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Idaho

Summary Demographic State Data (and Source)
Population (2009 CB est.): 1,545,801
Population (2000 Census): 1,293,953
Foreign-Born Population (2009 CB est.): 97,642
Foreign-Born Population (2000 Census): 64,080
Share Foreign-Born (2009): 6.3%
Share Foreign-Born (2000): 5.0%
Naturalized U.S. Citizens (2009 CB est.): 32,052
Share Naturalized (2009): 32.8%
Legal Immigrant Admission (DHS 2000-2009): 25,356
Refugee Admission (HHS 2000-2009): 6,406
Illegal Alien Population (2010 FAIR est.): 30,000
Costs of Illegal Aliens (2010 FAIR) $187,700,000
Projected 2050 Population (2006 FAIR) 2,509,000

Idaho : Extended Immigration Data

STATE POPULATION

The Census Bureau estimated that in July 2010 Idaho’s population had increased by an annual average of about 27,080 residents since 2000 (to 1,545,801 residents). That is a rate of increase of about 2.0 percent per year. That rate of increase, if continued, would result in the state’s population doubling to more than three million by 2044. Idaho’s rate of increase was double the national annual average rate of increase of 1.0 percent.

 

The 2000 Census found 1,293,953 persons resident in Idaho. This was an increase of 287,204 persons (28.5%) above the 1990 Census. That was an annual rate of increase of 2.5 percent, i.e., more than double the comparable national rate of change of 1.2 percent.

The 2000 population is about 53,000 more persons than the Census Bureau had expected to find in the state in 2000 when it issued its state population projections in 1996. The significance of this was that the Census Bureau concluded that much of the shortfall in their population estimates during the 1990s was due to an underestimation of the illegal alien population.

Idaho's population increased from 1980 to 1990 by slightly more than one-sixth (from 944,127 to 1,006,749). That was an annual average increase of about 0.6 percent compared to a national annual average rate of change of 1.0 percent.

FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION

Based on the American Community Survey (ACS), the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that the foreign-born population of Idaho was 97,642 persons in 2009.

Immigration also contributes to population growth through the children born to immigrants in this country. Nationally the share of births to the foreign-born is about double their share of the population. A 12.6 percent share of the state’s current births is large enough to account for about 2,875 births a year. Combining the increase in the foreign-born population and estimated immigrant births suggests that immigration may account for adding nearly 5,485 persons to the state’s population annually, i.e., nearly one-fourth (23.9%) of the state’s overall population increase.

Net International Migration (NIM)

Based on the Current Population Survey (CPS), the Census Bureau estimated that between the 2000 Census and July 2009 the state’s population increased by about 22,120 residents from net international migration (more foreign-born arriving than leaving). That was an annual average increase of about 2,380 residents, i.e., less than one-tenth (8.8%) of the total increase (not including the children born to the immigrants after their arrival in the United States). [Note that the CPS and ACS data do not agree.]

FOREIGN-BORN CHANGE

The amount of change in the ACS data in the foreign-born population since the 2000 Census indicates an average annual rate of increase in the foreign-born population of about 3,610 people, which is more than one-eighth (13.3%) of the state’s annual average population increase. Since 2000, the foreign-born population has increased by 52.4 percent compared to a 17.7 percent increase in the native-born population. The annual rate of increase from 2000-2009 was 4.8 percent compared to a national rate of 2.4 percent.

The 2000 Census found that 47.7 percent of the foreign-born population had arrived in the state since 1990. That was higher than the national rate of 42.5 percent. In the 2009 ACS data, the share of the foreign-born population that had arrived since 2000 was 16.2 percent, i.e., lower than the national rate of 20.9 percent.

During the 1990s the state’s foreign-born population increased by 35,175 from 28,905. That was an increase of 121.7 percent compared to a 25.8 percent increase in the native-born population. The increase accounted for 12.2 percent of the state’s total population increase. On an annual basis, the foreign-born population increased by 8.3 percent compared to a national rate of 4.6 percent.

Foreign-Born Characteristics

An indicator of the change in Idaho's immigrant population may be seen in data on the share of the population over five years of age that speaks a language other than English at home. Between 1990 and 2000, the share of non-English speakers increased from 6.4 percent to 9.3 percent. More than two-fifths (41.6%) of those persons in 2000 also said they spoke English less than very well. In the 2009 ACS, the share of non-English speakers at home had increased to 9.9 percent, and of those nearly two-fifths (39.6%) spoke English less than very well. Spanish-speakers were 7nearly three-fourths (73.7%) of those who spoke other than English at home, and more than three-fourths (77.1%) of those who spoke English less than very well.

