George Tallabas

Canyon County Idaho Posts Strong Growth

While the vast majority of newcomers to Idaho headed to the most populated counties in 2007, new Census Bureau figures show slightly more of the people coming in from other states and nations settled in rural counties than in preceding years.

Based on county population estimates for July 1, 2007, just over 80 percent of the 35,500 increase in statewide population from mid-2006 occurred in the six counties with populations over 70,000.  That compared to 84 percent of the growth between mid-2005 and mid-2006 and 85 percent from mid-2004 to mid-2005.

Those large counties - Ada, Bannock, Bonneville, Canyon, Kootenai and Twin Falls - accounted for 28,500 of the additional population, and only Bonneville County had a higher growth rate in 2007 than in 2006. Only Bannock County had a lower growth rate than the statewide average of 2.4 percent.

The new estimates covered the strogest 12-month period that the state economy has experienced in decades.

Statewide, the 2.4 percent growth ranked fouth nationally. Over 55 percent of the growth was the result of people moving from other states or countries, the ninth highest percentage amoung all the states.

Idaho's most populated counties rose 3.1 percent last year compared to 3.6 percent in July 2006 estimates while the rural population was up 1.3 percent compared to a 1.1 percent a year earlier.

Canyon and Jefferson counties wre among the fastest growing counties with over 10,000 population in the United States.  Canyon County, which has benefited from living costs lower than neighboring Ada County, recorded a 4.5% population increase to rank 48th nationally, and Jefferson County, which is absorbing new growth around Idaho Falls, was up 4.3 percent to rank 57th.  Canyon County posted a 4.9 percent increase in mid-2006 while Jefferson was up just 3 percent.  Teton County with a population of 8,349 had the greatest increase at 6.9 percent.

Canyon County is only 15 minutes from Boise and approximatley 20 minutes from the Boise International airport.  The affordability of homes and proximity to the capital of Boise has made Canyon County a popular choice of many relocating to Idaho and nothing appears to being slowing down this trend.

Published Saturday, March 22, 2008 9:50 AM by George Tallabas