Over the past two decades, Idaho’s rural populations have been aging and struggling with housing affordability, but have also seen declining crime and some increases in educational attainment.

The Idaho Department of Labor on Friday released the full 2025 Profile of Rural Idaho , a comprehensive report examining population growth, migration, industry shifts, and other characteristics of Idaho’s rural counties.

The report shows that, while the Gem State has retained the same ratio of rural-to-urban counties over the years, the demographics, economics, crime and opportunities have all changed dramatically.

Thirty-five of Idaho’s 44 counties are considered rural — defined in the report as a county that does not have a city with at least 20,000 residents.

However, amid booming population

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