Speakers of Foreign Languages
(at home in Idaho in the 2000 Census)
Spanish

80,240
German

5,665
French

3,345
Japanese

1,650
Serbocroatian

1,505
Portuguese

1,375
Vietnamese

1,215
Tagalog

1,120
Russian

1,115
Italian

1,105

(Source: Census Bureau report: Language Spoken at Home for the Population 5 Years and Over, April 2004)

The chart above shows the foreign-born population increasing by 52.4 percent since 2000 and the share of that population from Latin America and the Caribbean increasing by 50.4 percent. That region’s share of the state’s immigrant population fell slightly from 59.8 percent to 59.1 percent in 2009.

NATURALIZATION

Data from the 2009 ACS indicate that 32,052 residents, or 32.8 percent, of the foreign-born population in Idaho were U.S. citizens, compared to 21,203 residents, or 33.1 percent, in 2000.

Nationally, 40.3 percent of the foreign-born population was U.S. citizens in 2000, and 43.7 percent in 2009.

Refugees

Idaho received 6,406 refugees over the most recent ten fiscal years (FY'00-'09).

 
LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY STUDENTS

In Idaho overall enrollment in 2008 (272,119) was 10.9 percent above enrollment in 1999. LEP enrollment was 5.2 percent higher than a decade earlier. The share of LEP enrollment fell from 7.2 percent to 6.9 percent.

FOREIGN STUDENTS

The 2009/2010 annual report of the Institute of International Education (IIE) lists the number of foreign students attending post-secondary school in Idaho as 2,015. Five schools are listed as having a major concentration of these students:

  • U. of Idaho-Moscow – 612.
  • BYU-Rexburg – 388
  • Boise State U. – 326
  • Lewis-Clark State – 162
  • C. of Idaho – 80

Those schools represented nearly four-fifths (77.8%) of the total foreign students in the state.

For information on foreign student issues see: Foreign Students in the United States


ILLEGAL ALIENS

FAIR Estimate- FAIR’s estimate of the state’s illegal alien population as of 2010 is about 30,000 persons. This is part of an overall estimate of the U.S. illegal alien population of about 12 million persons.

INS/DHS Estimate - The INS (now dissolved into the Dept. of Homeland Security) estimated that the resident illegal population in Idaho iwas 19,000 as of January 2000. This number was 3,000 higher than the INS' 1996 estimate.

Other Estimates - The Pew Hispanic Center estimated the illegal alien population of the state was 30,000 as of 2010.

 

COST OF ILLEGAL ALIENS
Idaho Fiscal Costs In 2009
     Due to Illegal Aliens ($M)       (Pct.)
K-12 educ. $93.6   49.9%
LEP educ. $18.8 10.0%
Medicaid $18.7 10.0%
SCHIP $4.3 2.3%
Justice $23.1 12.3%
Welfare+ $10.5 5.6%
General $18.7 10.0%
Total $187.7  
Tax Receipts $11.4  
Net Cost $176.3  

Source: “The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on United States Taxpayers,” FAIR 2010.

Population Projection

We projected Idaho’s population in 2050 likely would be between 2.47 million and 2.51 million depending on what happens with immigration policy. See “Projecting the U.S. Population to 2050: Four Immigration Scenarios,” FAIR 2006.

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Idaho : Immigrant Admissions

Idaho Immigrant Admissions
by Fiscal Year

2000

 1,922

2001

 2,296

2002

 2,236

2003

 1,692

2004

 2,229

2005

 2,768

2006

 2,377

2007

 2,044

2008

 2,766

2009

 3,120

Total

 25,356

Recent immigrant admissions are at 639 percent of admissions just after adoption of the current immigration system in 1965. During the 1965-'69 period, annual admissions averaged about 380 immigrants. During the most recent five years, admissions averaged about 2,435 persons.

The charts below show recent immigrant admissions and the cumulative immigrant admissions data since 1965. The number of annual admissions has ranged from 333 in FY'66 to 3,120 in FY’09. The cumulative total of admissions to Idaho between fiscal years 1965 and 2009 was about 59,990 immigrants.


 
INS DATA BY NATIONALITY: FY'96 - FY'05

The table below furnishes INS data on the immigrants who have been admitted for residence in Idaho since 1996 by nationality.

The INS data are for nationals of the countries with the largest number of immigrants admitted or adjusted to legal residence each year since 1996. The absence of data means that the total number of admissions to the United States by nationals of that country was not enough to merit detailed reporting in that year.

The nationalities may change each year, so the totals in some cases will not reflect all the immigrants of that nationality who have become legal immigrants in Louisiana during this period.

The Department of Homeland Security website is has detailed data on immigrant admissions since FY’03 by year and by country. That resource has data for all source countries. (See http://www.dhs.gov/ximgtn/statistics/data/dslpr.shtm).

