Idaho’s Hispanic population is growing. That’s according to the Idaho Department of Labor.
Using Census Bureau numbers, the department found that the Hispanic population grew 2.9 percent between mid-2014 and mid-2015. That’s an increase of 5,696.
Janell Hyer is a research analyst at the Labor Department. She says Idaho’s Hispanic population went up 15.1 percent since the 2010 census.
“We added over 26,000 Hispanics to our community and living in this area you’re seeing more and more commercial businesses that are targeting Hispanics.”
Hyer said Canyon County has the highest number of Hispanics, followed by Ada County.
“So I think it’s interesting that Canyon County has almost 25 percent of its population which is Hispanic, as compared to Ada County which is just about eight percent.”
Hispanics make up 12.2 percent of Idaho’s population, up from 11 percent in 2010.
Hyer said Idaho’s Asian population was also up in the last year, by 4.8 percent.
“Idaho’s population continues to grow and it continues to grow diversely, as we look at our races and our ethnic groups, that part of our population continues to grow.”
Whites had the lowest growth rate in Idaho last year, at 1.1 percent.
Find Samantha Wright on Twitter @samwrightradio
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