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35-405: Ada County is located in the southwestern part of Idaho , United States. As of the 2020 census , the county had a population of 494,967, which by 2022 was estimated to have risen to 518,907. Ada County is by far the state's most populous county; it is home to 26.8% of the state's population. The county seat and largest city is Boise , which is also the state capital. Ada County is included in

70-676: A hunter-gatherer lifestyle, and had an annual rendezvous in the Boise Valley , which also included catching salmon. Spanish explorers in the late 1500s explored parts of the American West, including southwestern Idaho, and introduced the Native Americans of the area to pigs, horses, domestic fowl, corn, tomatoes, and garlic. After the Lewis & Clark Expedition through Idaho, French-Canadian fur trappers further explored

105-510: A specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such as the American Community Survey . This allows the calculation of per capita income for both the country as a whole and specific regions or demographic groups. However, comparing per capita income across different countries is often difficult, since methodologies, definitions and data quality can vary greatly. Since

140-575: A whole, it has long been a Republican Party stronghold. The last victory in a presidential election by a Democrat in Ada County was by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936 . It rejected Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 during his 44-state landslide. Barry Goldwater carried it by 13 points, a major reason why Idaho was Johnson's closest state. In 2008 the presidential election in Ada County was more competitive than in previous years; John McCain defeated Barack Obama by six percentage points. Obama became

175-546: Is Idaho's primary and most well-known metropolitan area, with numerous industries , with the largest (by average employees) being education and health services; trade, transportation, and utilities; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; and construction. In Southwestern Idaho, K-12 schools are often ran by school district models, including the Boise School District and Meridian School Districts . These aforementioned school districts had

210-691: Is concentrated in Boise itself, while Republican strength is concentrated in the western suburbs. Several of the Boise seats were Democratic pickups in 2006. Each party held all of their respective legislative seats in the 2008 elections, but Republicans won two competitive county commission races. The county government is administered by the Ada County Board of Commissioners , a three-member legislative body. Other elected officials include clerk , treasurer, sheriff , assessor , coroner , and prosecutor . The Idaho Department of Correction operates

245-610: Is land and 7.9 square miles (20 km) (0.7%) is water. The Boise River flows through the northern portion of the county, and the northwest border is bounded by the foothills of the Boise Range mountains; the summits are in adjacent Boise County. The southwestern border of the county is bounded by the Snake River . County roads and highways are maintained by the Ada County Highway District . As of

280-516: Is named for Ada Riggs, the daughter of H. C. Riggs, a member of the legislature; he established the county and was a co-founder of Boise . Canyon County , which originally included Payette County and most of Gem County , was partitioned from western Ada County in 1891. According to the United States Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 1,060 square miles (2,700 km), of which 1,053 square miles (2,730 km)

315-484: The 2000 census , there were 300,904 people, 113,408 households, and 77,344 families in the county. The population density was 285/sq mi (110/km). There were 118,516 housing units at an average density of 112/sq mi (43/km). The racial makeup of the county was 92.86% White, 0.65% Black or African American, 0.69% Native American, 1.74% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 1.67% from other races, and 2.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.48% of

350-511: The 2010 census , there were 392,365 people, 148,445 households, and 99,282 families in the county. The population density was 372.8 inhabitants per square mile (143.9/km). There were 159,471 housing units at an average density of 151.5 per square mile (58.5/km). The racial makeup of the county was 90.3% white, 2.4% Asian, 1.1% black or African American, 0.7% American Indian, 0.2% Pacific islander, 2.4% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.1% of

385-605: The Boise metropolitan area . The Ada County Highway District has jurisdiction over all the local county and city streets, except for private roads and state roads. In the interior Pacific Northwest east of the Cascade Range , Ada County ranks second in population, behind Spokane County, Washington . Ada County was created by the Idaho Territory legislature on December 22, 1864, partitioned from Boise County . It

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420-586: The Casey Act , passed in 1894, allowed for the reclamation states with public lands to sell 160-acre plots of lands to farmers, which would then have irrigation districts approved by the state's office of reclamation engineering to bring irrigation to those pieces of acreage; a notable example is the Pioneer Irrigation District, established by 1900 near Caldwell and the surrounding areas (such as Notus and Middleton ). Idaho benefitted

455-772: The South Boise Prison Complex , a correctional facility located in unincorporated Ada County, south of the Boise Airport and east of Kuna. School districts include: Residents are in the area (and the taxation zone) for College of Western Idaho . The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Ada County. † county seat 43°27′N 116°14′W  /  43.45°N 116.24°W  / 43.45; -116.24 Southwestern Idaho The counties of Ada , Adams , Boise , Canyon , Elmore , Gem , Owyhee , Payette , Valley , and Washington are included in

490-451: The 1990s, the OECD has conducted regular surveys among its 38 member countries using a standardized methodology and set of questions. Per capita income is often used to measure a sector's average income and compare the wealth of different populations. Per capita income is also often used to measure a country's standard of living . When used to compare income levels of different countries, it

525-490: The Idaho State Department of Commerce's website, including Boise Bible College , Idaho Baptist College , and Northwest Lineman College . 43°30′N 116°30′W  /  43.500°N 116.500°W  / 43.500; -116.500 Per capita income Per capita income ( PCI ) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in

560-548: The area around Payette Lake , the future site of McCall . In a few years, commercial fisheries would come to operation on Payette Lake, selling fresh, salted, and dried Chinook salmon and white fish to the areas in the Boise Valley. Over time, infrastructure, including a hotel, the Meadow-to-Warren Trail (now Idaho State Highway 55 ), and a post office led to the southern shore of Payette Lake to become

595-464: The area. One of the biggest ranching operations in 1869 was in Owyhee County, where an original 1,400 head of cattle was driven around the county, forging the area's cattle industry that persists today. At an unknown time, there were an estimated 100,000 head of cattle in the area of Owyhee. This piece of country is worth looking after. The lakes and streams abound with fish at this time of

630-833: The area. Mountain men , including Spaniards and Mexicans, lived off the land in Southwestern Idaho, trading with the Native Americans in the area. However, it wasn't until further development in Oregon , the mass exodus of settlers to the West on the Oregon , Californian , and Mormon trails, the establishment of Fort Boise , and the Idaho Gold Rush in the 1850s and 60s that settling of Southwestern Idaho began to increase. In order to support mining towns, such as Idaho City , Booneville , Ruby City , and Silver City , numerous ranching and agriculture businesses were set up in

665-712: The center of mining, recreation, forestry, and agriculture for the McCall area. Over the next 20 years, expansion would continue with commercial camps, more hotels, private clubs, church camps, and scenic tours. During this time period, the Native American tribes that had inhabited Southwestern Idaho were forced onto reservations in the 1870s, with the Nez Perce War being a key conflict during this time period. By 1877, all tribes native to Southwestern Idaho were located on reservations. Rapid and exponential growth

700-455: The county in his 2002 and 2006 races, despite losing statewide in both contests. Another prominent Democrat, Boise mayor David Bieter , was elected in 2007, 2011 and 2015. Ada County is split between the first and second congressional districts; it is the only county in the state that is not located entirely within one district. As of 2022, the first district is represented by Russ Fulcher and includes Meridian , Eagle and Kuna , while

735-494: The fastest growing in the country: Meridian, Nampa, and Caldwell all experienced population growths greater than or equal to 5% from July 2020 to July 2021. For context, Idaho is one of the fastest growing states in the United States; in 2022, census officials estimated that Idaho's population had grown by 1.8% from July 2021 to July 2022, making it the second-fastest growing state in the country. Today, Southwestern Idaho

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770-460: The first Democrat to garner as much as 40 percent of the county's vote since Lyndon B. Johnson. In 2016, Donald Trump won the county by only a plurality due to high third party performance. In 2020, whereas the state of Idaho voted very strongly for Trump, he carried Ada County by a slim majority, only beating Joe Biden by around 3 percentage points. The election was close due to Biden's strength in Boise's downtown urban core, which gave him 59.2% of

805-836: The highest amount of funding and reserve funds in the state for the 2020-21 school year, with the Meridian School District having over $ 376.5 million, and the Boise School District having over $ 322.7 million. Each district harbors a third of this funding in reserves. The Idaho State Department of Commerce recognizes the following higher education facilities in Southwestern Idaho: There are also numerous extension sites in Southwestern Idaho for Idaho State University , University of Idaho , and Tresure Valley Community College . There are also other higher education facilities not listed on

840-863: The most from the Casey Act, with around 60% of all land utilized by the Casey Act was located in Idaho, including Southwestern Idaho. In the early 1900s, reclamation projects, such as Arrowrock Dam , the New York Canal , the Cascade Dam , and the Anderson Ranch Dam all helped irrigate and make the area more sustainable and liveable. These projects, coupled alongside the underground pumping of water (started in 1950) continue to supply Southwestern Idaho with its necessary water supply. In recent history, three cities in Southwestern Idaho were among

875-402: The population. There were 113,408 households, out of which 36.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.10% were married couples living together, 9.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 23.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.07% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

910-421: The population. In terms of ancestry, 19.4% were German , 15.9% were English , 11.8% were Irish , and 8.6% were American . Of the 148,445 households, 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.1% were non-families, and 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size

945-420: The region. In the 2020 Census , the ten county area had a combined population of 845,395 people; 45.9% of the state's population. Ada and Canyon are the two most populous counties in Idaho, and both have (respectively) experienced a 36.6% and 31.2% growth in population since 2010, making them among the fastest growing counties in terms of population in the state. The largest city in Southwestern Idaho, and in

980-552: The second district is represented by Mike Simpson and includes most of Boise proper. Both Fulcher and Simpson are Republicans. In the Idaho Legislature , Ada County is split among nine districts, the most of any county. Each district elects one state senator and two state representatives. As of 2022, In the state senate, Republicans hold five seats and Democrats hold four. In the state house, Republicans hold ten seats and Democrats hold eight. Generally, Democratic strength

1015-672: The state, is Boise , with a population of 235,684. Other major cities include Meridian , Nampa , Caldwell , Fruitland , Weiser , Homedale , McCall , and Emmett . Southwestern Idaho was originally inhabited by three main Native American tribes: the Shoshone-Bannock , the Nez Perce , and the Northern Paiute . These people were among the first inhabitants in Idaho, first living in the area as early as 12,000 years ago. The Native Americans tribes were nomadic, adopting

1050-493: The vote to Trump's 37.4%. This is the narrowest election in decades for Ada County, and the closest a Democrat has come to carrying the county since 1940. Yet, in 2024, this trend reversed, with Trump once again taking the majority in the county with 53.76% of the vote. This was the best performance for a Republican presidential candidate in Ada county since George W. Bush in 2004. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jerry Brady carried

1085-489: The year and the game is plentiful…. The Payette Lake, a beautiful sheet of water 12 miles long, in places is dotted with richly wooded inlets set like emerald gems on the bosom of the liquid mirror. - N.B. Willey , Warren Times, 1874. Meanwhile, communities in the forests and mountains of Southwestern Idaho began to grow. N. B. Willey , future governor of Idaho, wrote to the Warren Times , creating interest in

Ada County, Idaho - Misplaced Pages Continue

1120-424: Was $ 46,140, and the median income for a family was $ 54,416. Males had a median income of $ 37,867 versus $ 26,453 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 22,519. About 5.40% of families and 7.70% of the population were below the poverty line , including 9.20% of those under age 18 and 5.70% of those age 65 or over. Ada County has traditionally been rather conservative for an urban county. Like Idaho as

1155-462: Was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age was 34.8 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 55,835 and the median income for a family was $ 67,519. Males had a median income of $ 48,290 versus $ 34,875 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 27,915. About 6.9% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over. As of

1190-407: Was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.11. The county population contained 27.30% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 32.50% from 25 to 44, 20.80% from 45 to 64, and 9.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.9 males. The median income for a household in the county

1225-415: Was relatively contained by the limits of agriculture and irrigation over the next half century, as Southwestern Idaho has an arid climate that makes long-term, practical farming difficult. Numerous small-scale, private companies aimed to establish irrigation in the lands outside of the easily watered lands near the Boise Valley, but were often disorganized, and had difficulty upscaling to larger areas. As such,

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