Idaho’s 15% median household income growth highest in nation

Idaho led the nation for median household income growth at a rate of 15%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey.

The Gem State's median household income increased by $9,153 from the 2013-2017 survey, ranking fifth in the nation for dollar-for-dollar growth. The 2018-2022 survey puts Idaho's median household income at $70,214. The American Community Survey also provides multi-year estimates for all 50 states including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Idaho’s jump in median household income between the two five-year periods can be partially attributed to the state’s rapid population growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. The need for entry-level service workers exceeded the supply of willing employees, boosting wages in sectors like health care, social assistance, accommodations, food service and education. The pandemic also increased demand for construction workers because of the housing boom.

An exit of retirees from the state’s workforce, both early and expected, also led to higher wages necessary to retain existing employees and recruit new hires. This was particularly evident for workers in front-facing and lower-tenure jobs with a high turnover rate during the pandemic and for some time after.

A handful of other western states alongside Idaho also experienced significant increases in median household income. According to labor economist Jan Roeser, Idaho’s increase may be influenced by remote workers choosing to work in a higher-wage state while residing in a state with a lower wage structure.

States with less economic diversity and robust energy sectors, including Alaska, Wyoming, North Dakota and Oklahoma, witnessed a decline in median household wages or low/stagnant wages between the two five-year periods.

As Idaho's economy expands, most counties are experiencing growth in the middle- and high-income categories. Roeser suggested Idaho's lower-paid households may be transitioning to the next income category, which is supported by Idaho’s top-ranking median household income growth.

"High housing costs may be a motivator for low wage earners to leave the state for more affordable housing,” Roeser said. “People in the higher income brackets are becoming a larger share of Idaho’s total households with some in-migrating from other states."

Idaho's housing unit growth ranks fourth nationally

The Gem State has outpaced all of its neighboring states except Utah to rank fourth in housing unit growth.

This growth has remained positive across the nation, except for West Virginia, which experienced a 3.4% loss of over 30,000 housing units. The national demand for housing, particularly units priced affordably, remained consistent over the five-year period. A national ranking of housing unit growth rate places the District of Columbia, Utah and Texas at the forefront, followed by Idaho and Colorado.

In Idaho, an uptick of almost 57,000 units between the two five-year periods was largely driven by the Boise Metropolitan Statistical Area — accounting for 62% of the change. Other contributing urban counties included Bonneville (9.4% or 1,316 units), Kootenai (11.4% or 7,745 units) and Twin Falls (7.9% or 2,549 units).

Seventeen Idaho counties — generally smaller in population, less dense and rural — saw a loss of housing units between the two five-year periods. The counties with the most significant declines were Elmore County (-2.2% or -275 units), Fremont County (-2.8% or -249 units) and Lemhi County (-4.5% or -219 units).