Report: Idaho’s Latino population grew faster than the rest of the state’s last year
Idaho may be one of the fastest growing states in the country, but new data shows that the Idaho Latino population is growing even faster.
Idaho’s Hispanic and Latino population grew faster than the state’s population in 2019, according to a new analysis from the Idaho Department of Labor. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows the number of Hispanics in Idaho rose 3.3% in 2019, compared to a total state population growth of 2.1%. The Latino population grew from 222,206 in 2018 to 229,490 in 2019.
Last year’s rapid growth mirrors the trends of the last decade. From 2010 to 2019, the state’s Hispanic population grew 30.5%, while its total population grew 14%, according to the Department of Labor.
Despite this recent growth, there are still far fewer Latinos in Idaho, comparatively, than the rest of the country. Hispanics and Latinos made up about 18.5% of the overall U.S. population.
Hispanics and Latinos accounted for 11.2% of Idaho’s population in 2010 and rose to 12.8% by 2019.
Latino population still based in Canyon County, Magic Valley
The Magic Valley — centered around the the Twin Falls region — had the largest proportion of Hispanics at 24.7%. The Idaho Department of Labor analysis found the growth of the dairy industry, which employs high percentages of Hispanics, contributed to the growth of the Hispanic population. Southern Idaho counties with significant food processing operations and farms that employ large numbers of Latino works saw population growth, too. Twin Falls, Jerome, Blaine and Minidoka counties saw the largest increases in the region’s Latino population over the last decade.
Regionally, Southwestern Idaho ranked second highest at 14.1%. However, Canyon County still has the largest number of Latinos at 58,947. Ada County’s Latino population jumped, too — growing from 27,905 to 41,045 over the last decade.
In southeastern Idaho, Hispanics made up 11.9% of the population and 11.7% of eastern Idaho’s population in 2019, according to the Idaho Department of Labor. Idaho’s two northernmost regions had the lowest proportions — northern Idaho at 4.5% and north central at 4.2%.
Idaho’s Hispanic population trends younger on average than the total population. In 2019, children under age 15 made up 30.3% of the Hispanic and Latino population in Idaho, compared to 20.8% of the total population.
Other minority populations in Idaho grew in 2019, too, according to the U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2019. Although Blacks are the smallest minority group in Idaho, they had a larger percentage population jump at 3.5%. The Native American population increased 1.98% and the Asian population increased 2.78%.
