Idaho’s Hispanic population, which continued increasing at three times the rate of the non-Hispanics, grew younger in 2008 as the state population overall kept aging.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that from mid-2007 to mid-2008, Idaho’s Hispanic population grew by just over 5 percent to 156,000 compared to 1.5 percent for non-Hispanics. The 5 percent increase lifts Hispanics to over 10 percent of the state’s population, estimated at 1.52 million in mid-2008.
Statewide the median age – where half the people are older and half younger – increased by just over a month to 34 years and five months. But for Hispanics, the median age dropped more than three months to 23 years and eight months. One in three Hispanics was under 15 years old compared to one in five in the total population.
Idaho Hispanics’ median age was the third lowest in the nation behind North Dakota and South Dakota.
The trend toward youth in the rapidly growing Hispanic population suggests the economic and political influence of the state’s largest minority could grow substantially as Hispanic families become more and more established.
Idaho’s Hispanic population remained concentrated in the southern part of the state with significant blocs in Canyon County and the heavily agricultural counties surrounding Twin Falls. In Idaho’s most heavily Hispanic and smallest county – the cattle country of Clark County with less than 1,000 people in eastern Idaho – the Hispanic population hit 40 percent in 2008. Clark County census figures show half the population under 15 and 60 percent between ages 15 and 30 was Hispanic.
Three in 10 people in Minidoka County were Hispanic. In Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Owyhee and Power counties the ratio was one in four.
Idaho’s increase in younger Hispanic age groups has been significant since the 2000 census.
|
Idaho's 2008 Hispanic Population
|
|
County
|
Population
|
% of Total
|
Population Under 15
|
% Increase from 2007
|
% Increase from 2000
|
|
Ada
|
25,966
|
6.8%
|
10.1%
|
5.5%
|
92.8%
|
|
Adams
|
114
|
3.3%
|
6.9%
|
1.8%
|
111.1%
|
|
Bannock
|
4,783
|
5.9%
|
8.7%
|
4.6%
|
35.1%
|
|
Bear Lake
|
195
|
3.4%
|
5.2%
|
1.0%
|
26.6%
|
|
Benewah
|
224
|
2.4%
|
4.7%
|
1.4%
|
57.7%
|
|
Bingham
|
6,974
|
15.9%
|
23.0%
|
5.6%
|
25.7%
|
|
Blaine
|
3,793
|
17.5%
|
32.7%
|
5.0%
|
86.8%
|
|
Boise
|
332
|
4.4%
|
6.6%
|
2.2%
|
45.6%
|
|
Bonner
|
1,012
|
2.5%
|
4.7%
|
7.5%
|
67.5%
|
|
Bonneville
|
9,765
|
9.9%
|
15.1%
|
8.4%
|
71.2%
|
|
Boundary
|
431
|
3.9%
|
6.8%
|
0.5%
|
28.7%
|
|
Butte
|
156
|
5.7%
|
