Idaho Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Idaho Population Density Map and Area Scores
State Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
C
Education Below averageLess educated than 78% of states in the US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Idaho | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,929,983 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 23.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 2.12% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 712,816 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Idaho grew by 29.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 1,929,983 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Idaho is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.8% of residents. That is 1.4 points above the US as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 440,932 22.8% +1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 400,186 20.7% -1.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 370,976 19.2% -0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 308,841 16.0% -0.9 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below the US, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.6% of the people living in Idaho and men 50.4%.
- Women 49.6% the US 50.5%
- Men 50.4% the US 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Idaho
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Idaho has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Idaho | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,141 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.97% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Idaho is about 3% lower than in US.
Housing
| Metric | Idaho | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $394,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,236 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Idaho is about 26.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,236 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Idaho spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 150 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Idaho | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 150 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,641 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,714 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 865 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Idaho:
Custer County (8.9 min), Lemhi County (11.6 min), Madison County (12.0 min).
Slowest:
Camas County (49.5 min), Boise County (38.0 min), Lincoln County (32.0 min).
The average commute time in Idaho is 18 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in US.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Idaho has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Idaho | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.64 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Idaho:
Latah County (0.4), Teton County (0.3), Ada County (0.3).
Lowest:
Clark County (0.1), Owyhee County (0.2), Lincoln County (0.2).
Health
Idaho has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Idaho | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Idaho:
Madison County (0.8), Latah County (0.8), Ada County (0.8).
Lowest:
Shoshone County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Lincoln County (0.8).
Idaho Compared With Nearby States
Idaho is the 5th largest of the 6 states compared here, 1,929,983 residents against a local median of 3,390,702. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest states, which makes Idaho an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is commute, 11% below the local median at 18.0 min against 20.1 min. Idaho has the 2nd lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 1,929,983 | $78,141 #5/6 | $394,140 #4/6 | 18.0 min #2/6 |
| Nevada | 3,183,702 | $78,637 | $357,758 | 22.4 min |
| Montana | 1,116,812 | $72,476 | $249,140 | 16.0 min |
| Utah | 3,390,702 | $95,466 | $498,552 | 18.9 min |
| Oregon | 4,252,306 | $83,617 | $406,603 | 20.1 min |
| Washington | 7,801,159 | $98,224 | $485,016 | 22.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Idaho.
How big is Idaho by population?
About 1,929,983 people live in Idaho, in 712,816 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 38.7, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Idaho?
Averaged over its land area, Idaho has 23 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 27% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Idaho?
The median home costs 5.0 times the median household income ($394,140 against $78,141), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,236 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Idaho?
Unemployment in Idaho is only 3.7%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →