Idaho is no stranger to population growth. The number of people in the Gem State has steadily grown from about 710,000 people in 1972 to 1.59 million in 2012. That’s a 124 percent increase.
Data show much of that growth is from migration. People leaving one state or country and move to Idaho. There are a lot of ways to measure interstate migration. We’ve mapped tax return data from the Internal Revenue Service. The U.S. Census Bureau releases annual migration estimates, and states monitor driver’s license movement.
The Idaho Department of Transportation tracks the out-of-state driver’s licenses and IDs that are surrendered here in order for a new resident to have an Idaho license. It also monitors the Idaho licenses that are surrendered across state lines. The 2012 driver’s license data we mapped, while not conclusive, gives us a clue about where people are moving to Idaho from. Click here to explore the map!