MOSCOW, Idaho - More than a quarter of Idaho's growing population of 1.8 million people is new to the state, according to a new analysis from the University of Idaho (UI).
Census data confirmed last year that Idaho is the fastest growing state in the nation. But UI professor Jaap Vos found that Idaho's population and demographics have also changed drastically from an influx of new residents, paired with a steady departure of existing residents.
Vos analyzed vehicle registration and license surrender data from the Idaho Transportation department from 2011-2021, and found nearly half a million Idaho residents who moved to the state in the past decade. The state's population grew by 261,449 people, when accounting for the 295,000 residents who moved away from the state.
“Using change as a measure,” Vos said, “Idaho’s population is changing faster than Florida’s did in the mid 1990s, even though Florida was the fastest growing state in the nation at that time.”
Vos' research used drivers’ license data to offer a local view of Idaho’s changing rural communities in a way that is more reliable than census data. The U.S. Census Bureau has not released data from 2020 headcounts. Vos said the annual census estimates are often unreliable in rural areas.
All new Idaho residents must surrender their previous driver’s licenses within 90 days of moving. New residents must register their vehicle at their new address. Vos said those rules allow for real-time analysis into Idaho’s changing demographics.
Vos will present his findings at the Idaho Smart Growth Summit on Sept. 1 in Boise. He said he hopes his research will motivate communities and planners to talk about demographic change, not just growth.
