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COUNTY

Ada County

Idaho · 546,141 residents (2025 est.) · 1,052 sq mi
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Part of the Boise City metro area
The short version

Ada County is a county of 518,935 people in Idaho. The population has risen by half since 2000, adding 218,031 people. That puts it in the top 2% of US counties for household income. About 45% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $512,300, having more than tripled since 2000. 6% of residents were born outside the United States.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $91,502, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.4
US median: 38.9
More educated
45% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 130%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Ada County

What changed most since 1990

  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$168,965 → $512,300 (+203%)US over the same years: +67%
  • Population205,775 → 518,935 (+152%)US over the same years: +35%

Among the 44 counties in Idaho

  • 3rd in household income$91,502
  • 3rd in share with a bachelor's degree44.6%
  • 5th in home value$512,300
  • 20th in diversity score41.6
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
518,935
+72%since 2000
from 300,904 in 2000
546,141 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
493 / sq mi
+72%since 2000
from 286 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
38.4
+17%since 2000
from 32.8 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,052 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
174K268K362K456K550K19902000201020202024Ada County
2024519K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.1%(26,383)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96%(30,929)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.7%(34,833)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.8%(35,546)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.2%(32,383)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.9%(72,040)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.4%(74,934)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.8%(66,232)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.8%(61,385)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.8%(51,104)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.8%(25,143)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(8,023)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$91,502
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,140 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$49,757
+121%since 2000
from $22,519 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
60.4%
+26.2 ptssince 2009
from 34.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
8.3%
+0.7 ptssince 2000
from 7.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.451
+4%since 2010
from 0.435 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.1%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade8.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade8.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services7.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration4.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance4.5%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$512,300
+130%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $122,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,577
+40%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $617 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
70.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2000
from 70.7% in 2000
29.2% rent
Vacancy rate
4.2%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.49 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.54 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
19.4%
−8.4 ptssince 2009
from 27.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
46.9%
+4.0 ptssince 2009
from 43.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.6
+51%since 2009
from 3.7 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
87
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic90.6%(272,569)
Black0.6%(1,829)
Hispanic / Latino4.5%(13,467)
Asian1.7%(5,140)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic80.9%(419,728)
Black1.3%(6,536)
Hispanic / Latino9.8%(50,948)
Asian2.7%(14,215)
Other5.3%(27,508)
Diversity Score
42
+45%since 2009
from 29 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
19
−18%since 2020
from 23 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican7%(36,231)
South American0.7%(3,442)
Puerto Rican0.4%(2,200)
Central American0.4%(2,030)
Spaniard0.4%(1,850)
Colombian0.2%(1,207)
Peruvian0.2%(1,176)
Guatemalan0.2%(858)
Salvadoran0.1%(709)
Cuban0.1%(651)
Ecuadorian0.1%(354)
Venezuelan0.1%(347)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0%(223)
Argentine0%(216)
Panamanian0%(209)
Nicaraguan0%(112)
Chilean0%(57)
Bolivian0%(21)
Honduran0%(20)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.5%(2,678)
Chinese0.4%(2,189)
Filipino0.3%(1,789)
Korean0.3%(1,522)
Vietnamese0.3%(1,423)
Japanese0.2%(1,148)
Kazakh0.1%(778)
Nepalese0.1%(515)
Laotian0.1%(421)
Pakistani0.1%(298)
Thai0.1%(280)
Taiwanese0%(121)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(109)
Cambodian0%(63)
Malaysian0%(38)
Hmong0%(8)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(384)
Samoan0.1%(355)
Tongan0%(134)
Guamanian0%(50)
Fijian0%(15)
Ancestry
English19.8%(102,556)
German18%(93,607)
Irish11.4%(59,205)
American4.3%(22,141)
Italian4.2%(21,805)
Scottish3%(15,800)
Norwegian2.9%(15,009)
Swedish2.6%(13,495)
French2.3%(12,107)
Polish1.8%(9,531)
Dutch1.6%(8,377)
Danish1.4%(7,119)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh1.3%(6,496)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(4,507)
British0.7%(3,670)
Russian0.6%(3,327)
French Canadian0.6%(3,001)
Arab0.6%(2,967)
Swiss0.6%(2,929)
Portuguese0.5%(2,810)
Ukrainian0.5%(2,373)
Czech0.4%(2,229)
Hungarian0.3%(1,724)
Greek0.3%(1,627)
Finnish0.3%(1,546)
Canadian0.2%(1,192)
Austrian0.2%(833)
Croatian0.2%(785)
Lebanese0.1%(756)
Romanian0.1%(717)
Iraqi0.1%(670)
Lithuanian0.1%(627)
West Indian0.1%(542)
Iranian0.1%(465)
Belgian0.1%(424)
Slovak0.1%(342)
Serbian0.1%(334)
Israeli0.1%(330)
Armenian0.1%(327)
Somali0.1%(300)
Syrian0.1%(280)
Turkish0%(246)
Slovene0%(230)
Australian0%(219)
Nigerian0%(216)
Haitian0%(201)
Ethiopian0%(167)
Bulgarian0%(158)
Egyptian0%(156)
Brazilian0%(148)
Latvian0%(131)
Jamaican0%(118)
Ghanaian0%(52)
Moroccan0%(48)
Guyanese0%(33)
Kenyan0%(7)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
44.6%
+13.4 ptssince 2000
from 31.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
95.2%
+4.4 ptssince 2000
from 90.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
15.6%
+6.1 ptssince 2000
from 9.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
21.2 min
+86%since 2000
from 11.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
69.3%
−10.7 ptssince 2009
from 79.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.1%
−2.3 ptssince 2009
from 9.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.3%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
18.5%
+13.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.3%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
3.8%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.1%
−4.6 ptssince 2011
from 7.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
65.8%
−3.4 ptssince 2011
from 69.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 76.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.1%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
48.6%
+8.4 ptssince 2009
from 40.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.4%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 50.4% in 2009
Female
49.6%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 49.6% in 2009
Foreign born
6.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.8%
−4.4 ptssince 2009
from 12.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.8%
+2.2 ptssince 2012
from 9.6% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.4%
−6.6 ptssince 2013
from 13.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.7%
+15.7 ptssince 2017
from 79.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
98.0%
+3.3 ptssince 2020
from 94.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
83.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 83.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
90.7%
−0.7 ptssince 2016
from 91.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.6%
+0.5 ptssince 2016
from 4.1% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married33.6%(71,985)
Married54.4%(116,615)
Widowed1.9%(4,041)
Divorced10.1%(21,622)
Women 15+
Never married26.5%(56,309)
Married53.5%(113,636)
Widowed6.9%(14,717)
Divorced13.1%(27,865)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
6.4%
−6.6 ptssince 2013
from 13.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
61.0%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 62.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
16.2%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 17.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.9%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 15.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
13.2%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 11.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 2.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
76.2%
−2.6 ptssince 2020
from 78.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
29.4%
+3.8 ptssince 2020
from 25.6% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)30.7%(9,675)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)27.9%(8,800)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era30.4%(9,573)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.2%(997)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.3%(79)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 31,500 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Ada County, decade by decade

