Ada County, Idaho: commercial real estate data.
Ada County, Idaho had an estimated 535,799 residents on July 1, 2024, up 8.2 percent since the 2020 census base of 494,969, across 1,053 square miles. County output reached $45.45 bn in 2024, 17,028 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1,211 7(a) approvals worth $578.7 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Ada County
How many people live in Ada County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024518,935
- Households202,543
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$91,502
- Median age38.4
- Median gross rent$1,577 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$512,300
- Home value to household income5.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher44.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree15.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over358,861
- Population under 18114,193
- Share under 1822.0 percent
- Population 65 and over84,270
- Share 65 and over16.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64320,472
- Civilian labor force275,145
- Unemployment rate3.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.0 percent
- Rank by population among Idaho counties1st of 44
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included140th of 3,222
Ada County is the 1st largest of 44 Idaho counties by population. A median home costs 5.6 times median household income, which is severely unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.0 percent against 16.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Ada County
Is Ada County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024535,799
- Census 2020 base population494,969
- Population change since the 2020 census base8.25 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20249,109
- Births, 20245,136
- Deaths, 20243,679
- Natural change, 20241,457
- Net domestic migration, 20245,240
- Net international migration, 20242,352
- Total net migration, 20247,592
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202427,072
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents230th of 3,144
The county has grown 8.25 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Ada County
Where are people moving to Ada County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving16,339
- People arriving, from those returns29,613
- Tax returns filed by households leaving14,567
- Net household movement1,772
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.54 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$440.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$94,484
- Average income of a leaving household$75,734
- Largest single originCanyon County (2,532 households)
- Largest single destinationCanyon County (3,523 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canyon County | 2,532 | 4,386 | $139.9 m |
| Orange County | 549 | 1,122 | $88.5 m |
| Los Angeles County | 527 | 1,050 | $58.4 m |
| San Diego County | 394 | 804 | $45.1 m |
| King County | 394 | 809 | $73.1 m |
| Maricopa County | 341 | 603 | $32.3 m |
| Riverside County | 264 | 561 | $27.7 m |
| Santa Clara County | 258 | 526 | $56.6 m |
Households arriving report $18,750 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Canyon County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Ada County
What is the Ada County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$45.45 bn
- County GDP, 2023$42.11 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.9 percent
- GDP change over five years47.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Idaho areas BEA publishes1st of 44
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes130th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$87,592
Output grew 7.9 percent in the latest year and 47.7 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Ada County
Employment by industry in Ada County
- Covered employment, annual average288,010
- Establishments reporting26,886
- Average annual pay$70,588
- Average weekly wage$1,357
- Health care and social assistance, employment43,525
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$65,562
- Retail trade, employment29,226
- Retail trade, average annual pay$44,643
- Accommodation and food services, employment25,414
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$25,615
- Construction, employment21,962
- Construction, average annual pay$75,523
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment21,072
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment20,695
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 43,525 | 3,628 | $65,562 |
| Retail trade | 29,226 | 1,962 | $44,643 |
| Accommodation and food services | 25,414 | 1,436 | $25,615 |
| Construction | 21,962 | 2,954 | $75,523 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 21,072 | 4,539 | $98,519 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 20,695 | 1,766 | $55,442 |
| Manufacturing | 18,336 | 876 | $128,247 |
| Wholesale trade | 14,473 | 1,474 | $105,973 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 43,525 jobs, 15.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Ada County
How many businesses are in Ada County?
- Establishments, all industries17,028
- Employment at those establishments243,004
- Annual payroll$16.11 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents32.8
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Ada County
Building permits in Ada County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20245,137
- Declared construction value permitted$1.50 bn
- Single family units authorized4,682
- Multifamily units authorized455
- Multifamily share of units8.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$291,990
- Units authorized per 1,000 households25.4
Single-family homes are 91.1 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Ada County
SBA loans in Ada County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded1,211
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$578.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$477,841
- Median 7(a) approval$159,500
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,270,100
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)13,061
- Jobs per approval10.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active94
- Distinct industries receiving approvals281
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer9.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms112
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1,010
- Franchise loans197
- Franchise share of approvals16.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (36)
- Most active lenderIdaho Central CU (165)
- 504 approvals recorded562
- 504 gross approval dollars$348.3 m
- Average 504 approval$619,676
- Median 504 approval$371,000
- Distinct CDCs active8
- 504 jobs per approval8.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.1
- Most active CDCCapital Matrix, Inc. (460)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$926.9 m
The average approval of $477,841 sits well above the median of $159,500, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 9.2 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Ada County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Ada County
Do SBA loans in Ada County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded282
- Paid in full272
- Charged off10
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans3.5 percent
- Status: Paid in full272
- Status: Exempt from disclosure764
- Status: Charged off10
- Status: Cancelled97
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed68
Of the 282 loans that have reached a final outcome, 3.5 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Ada County
SBA lending by place in Ada County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending12
- Boise City, approvals574
- Meridian, approvals359
- Eagle, approvals107
- Garden City, approvals86
- Kuna, approvals41
- Star, approvals30
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Boise City | 574 | $272,216,800 |
| Meridian | 359 | $175,209,800 |
| Eagle | 107 | $58,405,800 |
| Garden City | 86 | $39,410,700 |
| Kuna | 41 | $10,978,800 |
| Star | 30 | $11,651,900 |
| Nampa | 5 | $7,417,600 |
| Twin Falls | 3 | $406,200 |
| 4 other borrower cities | 6 | $2,967,500 |
Boise City accounts for 574 approvals against 359 in Meridian. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Ada County
How large is Ada County?
- Land area1,053 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Idaho counties31st of 44
- Width, east to west27 mi
- Height, north to south48 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land493
- Establishments per square mile16.17
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Ada County
Flood risk in Ada County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Ada County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 160001
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 8
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class5
- Radon levels in Ada County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Ada County (community 160001), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 8, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Ada County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Ada County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Ada County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024518,935
- Households202,543
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$91,502
- Median age38.4
Common questions
Ada County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ada County, Idaho?
The Census Bureau estimates 535,799 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 518,935, in 202,543 households, ranking 1st of 44 Idaho counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ada County's population growing?
The population has grown 8.25 percent since the 2020 census base of 494,969, to 535,799 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 5,136 births against 3,679 deaths, with net migration of 7,592. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ada County?
$91,502. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $512,300, which is 5.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,577 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Ada County?
17,028 establishments, employing 243,004 people with an annual payroll of $16.11 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Ada County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 43,525 jobs, 15.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 288,010 jobs at an average annual pay of $70,588, or $1,357 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Ada County?
1,211 7(a) approvals totaling $578.7 m since FY2020, across 94 lenders, with a median approval of $159,500, plus 562 504 approvals worth $348.3 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Ada County get paid back?
Of the 282 loans that have reached a final outcome, 272 were paid in full and 10 charged off, a charge-off rate of 3.5 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Ada County?
5,137 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.50 bn. Multifamily was 8.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Ada County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Ada County come from?
The largest single origin is Canyon County, with 2,532 households. Arriving households report an average income of $94,484 against $75,734 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Ada County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Ada County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Ada County
Cities and places in Ada.
8 Census places lie wholly or partly in Ada County. All 8 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boise City | city | 237,242 | 574 | Wholly in this county |
| Meridian | city | 130,138 | 359 | Wholly in this county |
| Eagle | city | 32,855 | 107 | Wholly in this county |
| Kuna | city | 27,158 | 41 | Wholly in this county |
| Star | city | 14,745 | 30 | 83.2 percent here, 16.8 percent Canyon County |
| Garden City | city | 12,654 | 86 | Wholly in this county |
| Hidden Springs | CDP | 3,378 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Avimor | CDP | 586 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 14 of the county's 1,211 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Ada County, the largest being Nampa (5), Twin Falls (3), Erie (2). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby