Idaho Works Hard, and Income Growth Proves It

After a rocky start to a new decade, Idaho may have come out ahead of the game compared to the rest of the nation. The pandemic may have even helped bolster Idaho into a top-place finish for income growth.

What Is Median Household Income Growth?

If you look at households in Idaho that make the most vs. the least, the median is the place where half of the state earns more and half earns less. It’s a bit different than the average. The median for Idaho a 2018-2022 survey shows an increase of $9,153 compared to a survey for 2013-2017. That puts a 15% growth for Idaho.

Governor Brad Little commented on Idaho’s new status.

“The latest rankings for household incomes confirm what many in Idaho already know – our business-friendly atmosphere and commonsense approach to governing translate to prosperity and higher incomes for our citizens. Time after time, Idaho surges ahead of the competition in economic performance and job growth. I am so proud that what we’re doing in Idaho is WORKING!”

 

How Did Idaho Get to 1st Place for Income Growth?

Some success is from so many people flocking to Idaho during the COVID pandemic. There were more jobs in entry-level positions than there were people willing to work them. This led to increased wages to entice workers to the door in areas like health care, food service, education, and social assistance. The housing boom to fulfill the needs for the influx of people boosted employment demands in the construction industry as well.

Retirement from the workforce during the pandemic resulted in wages increasing to retain trained personnel as well. Openings across the state attributed to employers increasing wages for front-facing and lower-tenure jobs.