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IDAHO
Income & Poverty

Other facts sheets for Idaho:

The data below describe the state rankings and selected characteristics of the immigrant and native-born populations in Idaho in 2011.

Rankings
The following shows Idaho's rankings in several categories. All rankings include the 50 states and the District of Columbia and are ranked highest to lowest.
  Rankings
Number of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 39 out of 51
Share of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 7 out of 51
Numeric change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 37 out of 51
Percent change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 21 out of 51

Data Highlights
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Who are the foreign born?
The term foreign born refers to people residing in the United States at the time of the census who were not US citizens at birth. The foreign-born population includes naturalized citizens, lawful permanent immigrants, refugees and asylees, legal nonimmigrants (including those on student, work, or other temporary visas), and persons residing in the country without authorization. By comparison, the term native refers to people residing in the United States who were US citizens in one of three categories: 1) people born in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia; 2) people born in United States Insular Areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam; or 3) people who were born abroad to at least one US citizen parent.

We use the terms immigrants and foreign born interchangeably.

Earnings of Full-Time Workers
(This sheet describes earnings of civilian employed workers)

In Idaho in 2011, 47.4 percent of foreign-born workers earned less than $25,000 a year and 17.4 percent earned $50,000 or more.
In Idaho in 2011, 10.7 percent of full-time, year-round, immigrant workers (those working more than 50 weeks a year and more than 35 hours per week) earned less than $15,000 a year; 56.0 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 15.9 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 17.4 percent earned $50,000 or more. In comparison, 8.7 percent of full-time, year-round, native-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 36.0 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 21.9 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 33.4 percent earned $50,000 or more.

At the national level, 9.8 percent of full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 40.9 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 16.6 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 32.6 percent earned $50,000 or more.

Median Earnings by Nativity and Gender

Male immigrant workers had average annual earnings of $27,363 compared to $23,792 for female immigrant workers.
Among full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers in Idaho in 2011, median earnings over the previous 12 months were $23,792 for women and $27,363 for men. The median earnings of noncitizen women were $21,228 and those of noncitizen men were $26,073. In comparison, naturalized-citizen women had median earnings of $26,705 and naturalized-citizen men $32,285. Among full-time, year-round, native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $31,543 for women and $42,578 for men.

At the national level, median earnings of full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers were $31,749 for women and $35,918 for men. The median earnings for noncitizen workers were $24,347 for women and $28,507 for men. Among naturalized-citizen workers, women had median earnings of $38,419 and men of $47,547. Among native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $38,044 for women and $50,056 for men.

What Was the Poverty Threshold in 2011?
Whether any family is considered below the poverty threshold depends on the family's total income before taxes, not including any capital gains or noncash benefits, such as food stamps or housing subsidies.

The Census Bureau's poverty threshold varies depending on the number of adults and children in a family. The threshold is adjusted each month to account for inflation. Because respondents filled out the American Community Survey in different months, the poverty threshold that is applied to each family depends on the month in which the survey was taken.

To give a general idea of poverty levels, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget, the average poverty threshold for a family of four in 2011 was $23,021; for a family of three, $17,916; for a family of two, $ 14,657; and for an unrelated individual, $11,484. All members of a family are assigned the same poverty status. Poverty thresholds are the same for the entire United States, despite differences in the cost of living across US communities.
Population in Poverty

The immigrant population in Idaho living below the federal poverty threshold changed by 77.5 percent between 2000 and 2011.
Between 2000 and 2011, the foreign-born population living in poverty went from 13,373 to 23,734, representing a change of 77.5 percent. In comparison, the foreign-born population living in poverty changed from 6,432 to 13,373 between 1990 and 2000, a difference of 107.9 percent.

At the national level, the immigrant population below the poverty threshold increased from 3,435,394 to 5,473,300 between 1990 and 2000, representing a change of 59.3 percent, and grew from 5,473,300 to 7,797,199 (42.5 percent) between 2000 and 2011.

In 2011, 25.3 percent of the foreign-born population lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 25.3 percent of Idaho's immigrant population lived below the poverty threshold, compared with 21.3 percent in 2000 and 24.1 percent in 1990. Meanwhile, 15.9 percent of the native-born population in Idaho lived below the poverty threshold in 2011.

At the national level, 19.6 percent of the immigrants population lived below the poverty threshold in 2011, compared to 17.7 percent in 2000 and 17.9 percent in 1990. Nationally, 15.4 percent of the native-born population lived below the poverty threshold in 2011.

In Idaho, 31.2 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 13.2 percent of naturalized citizens.

Of the foreign-born population in Idaho in 2011, 31.2 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty, compared to 13.2 percent of naturalized citizens.

Nationally, 26.3 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 11.5 percent of naturalized citizens.

Families with Children in Poverty

In Idaho, 24.3 percent of all foreign-born families lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 24.3 percent of all families headed by an immigrant had incomes below the poverty threshold. At the same time, 34.1 percent of foreign-born families with children under 18 lived below the poverty threshold. Foreign-born families consisting of a married couple and children under 18 were less likely to live below the poverty threshold than families consisting of a female and children under 18 with no husband present (30.7 versus 57.7 percent).

In comparison, 10.6 percent of all families headed by a native-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold, as did 16.3 percent of native families with children under 18. As with foreign-born families, native families consisting of a married couple with children under 18 were less likely to be living in poverty than families headed by a female and children under 18 with no husband present (6.8 versus 47.3 percent).

At the national level, 18.5 percent of families headed by a foreign-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold in 2011, while 24.6 percent of foreign-born families with children under 18 lived below the poverty threshold. Foreign-born families consisting of a married couple and children under 18 were less likely to live below the poverty threshold than foreign-born families consisting of a female and children under 18 (17.9 versus 45.2 percent).

Language Groupings

Indo-European languages include French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Yiddish, other West Germanic languages, Scandinavian languages, Greek, Russian, Polish, Serbo-Croatian, other Slavic languages, Armenian, Persian, Gujarathi, Hindi, and Urdu.

Asian and Pacific Island languages include Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mon-Khmer/Cambodian, Miao/Hmong, Thai, Laotian, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.

Other languages include Navajo, other Native North American languages, Hungarian, Arabic, Hebrew, and African languages.

Population in Poverty by Language Spoken at Home

In Idaho, 28.6 percent of persons who spoke Spanish at home lived in poverty, compared to 21.7 percent of persons who spoke Asian or Pacific Island languages, and 18.5 percent of persons who spoke other Indo-European languages.
Of both native and foreign-born persons in Idaho in 2011, 14.6 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 28.6 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 18.5 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 21.7 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 28.8 percent who spoke other languages.

Nationally, 13.6 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 25.4 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 13.7 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 14.2 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 26.7 percent who spoke other languages.




Table 1. Population by Poverty Status in Idaho, 1990 to 2011
 

1990

2000

2011

  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Household Population of Idaho for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 970,424 100.0 1,267,263 100.0 1,550,082 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 124,036 12.8 146,505 11.6 255,027 16.5
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 112,872 11.6 130,834 10.3 187,588 12.1
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 733,516 75.6 989,924 78.1 1,107,467 71.4
Native Born 943,724 100.0 1,204,395 100.0 1,456,239 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 117,604 12.5 133,132 11.1 231,293 15.9
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 108,248 11.5 120,761 10.0 170,164 11.7
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 717,872 76.1 950,502 78.9 1,054,782 72.4
Foreign Born 26,700 100.0 62,868 100.0 93,843 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 6,432 24.1 13,373 21.3 23,734 25.3
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 4,624 17.3 10,073 16.0 17,424 18.6
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 15,644 58.6 39,422 62.7 52,685 56.1
 

Change 1990 to 2000

Change 1990 to 2011

Change 2000 to 2011

  Numeric Percent Numeric Percent Numeric Percent
Household Population of Idaho for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 296,839 30.6 579,658 59.7 282,819 22.3
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 22,469 18.1 130,991 105.6 108,522 74.1
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 17,962 15.9 74,716 66.2 56,754 43.4
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 256,408 35.0 373,951 51.0 117,543 11.9
Native Born 260,671 27.6 512,515 54.3 251,844 20.9
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 15,528 13.2 113,689 96.7 98,161 73.7
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 12,513 11.6 61,916 57.2 49,403 40.9
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 232,630 32.4 336,910 46.9 104,280 11.0
Foreign Born 36,168 135.5 67,143 251.5 30,975 49.3
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 6,941 107.9 17,302 269.0 10,361 77.5
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 5,449 117.8 12,800 276.8 7,351 73.0
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 23,778 152.0 37,041 236.8 13,263 33.6
Notes: Poverty status is not determined for unrelated individuals under age 15 (such as foster children) or for persons lacking conventional housing. 2. Data for Alaska, Maine, Montana, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia are from the US Census Bureau's pooled 2009-2011 ACS and for North Dakota and Wyoming are from 2007-2011 ACS. Data for the United States and the rest of the states are from 2011 ACS.
Sources: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), various years (see Note 2 above); 2000 Decennial Census; Steven Ruggles, J. Trent Alexander, Katie Genadek, Ronald Goeken, Matthew B. Schroeder, and Matthew Sobek. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series: Version 5.0 [Machine-readable database]. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2011.

For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error, click here.

Table 2. Income and Poverty Characteristics of the Population in Idaho, 2011
POVERTY STATUS BY CITIZENSHIP
Household Population of Idaho for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 1,550,082
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 16.5
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 23.9
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 59.6
Native Born 1,456,239
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 15.9
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 23.4
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 60.7
Foreign Born 93,843
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 25.3
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 32.1
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 42.6
Noncitizen 63,009
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 31.2
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 37.0
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 31.8
Naturalized Citizen 30,834
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 13.2
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 22.2
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 64.6
EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Idaho Age 16 And Older with Earnings, 2011 441,498
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 3.5
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 5.3
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 17.8
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 19.7
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 21.5
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 18.5
Earned $75,000 or more 13.8
Native Born 408,598
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 3.6
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 5.1
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 16.3
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 19.7
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 21.9
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 19.1
Earned $75,000 or more 14.3
Foreign Born 32,900
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 8.7
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 36.7
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 19.3
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 15.9
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 10.2
Earned $75,000 or more 7.2
Noncitizen 21,670
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.7
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 7.3
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 42.6
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 19.3
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 14.2
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 6.7
Earned $75,000 or more 7.3
Naturalized Citizen 11,230
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 0.6
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 11.5
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 25.4
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 19.4
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 19
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 17
Earned $75,000 or more 7.1
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Idaho, 2011  
Male $41,528
Female $31,238
Native Born  
Male $42,578
Female $31,543
Foreign Born  
Male $27,363
Female $23,792
Noncitizen  
Male $26,073
Female $21,228
Naturalized Citizen  
Male $32,285
Female $26,705
SHARE OF FAMILIES IN POVERTY BY CITIZENSHIP AND FAMILY TYPE
All Families (Among Those for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined) 11.6
With related children under age 18 18.1
With related children under age 5 only 23.7
Married-couple families 6.6
With related children under age 18 9.4
With related children under age 5 only 14.3
Families with female householder, no husband present 37.4
With related children under age 18 48.0
With related children under age 5 only 55.6
Native-Born Families 10.6
With related children under age 18 16.3
With related children under age 5 only 22.5
Married-couple families 5.4
With related children under age 18 6.8
With related children under age 5 only 11.8
Families with female householder, no husband present 36.8
With related children under age 18 47.3
With related children under age 5 only 55.6
Foreign-Born Families 24.3
With related children under age 18 34.1
With related children under age 5 only 35.0
Married-couple families 21.5
With related children under age 18 30.7
With related children under age 5 only 34.3
Families with female householder, no husband present 45.4
With related children under age 18 57.7
With related children under age 5 only -
Noncitizen 28.9
With related children under age 18 36.2
With related children under age 5 only 39.8
Married-couple families 25.6
With related children under age 18 31.9
With related children under age 5 only 39.9
Families with female householder, no husband present 48.3
With related children under age 18 63.9
With related children under age 5 only -
Naturalized Citizen 16.0
With related children under age 18 28.4
With related children under age 5 only N
Married-couple families 14.7
With related children under age 18 27.7
With related children under age 5 only N
Families with female householder, no husband present 38.1
With related children under age 18 39.6
With related children under 5 age only -
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS BY PERIOD OF ENTRY
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round, Foreign-Born Workers in Idaho, 2011  
Male $27,363
Female $23,792
Entered the United States in 2000 or Later  
Male $22,948
Female $20,767
Entered the United States between 1990 and 1999  
Male $27,426
Female $23,790
Entered the United States before 1990  
Male $31,989
Female $26,186
FOREIGN BORN IN POVERTY BY WORLD REGION OF BIRTH
Born in Africa N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Asia N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Europe 13,604
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 9.6
Born in Latin America (South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean) N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Northern America (Canada, Bermuda, Greenland, and St. Pierre and Miquelon) N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Oceania N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Note: 1. Poverty status is not determined for unrelated individuals under age 15 (such as foster children) or for persons lacking conventional housing.

2. Data for Alaska, Maine, Montana, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia are from the US Census Bureau's pooled 2009-2011 ACS and for North Dakota and Wyoming are from 2007-2011 ACS. Data for the United States and the rest of the states are from 2011 ACS.

The letter N indicates that a number could not be provided by the Census Bureau because the number of sample cases was too small for this state.

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), different years.

For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error, click here.

Table 3. Poverty Status of Residents in Idaho by Language Spoken at Home, 2011
 
Number
Percent
Household Population of Idaho for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined, Age 5 and Older 1,434,652 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 227,012 15.8
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 1,207,640 84.2
Speaks Only English 1,285,263 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 187,022 14.6
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 1,098,241 85.4
Speaks Spanish 112,610 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 32,245 28.6
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 80,365 71.4
Speaks Other Indo-European Languages 18,509 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 3,431 18.5
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 15,078 81.5
Speaks Asian or Pacific Island Languages 13,294 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 2,883 21.7
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 10,411 78.3
Speaks Other Languages 4,976 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,431 28.8
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 3,545 71.2
Note: Poverty status is not determined for unrelated individuals under the age of 15 (such as foster children) or for persons lacking conventional housing.

The letter N indicates that a number could not be provided by the Census Bureau because the number of sample cases was too small for this state.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey.
For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error, click here.

For data on these topics, click on the link: