Idaho Residents: Who Moved in, Who Moved Out, and Where Did They Go?

The population in Idaho is a rollercoaster ride of people moving in and people moving out. Lately, there have been more people moving in, and that isn't sitting well with some locals. In 2021, Idaho was listed as the fastest-growing state in the nation and mid-year reports in 2022 showed it as second on the list.

Idaho Residents: Who's Moving In, Who's Moving Out, and Where Are They Going?

With all of that moving in and out, like it or not, Idaho is now a state filled with mostly non-native Idahoans. Here at the radio station, only 1 of our DJs grew up in Idaho, but he wasn’t born here. Everyone else is a transplant within the last 20 years. I grew up in Utah, moved to Kansas for a few years, worked in Nevada for a bit, and finally moved to Idaho 15 years ago. I don’t know if I’d call myself an Idahoan yet, but I’m more ‘Idaho’ than any previous residence.

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There have been a few reports recently on my desk analyzing who is moving into Idaho and who is moving out and where they are moving to.

Where Are People Moving To Idaho From

It won’t be a surprise that the majority of the move-ins are from California but Washington, Oregon, and Utah were also big contributors according to data from the University of Idaho and the Idaho Transportation Department. Data shows 21,010 Californians moving into Idaho and 10,499 from Washington in 2021.

Where Are Most Idahoans Moving To

In an article on the Idaho Capital Sun website, they show Washington as the top state for Idahoans to move to, followed by Oregon and Arizona. A study on retirees claims that the elderly can’t wait to get out of the Gem State as Idaho is 3rd on a list of the most moved-out-of states for those retiring in 2022. For families looking to leave Idaho, the Family Destinations Guide website says they’d choose to move to Oregon.

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Not all reports and websites agree that Idaho is among the top moving destinations though, the Allied moving company doesn’t have Idaho in any of its top (or bottom) lists. Plus, some people pretend Idaho doesn’t even exist. But many celebrities own property in Idaho, there is apparently a gang war in the state, and TV shows love to mock us - so, the rest of the nation is definitely aware of us.

RELATED: Do You Know The 12 Seasons In Idaho?

Whether you move into Idaho or leave the state, here’s some advice: don’t try too hard to fit in. Trying to act like you belong somewhere is one of the best ways to annoy a local in any location.