BOISE, Idaho — Idaho continues to grow statewide, with the fastest-growing population in the country between 2019-2020. Much of this growth, however, occurred in Idaho's urban areas.
Approximately 70.5% of Idahoans lived in cities in 2020 compared to 61.2% in 1980, according to the Idaho Dept. of Labor (IDL).
Between 2019-2020, eight of the top 200 fastest-growing cities were in Idaho with growth rates ranging from 3.5% to 7.5%:
- Kuna (43)
- Post Falls (46)
- Star (55)
- Eagle (65)
- Meridian (70)
- Nampa (151)
- Ammon (167)
- Caldwell (171)
Eight Idaho cities had populations greater than 50,000 in 2020, compared to only four cities in 2000. The city of Boise's population exceeded 50,000 in 1980 and was the only city in Idaho to have a population that large at that time.
Idaho cities continue to attract people from out of state as well as the state's rural areas. Between 2019-2020, Idaho's 200 incorporated cities grew 2.4%, faster than the state of Idaho's 2.1% growth.
The eight Idaho cities with a population larger than 50,000 grew 2.3% from 2019-2020 while Idaho's 177 cities with populations below 10,000 grew only 1.7%. The 15 medium-sized cities grew fastest with 2.9% growth.
Blackfoot and Garden City were the only medium-sized cities in Idaho to experience population loss between 2019-2020, though the loss was less than 1% in both cities. 32 smaller cities also saw population decline but none greater than 1.4%.
Nampa's population rose to 103,215 in 2020, making it the third city in Idaho with a population above 100,000 (Boise and Meridian).
Results from the 2020 Census will be released in September.
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