This tiny Idaho panhandle town has seen a 51% increase in population. See where it is
Published at | Updated at
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman
BOISE (Idaho Statesman) – Idahoans are accustomed to hearing how quickly the state is growing.
The Gem State is one of the least-populous states in the country, but it’s also one of the fastest-growing. U.S. Census Bureau numbers show that Idaho was the 4th-fastest growing state in 2023. As of July 2023, the Census Bureau recorded 1,964,726 people living in the state.
Recently, the Census Bureau released population estimates for Idaho from April 1, 2020, to July 1, 2023. The data shows that many people are flocking to Idaho cities across the state.
Here’s where:
What Idaho city has the biggest population change?
The small Idaho panhandle town of Ponderay saw a 51% increase in population over the past three years, according to Census data.
Ponderay’s population was 1,296 in 2020, but by 2023, it had climbed to 1,956. That’s 660 new residents, or a 51% increase for the town. It’s located in Bonner County. Ponderay is situated on Lake Pend Oreille and is just a couple of miles northwest from Sandpoint, known for the Schweitzer ski resort. The city describes itself on its website as the “gateway to Schweitzer Mountain.”
Here are a few of the other places with the most population increases among Idaho cities from 2020 to 2023:
Star
2020: 11,264
2023: 16,333
Population increase: 45%
Dover
2020: 754
2023: 1,091
Population increase: 44.7%
Paul
2020: 1,193
2023: 1,725
Population increase: 44.6%
Swan
2020: 227
2023: 303
Population increase: 33.5%
Moyie Springs
2020: 825
2023: 1,080
Population increase: 30.9%
Rathdrum
2020: 9,213
2023: 11,580
Population increase: 25.7%
Sugar
2020: 1,715
2023: 2,115
Population increase: 23.3%
New Meadows
2020: 516
2023: 636
Population increase: 23.3%
Middleton
2020: 9,436
2023: 11,016
Population increase: 23.3%
Kuna
2020: 24,048
2023: 28,050
Population increase 16.6%
Did Boise’s population increase?
Boise saw nearly a 0.1% population decrease from 2020 to 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Boise’s population estimate was 235,719 in 2020, and by 2023, it had dropped to 235,421, equating to a loss of 298 residents.