 45 and 64 earn $74,721. In contrast, Idahoans aged 65 years and over and those under 25 years earn less, recording $48,649 and $37,926, respectively. 

In terms of family size and income, the median income of families with one earner was set at $54,942. Families with two earners make up to $68,818, while those with three earners earn $76,635 per year. Families with four earners earn more than other households with $95,031 annually. 

Families in Idaho

Idaho Marriage Rates

Idaho Divorce Rates

The National Center for Health (NCH) reports that Idaho has a divorce rate of 3.4 divorces per 1,000 in 2021, the same rate recorded in the previous year. Analyzed across a thirty year period, the state has experienced a rise and fall in divorce rates since 1990, when the rate was 6.5. In 2008, the divorce rate decreased to 4.8, then increased to 5.0 in 2009, and decreased again to 4.9 in 2011. This steady decline in divorce rates continued until 2019, when there was a rise to 3.9 and then a fall again to 3.4 in 2020 and 2021. As of 2020, Idaho has 173,197 divorcees (12.08%) and 15,486 separated residents (1.08%). 

Life Expectancy in Idaho

The NCH Statistics show that Idahoans have a life expectancy of 78.4 years as of 2020. In the same year, the state recorded a fertility rate of 60.7 births per 1,000 women (females aged 15-44). The teen birth rate was 12 births per 1,000 females (15-19 years of age), while the infant mortality rate was 5.1 deaths per 1,000 live births. 

Additionally, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the state, followed by cancer, COVID-19, accidents, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease. Idaho also has a drug overdose death rate of 19.0 per 100,000, a firearm injury death rate of 16.3 per 100,000, and a homicide rate of 2.2 per 100,000. 

Idaho Crime Rates

Like all states in the US, Idaho has had its share of violent and property crime offenses over the years. Based on reports released by the Uniform Crime Reporting Program of the FBI, 3,771 violent crime incidents were recorded in Idaho as of 2021. A further breakdown of this number reveals 33 homicides, 991 rape incidents, 156 robberies, and 2,591 aggravated assaults. The State recorded 17,795 property-related offenses in the same year, including 140 arsons, 2,811 burglaries, 13,226 larceny thefts, and 1,618 motor vehicle theft incidents. 

Idaho Incarceration Rate

398 per 100,000 persons

According to the National Institute of Corrections, Idaho has an incarceration rate of 398 per 100,000 persons as of 2020.

8,171 prisoners

The correctional system consists of 8,171 prisoners located in 9 state prisons and 36 local jail facilities.

5,967

Additionally, there are 27,418 probate and 5,967 parolees within the Idaho corrections population.

Idaho Bankruptcy Rate

2022

1789 bankruptcy cases

Data from the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Idaho reveals that 1789 bankruptcy cases were filed from March 21 to February 22, 2022. A breakdown of this figure shows that 701 cases were filed in Boise, 345 in Coeur d’Alene, 94 in Moscow, 476 in Pocatello, and 173 in Twin Falls.  

Based on data released by the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), Idaho has recorded a consistent decline in bankruptcy filings since the early 2000s, when over 7,000 cases were filed per year. In 2005, the number of bankruptcy cases dramatically increased to 11,967, which was the highest recorded number of filings in Idaho's history.  

As of 2022, Idaho’s bankruptcy filings decreased by over 4% in relation to the state’s population, with only 1,521 cases filed annually across Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13. 

Weird Laws in Idaho

Idaho is one of the many states in the US that harbor some outdated laws which are too odd to be rigorously enforced in the present day. Here are some of the most bizarre laws in the Gem State: