Census data show rural flight continues

BOISE – The latest U.S. census figures show Idaho’s rural migration continues.

Census data released last week estimated that 23 rural Idaho counties had more people moving out than moving in during a 12-month period ending in June 2009.

That marks the largest number of counties recording out-migration since 26 of the state’s 44 counties experienced the same trend between mid-2000 and mid-2001, the last major recession to hit the state.

The figures, released by the Idaho Department of Labor, show more than 3,200 people moved out of those counties, three times the number recorded a year earlier.

“I think the opportunities to do different, bigger, better-paying kinds of things are probably viewed as greater in urban areas than in rural areas,” said Bob Fick, spokesman for the Idaho Department of Labor. “Simply because urban areas have a greater ability to expand.”

Statewide, the data show the Gem State’s population increased by nearly 19,000, or 1.2 percent. That rate is slower than previous years, but still enough to make Idaho 12th strongest nationwide.

Of that population increase, 29 percent was in Ada County in southwest Idaho. Neighboring Canyon County, second in population behind Ada County, had 13.6 percent of the increase. In North Idaho, Kootenai County had 13 percent of the state’s population growth.

“Kootenai County has seen an increase in manufacturing jobs, and major manufacturing players have increased production within the last year,” said Alivia Body, an economist with the state Department of Labor. “That has created a lot of jobs, and there’s a few new companies as well.”