Kuna and Star, Idaho Each Grew 14% in One Year, COMPASS Says

COMPASS 2026 estimates: Kuna and Star each grew about 14% from 2025 to 2026. Star is up 131% since 2020. Ada and Canyon together added about 150,000 people since the Census.

STAR / KUNA - Southwest Idaho's smaller cities are still posting standout growth. New COMPASS 2026 population estimates show Kuna and Star each grew about 14% from 2025 to 2026, far ahead of larger neighbors Meridian and Nampa, which each grew about 3% in the same year. COMPASS (the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho) accepted the estimates at its April 27, 2026 board meeting.

The agency builds April 1 estimates from the 2020 Census base using local building permits, household sizes, vacancy rates, and annexations for Ada and Canyon Counties. One-year jumps in Kuna and Star Within Ada County city limits, Kuna rose from 33,750 residents in 2025 to 38,560 in 2026, a gain of 4,810 people. Star rose from 21,800 to 24,950, adding 3,150.

COMPASS Planning Team Lead Austin Miller called the percentage growth in some smaller communities "staggering," pointing to Kuna and Star's 14% one-year gains versus roughly 3% for Meridian and Nampa. Star's longer arc since 2020 Star also leads the COMPASS coverage area on growth since the 2020 Census. The city counted 11,107 residents in 2020 and is now estimated at 24,950, a 131% increase over six years.