A dash (-) indicates that the data for that year was not published for that country in the Immigration Statistical Yearbook.  * China includes Hong Kong and Taiwan. The Soviet Union includes Russia and former parts of the USSR. Yugoslavia includes Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro-Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia

The 31 nationalities above represent more than seven-eighths (87.2%) of all immigrant settlement and adjustment in Idaho during this ten-year period. The largest source country of the new immigrants - Mexico - accounted for almost half (45% ) of the total "green card" issuance since 1996. 

Revised January 2008

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Idaho : Poll Data

 

Rasmussen Poll: Arizona Law SB 1070
July 2010

Suppose the new Arizona immigration law was being considered for your state. Would you favor or oppose passage of that law in your state?

The U.S. Justice Department has decided to challenge the legality of Arizona’s new immigration law in federal court. Do you agree or disagree with the decision to challenge the legality of Arizona’s new immigration law?

 

 

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Idaho : Immigration Impact

 

Environmental and Quality of Life Profile

Water: Idaho is the third largest water user in the U.S., consuming 19.5 billion gallons per day of freshwater. That number comes to a daily per-capita water demand of over 233 gallons.1 If this water usage is maintained, by 2050 the state could be requiring up to an additional 230 million gallons of water more per day than in 2008. Idaho will not likely be able to meet that increased demand.

The Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer is an extremely significant source of groundwater for Southeastern Idaho. Additionally, this aquifer contributes heavily to the flow of the Snake River, a major Idahoan surface water source. However, beginning in the 1950's, increased groundwater withdrawals and reductions in natural replenishment created a trend of declining water levels that still continues.2

As an effort to replenish the depleting aquifer, the state-run Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program has begun a program which pays farmers a per acre rate to stop irrigating and to plant cover crops. Unfortunately, due to the high prices farmers can currently receive for grain, only about one-fifth of the expected acreage is enrolled in the program.3 Indeed, many farmers, initially enrolled, have paid thousands in fees in order withdraw and instead cash in on the current commodities market.4 However, crop production may ultimately be the first activity to be held back as a burgeoning population continues to demand more water, and the aquifer levels continue to decline.

With water growing scarcer, a series of legal battles have appeared before the Idaho Supreme Court, highlighting the bickering over water rights. With the current state of the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer, in the early fall of 2007, the state threatened to shut down the pumps of many who were taking more than their share. This prospect infuriated many farmers, municipalities, and businessmen, and sparked prolific legal rivalry over water-rights seniority.5

Vehicle traffic on Idaho highways climbed 50 percent between 1990 and 2008.6 As population growth put more traffic on the roads, the average commute for Idaho residents increased 16 percent between 1990 and 2005, from 17 to 19.8 minutes.7 About 9 percent of Idaho commuters had a commute of 45 minutes or longer in 2008.8

Traffic: One-fourth (24%) of the state's major roadways were rated as being in poor or mediocre condition in 2010, and 16 percent of its bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Driving on poorly-maintained roads costs each Idaho driver about $305 per year, which adds up to $316 million statewide.9

Disappearing open space: The amount of developed land in Idaho increased by 341,100 acres from 1982 to 2007, growing at a pace of 13,010 acres per year over the last ten years of that period.10 Urban development is expected to double by 2050 along with suburban development, which will nearly quadruple, resulting in a total loss of 4.5 million acres to urban and suburban development.11

Crowded housing: An estimated 13,537 of Idaho’s housing units were classified as crowded in 2008, defined as units with more than one occupant per room. This amounted to 2.4 percent of the state’s housing units. In addition, 2,579 units were severely crowded, with at least 1.5 occupants per room.12 Following the national trend, crowded housing rates were driven upward by immigration. 19 percent of children in immigrant families live in crowded housing, compared to just 7 percent of children with native-born parents.13

Sprawl: The city of Rexburg issued over $58 million in building permits in 2002, more than ten times the value of permits issued in an average year.14 Such unprecedented growth is not without its costs. After such developments are completed, new streets will be needed, along with other financial responsibilities, all of which must be paid by the city. Other cities face similar challenges as a result of rapid development challenges created by sprawl. Since 1998, Pocatello has spent close to $9 million (with another $2 million to be spent by 2004) in rehabilitating and expanding its sewer system in order to meet the demands of its growing population.15

Idaho's total energy use has increased by 57 percent since 1980 and 36 percent since 1990, making it the leading northwest state for energy consumption. This increase, according to Northwest Environment Watch, is directly attributable to rapid population growth in the state.16

Air pollution: As population increases, pollution usually rises along with it. Ada County, with nearly half the state's population, received an "F" for high ozone days from the American Lung Association in 2010.17 Many in Idaho are worried about the negative effects population growth will have on public health, since more people mean more cars, which increasing gas consumption and air pollution.18 Canyon County saw the worst levels of small particulate pollution in a decade during 2002, with up to a third of its pollution attributable to vehicle emissions.19

