Idaho covers 82,747 square miles, with a 2019 estimated population of 1,787,065 people – 578,544 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, Meridian, and Idaho Falls. According to 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 93.0% of the state's population is white, 0.9% is African-American, 1.6% is Asian, 1.7% is American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.2% is Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 12.8% is of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Idaho Rural Healthcare Facilities

According to data.HRSA.gov, as of January 2021 Idaho had:

• 27 Critical Access Hospitals
• 47 Rural Health Clinics
• 46 Federally Qualified Health Center sites located outside of Urbanized Areas
• 4 short term hospitals located outside of Urbanized Areas

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Idaho

While most Idahoans have some form of health insurance coverage, 10.5% of residents remain uninsured (Kaiser, 2019). According to the Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Idahoans in 2019 was $45,968, with the rural per capita income at $44,053. The ERS reports, based on 2019 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Idaho is 13.1%, compared with 10.1% in urban areas of the state. 11.8% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 8.0% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2015-2019 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Idaho is 3.1%, while in urban Idaho it is 2.8% (USDA-ERS, 2019).

Idaho Bureau of Rural Health and Primary Care
Phone: 208.334.0669
Email: RuralHealth@dhw.idaho.gov
Promotes access to quality healthcare through a variety of programs, services, and activities for rural Idaho residents.
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