Idaho’s population has reached 2 million
The following is a press release from the Idaho Department of Labor
IDAHO (IDL) – Idaho’s population continued its long-running pattern of growth in 2024, surpassing 2 million residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The state’s total population on July 1, 2024, was 2,001,619 people, an increase from 1,971,122 people in 2023. The total increase of 30,497 people gave Idaho an annualized growth rate of 1.5%, which ranked 7th in the nation. This information comes from the newly released Vintage 2024 Population Estimates published by the U.S. Census Bureau on Dec. 19.
Idaho’s growth rate of 1.5% was slightly higher than the previous year’s rate of 1.4%, but lower than the growth rates in 2021 and 2022 (3.0% and 2.1% respectively). However, Idaho’s population continued to grow faster than both the United States as a whole (1.0%) and the west region (0.9%). Among Idaho’s neighboring states, only Utah (1.8%) and Nevada (1.7%) had faster growth rates, with Idaho outpacing Montana (0.5%), Oregon (0.41%), Washington (1.3%) and Wyoming (0.4%).
The U.S. Census Bureau also released its estimates of the components of resident population change. These estimates showed most of Idaho’s growth continues to come from net migration into the state.
Idaho’s natural population growth (the number of births minus the number of deaths), was 6,195 people, accounting for just 20% of the state’s total growth. The remaining growth, totaling 24,282 people, was from the movement of new residents into the state. This total consisted of residents who were from other U.S. states (more than two-thirds of the population), with the remainder coming from international migration.
Cumulatively, from 2020 to 2024, 73.3% of Idaho’s population growth has come through net migration from other U.S. states, with natural growth contributing 13.3% and international migration contributing 13.4%. The 2024 estimates confirm the continuation of this broader pattern, with domestic migration contributing the bulk of the population growth relative to natural growth and international migration.
