Idaho
Fastest-growing US state: Map reveals where the population is booming
Birthrates in the United States have reached a historic low, with women having an average of 1.6 children in their lifetime. However, while some states have seen significant reductions in population growth, others are seeing their populations boom.
Since 2020, one of the fastest growing states in the U.S. has been Idaho, increasing by 6.2 percent between 2020 and 2023, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. This represents a rise from 1,849,339 in July 2020 to 1,964,726 in July 2023. However, this growth has not been even across the state.
The map below shows which Idaho counties are growing the fastest:
The fastest population growth was seen in Camas County, with a 14 percent increase between 2020 and 2023. This was followed by Boundary County at 12 percent. Tied for third place was Adams County, Boise County, Bonner County, and Canyon County, with an 11 percent growth rate.
So, what might be driving these increases?
According to researchers at the University of Idaho, more than a quarter of the state’s growing population are new to the state. By analyzing vehicle registration and license surrender data from the Idaho Transportation Department between 2011 and 2021, the team found that nearly half a million Idaho residents had moved to the state in the last decade.
“We’re not in the middle of nowhere anymore,” Jaap Vos, a professor in the College of Natural Resources at the University of Idaho who focuses on planning, said in a statement on the university’s website in 2022. “We’re actually in the middle of all the action. If you look at the numbers, you can see we are getting new people coming in constantly.”
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According to the Idaho Department of Labor in March 2023, net migration into the state accounted for 88 percent of Idaho’s population growth between 2021 and 2022, the majority of which were U.S. citizens moving in from other states. The remaining 12 percent was from natural change when birth rates overweigh deaths.
While Idaho is seeing this influx of new people, many longstanding Idaho residents have been increasingly moving elsewhere, resulting in a significant reshaping of Idaho’s demographics.
According to a January interview with Matthew Hurt, an economist at the Idaho Division of Financial Management, with the Idaho Statesman, two thirds of Idaho’s predicted revenue growth through the 2028 fiscal year will be added through migration, with as many as one third of migration in Southwest Idaho coming from California.
For every Idaho family that moves to California, Idaho gets three back, Hurt added.
“California totally dominates the net migration story, and it really is because Californians come to Idaho,” he said. “Idahoans don’t really go to California.”
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MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho (CBS2) — A joint investigation by the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office and the Mountain Home Police Department has led to the arrest of a man accused of multiple sexual offenses in Elmore County and the city of Mountain Home.
An arrest warrant was issued on June 10, 2026, for Dillon Thorpe following an investigation conducted by Elmore County Sheriff’s Office detectives. Thorpe was taken into custody on June 11, 2026, on a warrant by the Idaho State Police.
Thorpe is charged with rape, child enticement, lewd conduct with a minor, and sexual abuse of a child under the age of 16.
Authorities said additional details about the investigation will not be released at this time because of the nature of the crimes and to protect the privacy of victims and witnesses.
Law enforcement believes there may be additional suspected victims and/or witnesses who have not yet been identified. Anyone with information or evidence relevant to the investigation is encouraged to contact the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office or the Mountain Home Police Department to make a report.
DENVER (KDVR) — Three Colorado motorcyclists died on Tuesday in northern Idaho after a pickup truck driver, also from Colorado, hit all three while trying to pass another vehicle, according to the Idaho State Police.
The crash happened at about 4 p.m. Tuesday outside the town of Kooskia on U.S. 12, police said. The pickup truck driver, identified as a 60-year-old Colorado Springs woman, was headed west on the highway when she crossed the double yellow line in a no-passing zone while trying to pass another vehicle.
She then collided head-on with the three motorcycles that were headed east on the highway.
The three motorcyclists died at the scene. The Idaho County Coroner identified the motorcyclists as: Ethan Powers, 35, of Timnath, Jeremy Coleman, 45 of Berthoud, and Nathan McCormick, 26, of Loveland.
The Colorado Fraternal Order of Police later identified Coleman and Powers as a sergeant and deputy with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office and McCormick as Coleman’s son-in-law.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends, coworkers, and the members of FOP Lodge 4 as they face the difficult days ahead,” the union said. “The law enforcement profession is built on service, sacrifice, and commitment to others. Sgt. Coleman and Deputy Powers dedicated their lives to protecting their community, and their impact will continue to be felt by those who had the privilege of serving alongside them.”
The truck driver was taken to a hospital for medical evaluation before being released then arrested. She was booked into the Idaho County Jail on probable cause for three counts of vehicular manslaughter, police said.
The following is a press release from the Idaho State Police:
The Idaho State Police (ISP) is investigating a three-fatality crash that occurred at approximately 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, on U.S. Highway 12 near milepost 113 east of Kooskia.
The preliminary investigation indicates a 2019 Ford F-150 was traveling westbound on U.S. Highway 12 when the driver attempted to pass another vehicle in a marked no-passing zone. The pickup crossed the double yellow centerline and collided with three motorcycles traveling eastbound.
The three motorcyclists sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene.
The 60-year-old female driver of the Ford, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, was transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation. Following her release, she was arrested and booked into the Idaho County Jail on probable cause for three counts of vehicular manslaughter.
The Idaho County Coroner’s Office will identify the deceased and determine the cause and manner of death.
U.S. Highway 12 was closed for approximately six and one-half hours while emergency responders assisted at the scene and investigators processed evidence.
ISP was assisted by the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office, the Idaho County Coroner’s Office, the Idaho Transportation Department, and local fire and EMS personnel.
The crash remains under investigation.
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