Ada County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990205,775$72,592$168,96524.9%11.8
2000300,904$84,051$222,97131.2%22.1
2010392,365$80,323$308,57335.0%30.7
2020494,967$84,785$361,91540.1%42.8
2024518,935$91,502$512,30044.6%41.6

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Ada County

Camden County
Pop 535,799
New Castle County
Pop 588,026
Adams County
Pop 554,668
Delaware County
Pop 580,937
Places similar to Ada County
Head to head

Compare Ada County to nearby counties

ADA COUNTY VS
Canyon County
Income$76,488−16%
Home value$390,000−24%
Population275,123−50%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ADA COUNTY VS
Elmore County
Income$65,359−29%
Home value$316,500−38%
Population29,465−95%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ADA COUNTY VS
Gem County
Income$64,605−29%
Home value$428,700−16%
Population21,773−96%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ADA COUNTY VS
Boise County
Income$78,774−14%
Home value$476,100−7%
Population8,545−98%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Ada County, Idaho?

Ada County, Idaho has about 518,935 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Ada County, Idaho?

The typical household in Ada County, Idaho earns about $91,502 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Ada County, Idaho expensive?

In Ada County, Idaho, the median home is worth about $512,300, and the typical rent is about $1,577 a month.

How educated are people in Ada County, Idaho?

About 44.6% of adults age 25 and over in Ada County, Idaho hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Ada County, Idaho?

About 8.3% of people in Ada County, Idaho live below the federal poverty line.

Has Ada County, Idaho grown since 1990?

Yes, Ada County, Idaho has grown since 1990. The population has added about 313,160 residents, a change of about 152 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →