This summer, the New York Times
put together data on state-to-state migration, looking at changes since 1900 in the origins of each state's population. When it comes to Idaho, The Times
' data showed the California-born population of the Gem State tripled during the past 34 years. The report added that Californians have gone to other states, too, but were particularly attracted to Idaho because of low costs and a growing economy.
The report was recently updated, taking a closer look at where people born in the Gem State migrate to. It found that closer to the early 1900s, 80 percent of Idahoans stayed in Idaho. Now that number is around 60 percent.
But they don't go far. The study revealed that very few Idahoans ever move outside of the West. Boise State Public Radio
reported that in the 1960s and 1970s, 12 percent of our population went to California. In the 1980s, we shifted to Washington—which now has the largest number of native Idahoans outside of Idaho, at 8 percent. Oregon has also been a popular new home for Idahoans. The Northeast has not. Only 2 percent of Idahoans relocated to the East.