Poverty:Idaho's immigrants are more likely to be poor than their native-born counterparts. In 2007, 20.4 percent of foreign-born households were below the poverty line, compared to 11.6 percent of native households. An additional 15.6 percent of the foreign-born and 10.4 percent of native households were not in poverty but had incomes less than 1.5 times the poverty level.20 33.4 percent of children in immigrant families were poor in 2006, compared to 15.1 percent of native children.21

Education: Enrollment in Idaho's K-12 public education system increased by over 16,000 students (6.8 percent) between the 2000 and 2006 school year,22 and is projected to increase by an additional 35,000 students (13 percent) by 2015.23

School overcrowding is becoming a costly issue for Idaho, one that many communities cannot afford to bear. In July 2002, Idaho Falls School District 91 voted to spend $1.3 million to alleviate junior high schools crowding.24 The cost of the renovation is in part responsible for District 91's current budget crisis, which has its leaders looking to cut expenses and raise supplemental levy in order to survive.25 With many Idaho communities facing similar financial hardships, schools may have difficulty expanding to meet growing enrollments in the near future.26

Solid Waste: Idaho generates 0.8 tons of solid waste per capita each year.27

Labor Issues: The wave of immigrants flooding into Idaho leads to population increasing faster than job creation, leading to rising unemployment. As of December 2002, Kootenai County, Idaho's third fastest growing county, faced an eight percent unemployment rate (versus a national average of six percent); the Idaho Department of Labor says that "population growth exceeding job growth" is a primary reason.28

Endnotes:

  1. USGS, Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2005
  2. Dough Geller."Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer." Emporia State University Hydrogeology. Spring 2006.
  3. Brad Carlson,"Commodity prices pressure water program," Idaho Business Review, June 2, 2008
  4. Associated Press,"High grain prices drain aquifer conservation plan," Idaho News, May 23, 2008.
  5. "Idaho water hearing could wrap up this week." Idaho Statesman, December 2007.
  6. The Road Information Project (TRIP), "Key Facts about Idaho's Surface Transportation System and Federal Funding," May 2010.
  7. "Table DP-1-4, Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000," Census 2000, U.S. Census Bureau. "Selected Economic Characteristics: 2005" Data Set - 2005 American Community Survey, American Fact Finder, U.S. Census Bureau.
  8. American Community Survey, 2008 Estimates, Custom Data Table.
  9. The Road Information Project (TRIP), "Key Facts about Idaho's Surface Transportation System and Federal Funding," May 2010.
  10. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, "Summary Report: 2007 National Resources Inventory."
  11. Editorial Board,"Planning for Growth Must be a Top Priority," Idaho Press-Tribune, June 30, 2001.
  12. American Community Survey, Three-Year Estimates 2006-2008. Data retrieved using ACS Custom Table tool.
  13. Kids Count Data Center, which used 2008 American Community Survey Data.
  14. Brian Davidson,"Rexburg Construction Sets New High- Number of Building Permits Up Tenfold," Idaho Falls Post Register, January 9, 2003.
  15. John O'Connell,"City Sewer in Midst of Three-Part Overhaul," Idaho State Journal, January 18, 2002.
  16. "How Idaho Measures Up," Measuring What Matters, The New Indicators Project, Northwest Environment Watch.
  17. American Lung Association, "State of the Air 2010."
  18. Sam Bass, Growth Threatens Air Quality," Idaho Press-Tribune, June 12, 2002.
  19. Nathaniel Hoffman,"Here is a Sign of a Problem, Growth," Idaho Press-Tribune, December 5, 2002.
  20. Migration Information Source State Data (Migration Policy Institute)
  21. Urban Institute, Children of Immigrants Data Tool.
  22. "Overview of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools and Districts: School Year 1999-2000," National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education."Public Elementary and Secondary School Student Enrollment, High School Completions, and Staff From the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06', National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, June 2007.
  23. Ibid.
  24. Matthew Evans,"Taylorview Expanding to Accommodate Population," Idaho Falls Post Register, July 30, 2002.
  25. Matthew Evans,"District 91 Struggles to Find the Money to Pay the Bills," Lewistown Morning Tribune, February 19,2003.
  26. Kathy Hedberg,"Idaho's School Saga Resumes," Lewiston Morning Tribune, November 10, 2002.
  27. Report Card for America's Infrastructure 2005," American Society of Civil Engineers.
  28. Kathryn Tacke,"Kootenai County Profile," Idaho Department of Labor, January 2003.

 

Other Resources  

State Local Reform Organizations

State Representatives Voting Record

 

Updated January 2012


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