Idaho Continues to be Colonized by Californians

There are a lot of new people in Idaho.  This just confirms what we already know.  You drive down any street and you see new houses.  Entire new towns are being constructed between Elmore and Ada Counties.  You can see the mosaic of license plates when you’re at the grocery store.

Californians remain Idaho’s largest import, but a story from the Foundation for Economic Freedom, or FEE, lays out that Idaho is a popular destination for tax refugees across the country.  By the way, I found the FEE website a few weeks ago and thought it was a new outfit.  It has been crunching trends and numbers for more than 75 years.

These are Conservative People

First, we should note, that the people coming to Idaho are generally more conservative than natives.  This is anecdotal through my observations but has also been backed repeatedly by research at Boise State University.  Which makes the video embedded in the link even more humorous.  I’ll also post the same video at the conclusion of this story.

The only downside to the Great Migration appears to be twofold.

Property Taxes Remain an Issue

Property values and taxes are in crisis mode for many Idaho natives and young families looking to find affordable housing.  The second concern is coming from concerns about the drought.  I get daily messages from members of my audience and they’re voicing concerns about how we’re going to slake the thirst when it comes to all the new people.

Droughts come and go but the duration is key to long-term population growth.

People come here primarily for low taxes.  Despite property tax issues, Idaho remains among the least taxed states in the union.  People also like the scenery and the low crime rate.