Idaho

Idaho is known for its rugged beauty and millions of acres of wilderness. The Idaho landscape ranges from subalpine forests to desert, mountains to fertile farms, lakes and waterfalls to canyons and gorges. Idaho has the greatest stand of white pine trees in the country and is first in the country in production of silver. Idaho covers 82,747 square miles, with a 2015 estimated population of 1,654,930 people – 551,062 living in rural Idaho (USDA-ERS). Boise, the capital, is located in the southwestern region of the state. The state’s largest cities include Boise, Nampa, Pocatello and Idaho Falls. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 93.4% of the state’s population is white, 1.7% is American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% is Asian and 12.2% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (U.S. Census, 2015).

Idaho Rural Healthcare Facilities

There are 40 hospitals in Idaho (Kaiser, 2014), 27 of which are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Dec. 2008). The state has 27 hospitals identified as Critical Access Hospitals (Flex Team, 12/2015). There are 48 Rural Health Clinics in Idaho (Idaho DHW, July 2015), and 12 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 77 sites in the state (NACHC, 2014).

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Idaho

Most Idahoans have some form of health insurance coverage, although 11% of its residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2014). According to the Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for Idahoans in 2014 was $36,734, although rural per-capita income lagged at $36,087. The ERS reports, based on 2010-2014 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Idaho is 17.3%, compared with 14.7% in urban areas of the state. 13.7% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 9.4% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2010-2014 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Idaho is at 4.3%, while in urban Idaho it is at 4.1% (USDA-ERS, 2015).

Data Sources
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Rural Health Clinic List; Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List; Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; National Association of Community Health Centers: Key Health Center Data By State; U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts; USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets

Contacts

There are more organizations related to Idaho in the organizations section.