Why Immigrants Should Avoid Living in the Gem State

Immigrants have been all over the news in the early parts of 2026. Mainly, illegal immigrants have been in the news, but even some who are legal have been as well. Most of these stories have been for the wrong reasons, and others have let America know about the deportation of immigrants in our country. It has made for scary times for many in this country, and often, people forget that all Americans are immigrants in some form. Our ancestors all came from other countries, even if you aren't aware of your heritage. When it comes to immigrants in the United States, which states are the safest for them and which are the states they should avoid, and where does Idaho fall on that list? 

The Best and Worst States for Immigrants in the United States

Odds are you know someone who is an immigrant. It could be your neighbor, a coworker, a friend, or someone that you go to church with. Some states are safer for immigrants than others, and some make living for immigrants tougher than it should be. SmileHub recently released a list ranking the best and worst states for immigrants and used categories like social environment and support, economic environment, and legal environment and stability detractors to help them rank the states. Using these criteria, it was determined that Virginia is the best state for immigrants to live in, with Georgia being second, and Nebraska being third. The worst state for immigrants to live in is Alaska, with Oregon being the second worst, and Hawaii rounding out the bottom three. Where does Idaho rank on this list, though? 

Is Idaho a Good or Bad State for Immigrants?

Idaho did not fare well when it came to the study, as the Gem State ranks 38th in best states for immigrants, making it the thirteenth worst. Idaho is the worst state when it comes to social environment and support, but is the fifth-best state when it comes to economic environment, and is 17th in legal environment and stability detractors. Overall, Idaho is not an ideal state for immigrants, but there are worse options as well. 

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If you know someone who is an immigrant living in Idaho, and they feel unsafe or that life isn't the best here, show them this study, and perhaps they should move to one of the states near the top of the list. For more on the study, make sure to click the link in the second paragraph above.