Gem County, ID

County

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2024 Population

20,614

US Senator

Mike Crapo

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Risch

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

44.2

3.27% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

12%

14.8% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$64,605

2.48% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$428,700

16.7% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

8,982

1.08% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Gem County, ID reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.3% of the residents in Gem County, ID are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Gem County, ID was $428,700, and the homeownership rate was 76%.

Most people in Gem County, ID drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 30.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Gem County, ID was 2 cars per household.

Gem County, ID borders Ada County, ID, Adams County, ID, Boise County, ID, Canyon County, ID, Payette County, ID, Valley County, ID, and Washington County, ID.

United States Idaho Boise City, ID

Population & Diversity

Gem County, ID is home to a population of 20.6k people, from which 96.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.16% of Gem County, ID residents were born outside of the country (1.27k people).

In 2024, there were 21.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (17.2k people) in Gem County, ID than any other race or ethnicity. There were 800 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 572 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.3%

2024 Citizenship

96.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.3% of Gem County, ID residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Gem County, ID was 96.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Gem County, ID compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Gem County, ID

White (Non-Hispanic)
17.2k ± 288
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
800 ± 326
Other (Hispanic)
572 ± 299

9.66%

Hispanic Population

1.99k people

9.66% of the people in Gem County, ID are hispanic (1.99k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Gem County, ID as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Idaho.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
52,214 ± 5,532 people
Canada
6,433 ± 1,966 people
Philippines
2,829 ± 1,305 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Idaho was Mexico, the natal country of 52,214 Idaho residents, followed by Canada with 6,433 and Philippines with 2,829.

Foreign-Born Population

6.16%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.27k people

4.78%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

950 people

As of 2024, 6.16% of Gem County, ID residents (1.27k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Gem County, ID was 4.78%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Gem County, ID compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
449 ± 149
Gulf War (2001-)
375 ± 164
Gulf War (1990s)
266 ± 134

Gem County, ID has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.2 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Gem County, ID.

Economy

The economy of Gem County, ID employs 8.98k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Gem County, ID were Construction (1,414 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,131 people), and Retail Trade (943 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($250,001), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($81,908), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($64,875).

Employment

Occupations

8.98k

2024 Value

± 769

1.08%

1 Year growth

± 12.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Gem County, ID grew at a rate of 1.08%, from 8.89k employees to 8.98k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Gem County, ID, are Management Occupations (1,045 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (1,005 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (970 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Gem County, ID.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Idaho.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Idaho (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

8.98k

2024 Value

± 769

1.08%

1 Year growth

± 12.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Gem County, ID grew at a rate of 1.08%, from 8.89k employees to 8.98k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Gem County, ID, are Construction (1,414 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,131 people), and Retail Trade (943 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Gem County, ID, though some of these residents may live in Gem County, ID and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,945

Median earning men ± $3,831

$30,211

Median earning women ± $5,257

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($85,179), Public Administration ($79,444), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($65,833).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($53,333), Public Administration ($46,193), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($41,296).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Idaho.

Y-Axis

3.01%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 836k people employed in Idaho. This represents a 3.01% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 8.06%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Idaho.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

103
Construction
33
Other Services (except Public Administration)
24
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$39.4k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$22.8k
Construction
$18.1k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Idaho went to Donald J. Trump with 66.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (30.4%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.42%).

Mike Crapo and Jim Risch are the senators currently representing the state of Idaho. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Idaho is currently represented by 2 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Gem County, ID. Showing the available data for Idaho.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (66.9%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (30.4%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (1.42%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Idaho went to Donald J. Trump with 66.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (30.4%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.42%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Idaho for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Idaho

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Idaho.

Mike Crapo

Senator from Idaho

Assumed office on January 3, 1999

Jim Risch

Senator from Idaho

Assumed office on January 3, 2009

Mike Crapo and Jim Risch are the senators currently representing Idaho.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Idaho over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Gem County, ID was $428,700 in 2024, which is 1.29 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $367,300 to $428,700, a 16.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Gem County, ID is 76%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Gem County, ID have an average commute time of 30.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Gem County, ID is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 12.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Gem County, ID. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.06%.

Housing

Property

$428,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$33,169

$5,811

Median Property Taxes

±$533

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Gem County, ID the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Gem County, ID compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

76%

Homeownership

2024

70.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 76% of the housing units in Gem County, ID were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 76.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Gem County, ID compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$64,605

Median Household Income

± $6,592

7.64k

Number of Households

± 672

In 2024, the median household income of the 7.64k households in Gem County, ID declined from $64,605 from the previous year's value of $66,245.

The following chart displays the households in Gem County, ID distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Gem County, ID is from Idaho.

0.468

2023 Wage GINI in Idaho

0.473

2022 Wage GINI in Idaho

In 2023, the income inequality in Idaho was 0.468 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.938% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Idaho was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Idaho in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Idaho across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (74.9%)
Worked At Home (11.5%)
Carpooled (8.76%)

In 2024, 74.9% of workers in Gem County, ID drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.5%) and those who carpooled to work (8.76%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

30.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Gem County, ID have a longer commute time (30.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.55% of the workforce in Gem County, ID have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Gem County, ID compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Gem County, ID distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Gem County, ID have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 12.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Gem County, ID. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.06%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

12% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Gem County, ID (2.4k out of 20k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 65 - 74, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Females 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Gem County, ID is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 13% of the children was living in poverty in Gem County, ID. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 14.3%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 183 in Gem County, ID. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 13.7 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

88.9% of the population of Gem County, ID has health coverage, with 34.3% on employee plans, 16.4% on Medicaid, 17.8% on Medicare, 17.3% on non-group plans, and 3.15% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Gem County, ID see 1,649 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,649 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2552 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 843 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.5% were men and 48.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,649 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Gem County, ID

Primary care physicians in Gem County, ID see an average of 1,649 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,649 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Gem County, ID in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.2% under 18 years, 15.9% between 18 and 34 years, 37.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.5% were men and 48.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

11.1%

Uninsured

34.3%

Employer Coverage

16.4%

Medicaid

17.8%

Medicare

17.3%

Non-Group

3.15%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Gem County, ID declined by 6.78% from 11.9% to 11.1%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Gem County, ID changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 53.2 in Gem County, ID.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Gem County, ID.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 31.4% in Gem County, ID.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Gem County, ID.