6.8%
|
2.0%
|
30.0%
|
|
Camas
|
81
|
7.2%
|
13.0%
|
1.3%
|
47.3%
|
|
Canyon
|
39,629
|
21.5%
|
30.4%
|
5.1%
|
62.0%
|
|
Caribou
|
325
|
4.8%
|
6.8%
|
5.2%
|
12.5%
|
|
Cassia
|
4,994
|
23.4%
|
32.2%
|
6.2%
|
24.4%
|
|
Clark
|
368
|
40.4%
|
50.0%
|
6.1%
|
5.1%
|
|
Clearwater
|
216
|
2.6%
|
5.7%
|
0.0%
|
30.9%
|
|
Custer
|
230
|
5.4%
|
8.8%
|
-0.4%
|
25.7%
|
|
Elmore
|
3,955
|
13.6%
|
18.7%
|
1.7%
|
13.3%
|
|
Franklin
|
867
|
7.0%
|
9.0%
|
3.6%
|
46.7%
|
|
Fremont
|
1,659
|
13.2%
|
18.5%
|
3.6%
|
32.2%
|
|
Gem
|
1,362
|
8.2%
|
14.5%
|
2.2%
|
29.7%
|
|
Gooding
|
3,470
|
24.3%
|
36.8%
|
3.4%
|
43.7%
|
|
Idaho
|
302
|
2.0%
|
3.0%
|
1.3%
|
24.3%
|
|
Jefferson
|
2,336
|
9.8%
|
13.4%
|
3.7%
|
22.5%
|
|
Jerome
|
5,589
|
27.3%
|
41.4%
|
8.3%
|
77.4%
|
|
Kootenai
|
4,907
|
3.6%
|
5.7%
|
4.4%
|
94.1%
|
|
Latah
|
1,047
|
2.9%
|
4.1%
|
1.6%
|
41.5%
|
|
Lemhi
|
234
|
3.0%
|
4.4%
|
5.4%
|
37.6%
|
|
Lewis
|
110
|
3.1%
|
6.5%
|
1.9%
|
54.9%
|
|
Lincoln
|
923
|
20.5%
|
31.6%
|
3.8%
|
70.3%
|
|
Madison
|
1,592
|
4.3%
|
5.8%
|
-0.7%
|
47.7%
|
|
Minidoka
|
5,640
|
30.2%
|
44.8%
|
3.3%
|
9.8%
|
|
Nez Perce
|
1,010
|
2.6%
|
4.8%
|
1.6%
|
40.1%
|
|
Oneida
|
128
|
3.1%
|
5.1%
|
4.1%
|
34.7%
|
|
Owyhee
|
2,788
|
25.6%
|
37.7%
|
5.9%
|
13.4%
|
|
Payette
|
3,446
|
15.0%
|
24.8%
|
3.5%
|
40.5%
|
|
Power
|
2,082
|
27.1%
|
41.4%
|
1.3%
|
27.1%
|
|
Shoshone
|
308
|
2.4%
|
3.3%
|
1.0%
|
15.8%
|
|
Teton
|
1,142
|
12.9%
|
17.7%
|
4.5%
|
62.0%
|
|
Twin Falls
|
9,171
|
12.3%
|
19.7%
|
6.3%
|
52.2%
|
|
Valley
|
368
|
4.2%
|
9.9%
|
6.1%
|
145.3%
|
|
Washington
|
1,803
|
17.7%
|
28.6%
|
3.0%
|
31.4%
|
|
State
|
155,827
|
10.2%
|
16.1%
|
5.0%
|
53.2%
|
|
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hispanic Percent of Total Population By Age
|
|
| |
| |
2000
|
2008
|
|
|
All Ages
|
7.9%
|
10.2%
|
|
|
Age 0 to 4 years
|
13.8%
|
17.5%
|
|
|
Age 5 to 9 years
|
12.5%
|
16.0%
|
|
|
Age 10 to 14 years
|
10.0%
|
14.7%
|
|
|
Age 15 to 19 years
|
9.6%
|
12.4%
|
|
|
Age 20 to 24 years
|
11.1%
|
11.3%
|
|
|
Age 25 to 29 years
|
11.2%
|
12.1%
|
|
|
Age 30 to 34 years
|
9.9%
|
13.6%
|
|
|
Age 35 to 39 years
|
7.7%
|
11.9%
|
|
|
Age 40 to 44 years
|
5.9%
|
10.3%
|
|
|
Age 45 to 49 years
|
4.7%
|
7.4%
|
|
|
Age 50 to 54 years
|
3.9%
|
5.8%
|
|
|
Age 55 to 59 years
|
3.3%
|
4.5%
|
|
|
Age 60 to 64 years
|
2.8%
|
3.9%
|
|
|
Age 65 to 69 years
|
2.4%
|
3.4%
|
|
|
Age 70 to 74 years
|
1.8%
|
3.2%
|
|
|
Age 75 to 79 years
|
1.4%
|
2.6%
|
|
|
Age 80 to 84 years
|
1.0%
|
2.1%
|
|
|
Age 85 years or older
|
1.0%
|
2.1%
|
|
|
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
|
|
|
|
|