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23 Dec 06
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Idaho has been listed as the third fastest-growing state in the county for the second year in a row, a trend fueled by the state's strong economy, relatively low housing prices and high quality of life.
Other factors contributing to the influx of newcomers include positive national press stories and word-of-mouth from happy Idaho transplants, experts say.
"Whether it's been Forbes or Time or Newsweek or Money magazine, there's been a constant drumbeat for the last 15 years," said Alan Porter, an economic and demographic analyst for the Idaho Department of Commerce and Labor.
There also is the "beaten path effect," said Mike Ferguson, Idaho's chief economist.
"Early migrants moving from one area to another by virtue of their success and information they convey back, there is a potential flood of more migrants following the beaten path," Ferguson said.
Idaho's population grew by 2.6 percent — 37,098 people — from July 1, 2005, to July 1, 2006, for a total population of 1,466,465, according to estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau today.
Texas led all states with the largest number of new residents but grew only 2.5 percent. The Lone Star State gained 579,275 residents in 2005-06.
Idaho has a healthy birth rate, but the majority of the state's population growth came from people moving here — 22,500 came from other states and 2,770 arrived from other countries.
Idaho has secured a spot as one the 10 fastest-growing states for more than a decade.
The two fastest-growing states in 2005-06 were Arizona and Nevada, which grew 3.6 and 3.5 percent, respectively.
Porter and Ferguson said people come to Idaho for a plethora of reasons: They can buy a house twice the size for half the price; crime is low; and outdoor recreational opportunities are abundant.
But do jobs attract people or does the influx of people bring more jobs?
"There's a raging debate among regional economists in terms of which comes first," Ferguson said. "It's a chicken or egg argument. I don't think there's a real simple answer."
Ferguson said businesses find workers in Idaho to be more dependable than in other places.
"We hear that from employers," Ferguson said. "Absenteeism and other problems that exist in urban areas are less of a problem here."
The 10 fastest-growing states are in the West or the South with Georgia, Texas, Utah, North Carolina, Colorado, Florida and South Carolina rounding out the top ten.
Idaho's raging growth isn't welcomed by everyone. Take the Meridian School District, for example, which is bursting at the seams.
In 2000, the district welcomed a thousand new students. In the past few years, it's been 1,700 or more a year.
Voters passed a $139 million school bond in 2005.
"Certainly growth is something the Meridian School District is accustomed to," said Eric Exline, district spokesman. "I think we're pretty good at managing it. But when it reaches that explosive level, it does strain our ability to provide facilities, supplies and transportation."
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