BOISE — Idaho is still growing fast, and the people adding to that growth are younger than many assume. An Idaho Department of Labor analysis of new U.S. Census Bureau 2025 estimates finds the state has the seventh-lowest median age in the country, with the two largest single-year age brackets still in the teens and early twenties.

The Labor Department’s idaho@work briefing (Aug. 11, 2026) draws on Census population totals, metro estimates, and age-characteristic files. Statewide, Idaho reached 2,029,733 residents as of July 1, 2025 — up 28,861 people, or 1.4%, from the year before, ranking second nationally for that year’s growth behind only South Carolina.

Working-age growth, not just retirees

National headlines often frame Idaho around retiree in-migration. The Census age data tell a broader story. Roughly 64% of Idaho’s population growth from 2020 to 2025 came from people younger than 65, with strong gains in working-age cohorts. The 15–19 and 20–24 age groups remain the state’s two largest brackets. Idaho’s median age sits among the youngest in the United States — seventh-lowest overall.

Most newcomers still arrive from other states

Migration, not births alone, is doing the heavy lifting. From 2020 to 2025, just under 15% of Idaho’s population growth came from natural change (births minus deaths). Migration contributed more than 80%. Idaho ranked third nationally for its net migration rate over that stretch, with in-migration equal to 8.1% of the state’s total population. Of that migration, 85.3% was domestic — people moving from other U.S. states — the highest domestic share in the country. Only 14.7% came from abroad.

Metros growing faster than the U.S. average

Growth is not limited to one valley. The Census tracks 424 MSAs and metro divisions nationwide. From 2020 to 2025, the average U.S. MSA grew 3.4%. All of Idaho’s MSAs except Lewiston grew faster than that average, and four grew more than twice as fast. The Boise MSA led the state at 12.2% over five years, with Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Falls, and Twin Falls also ranking highly.

Since 2020, Idaho has been the fastest-growing state on aggregate, with net growth of 9.8%, according to the Labor Department’s summary of the Census estimates. The same briefing notes that demographic strength has held through pandemic disruption and a normalizing economy, even as housing costs and inflation remain concerns for households.

For people watching Idaho’s labor market or considering a move, the age profile matters. A younger median age and solid working-age growth support labor-force expansion alongside the headline population gains that have kept Idaho near the top of national rankings.

Quick Facts (U.S. Census 2025 estimates via Idaho Department of Labor / idaho@work):

• Idaho population July 1, 2025: 2,029,733 (+28,861 / +1.4% YoY; 2nd nationally)
• Median age: 7th-lowest in the U.S.
• ~64% of 2020–2025 population growth from under age 65
• Largest age brackets: 15–19 and 20–24
• Net migration 2020–2025: 8.1% of population (3rd nationally); >80% of total growth from migration
• Domestic share of migration: 85.3% (#1 U.S.); international 14.7%
• Boise MSA: +12.2% population 2020–2025 (U.S. MSA average +3.4%)
• Since 2020: fastest-growing state on aggregate (+9.8% net)

Chart: Treasure Idaho graphic from Idaho Department of Labor / Census 2025 estimates. Brand: treasureidaho.com

Sources: Idaho Department of Labor idaho@work, “Idaho’s population younger than national average, metro areas growing quickly” (Aug. 11, 2026), citing U.S. Census Bureau July 1, 2025 population, MSA, and age-characteristic estimates. No invented figures.