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 population estimates.
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 Clark County, which is Idaho’s least populous county.
Population growth continued to be strong in Idaho’s three largest counties – Ada, Canyon and Kootenai – from 2020 to 2021. Those three counties collectively accounted for just under 50% of the state’s total population, and they accounted for just under 31,500 of the state’s new residents, or 59% of the population growth. Ada County’s population exceeded half a million for the first time, growing to 511,931.
In North Central Idaho: Nez Perce County’s population increased from 42,088 to 42,454; Latah County increased from 39,611 to 40,313; Idaho County’s population was up from 16,561 to 17,040; Clearwater County increased from 8,750 to 8,895; and Lewis County’s population increased from 3,531 to 3,715.
