Where Are People Moving to Boise From? The 2026 Data, State by State

Nov 14

If you've lived in the Treasure Valley for more than a few years, you've probably heard (or said) some version of "Everyone here is from California." It's one of Boise's favorite talking points. But what do the numbers actually say?

We dug into the latest U.S. Census Bureau migration estimates, county-level data, moving-company reports and homebuyer search trends to answer one question: where are the people moving to Boise coming from? The answer is more interesting, and more local, than the stereotype suggests.

Key Takeaways

Washington has overtaken California as the #1 source of new Idaho residents. In 2024, about 17,800 people moved to Idaho from Washington, compared with about 15,400 from California.
Three states make up more than half of all move-ins. Washington, California and Utah together accounted for 53.2% of the roughly 72,600 people who moved to Idaho from another state in 2024.
California still dominates in the Boise area specifically. Idaho's state economist has noted that about a third of people migrating into southwest Idaho come from California, while Washington dominates in north Idaho and Utah in east Idaho.
Southern California, not the Bay Area, is the biggest feeder. Orange, San Diego, Los Angeles and Riverside counties send far more people to Ada County than San Francisco or Silicon Valley do.
The migration is still strong. Out-of-state movers made up 82% of southwest Idaho's population growth in 2025, and Boise ranked #1 nationally for move demand in early 2026.

Top States Sending People to Idaho (2024)

The Census Bureau's most recent state-to-state estimates (from the American Community Survey) cover moves made between 2023 and 2024. Here are the top five origin states for people who moved to Idaho:

Washington: ~17,800 people
California: ~15,400 people
Utah: ~5,400 people
Arizona: ~4,500 people
Oregon: ~4,200 people

Total from all other states: ~72,600. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS state-to-state migration flows, via USAFacts.

Washington is now #1. Idaho is the single biggest place Washington loses residents to. Washington's largest net loss to any state in 2024 was to Idaho, at roughly 9,900 people. Much of that flow heads to Coeur d'Alene and north Idaho, but the Seattle-to-Boise pipeline is very real too (more on that below).

People leave Idaho, too. About 60,100 people left Idaho for another state in 2024, with Utah (~8,400), Washington (~7,900) and California (~6,500) as the top destinations. That means Idaho's net gain from other states was roughly 12,500 people that year. Migration is a two-way street, and a lot of it is regional churn across the Mountain West and Pacific Northwest.

How the Picture Has Changed: 2022 vs. 2023 vs. 2024

The "California exodus" was at its peak right after the pandemic. Since then, California's share has cooled while Washington's has held steady or grown. People moving to Idaho, by origin state (2022 → 2023 → 2024):

California: 26,887 → 17,338 → ~15,400
Washington: 14,387 → 14,655 → ~17,800
Oregon: 8,410 → 7,458 → ~4,200
Utah: 7,812 → 5,537 → ~5,400
Arizona: 3,633 → ~4,000 → ~4,500

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS state-to-state migration estimates, as reported by the Idaho Statesman/Spokesman-Review (2022, 2023) and USAFacts (2024). Texas also cracked the top five in 2023 with 5,526 people.

A note on accuracy: These are survey-based estimates with real margins of error (often 3,000+ people for the biggest states). The 2023 California and Washington numbers, for example, were close enough that the Census Bureau couldn't say for certain which was higher. The trend, though, is clear: California inflows have dropped by roughly 40% since 2022, and Washington has quietly become the steadiest source of new Idahoans.

Zooming In: Where Ada County's New Residents Come From

Statewide numbers include Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls and everywhere in between. For Boise specifically, Ada County's own data paints a more California-heavy picture.

According to Census county-to-county migration data published by Ada County, about 32,954 people moved into Ada County in 2020, and about 25,475 moved out. Of the newcomers, 67.1% came from another state, 28.0% came from elsewhere in Idaho, and 4.9% came from another country. By origin, Ada County's primary sources of new residents were:

Other Idaho counties: 28.0%
California: 23.4%
Washington: 8.0%
Texas: 5.8%
Oregon: 5.0%
Asia: 2.9%
Utah: 2.8%
Everywhere else: 24.1%

Source: Ada County Development Services, Migration Statistics (U.S. Census Bureau 2020 ACS county-to-county flows).

Nearly one in four people moving to Ada County came from California, roughly three times the share from Washington. That lines up with what Idaho's state economist has said more recently: in southwest Idaho, about 33% of migrants come from California.

Among people moving to Ada County from within Idaho, the top origin was neighboring Canyon County (3,357), followed by Bannock County/Pocatello (1,162) and Twin Falls County (734). Plenty of Boise's growth is Idahoans moving to the state's biggest job market.

The Top Counties Sending People to Boise

County-level data shows exactly where in those states people are coming from. Here are the top out-of-state counties sending residents to Ada County, based on the Census Bureau's 2015–2019 county-to-county estimates (people moved to Ada County, with Ada County's net gain in parentheses):

Orange County, CA: 1,108 (net +970)
San Diego County, CA: 1,071 (net +753)
Los Angeles County, CA: 662 (net +568)
Riverside County, CA: 658 (net +630)
Utah County, UT (Provo): 578 (net +267)
Benton County, WA (Tri-Cities): 530 (net +483)
Clark County, WA (Vancouver): 428 (net +278)
Maricopa County, AZ (Phoenix): 405 (net +255)
Bexar County, TX (San Antonio): 369 (net +369)
Elko County, NV: 359 (net +339)
San Bernardino County, CA: 337 (net +236)
Clark County, NV (Las Vegas): 326 (net +203)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county-to-county migration flows, 2015–2019, compiled by Stacker.

Five of the top dozen are in Southern California. A later Census window (2016–2020) showed the same pattern, with Orange County, CA producing the largest net gain for Ada County of any county in the nation at about +1,023 people, and Sacramento County adding a net 575.

What's notably missing? The Bay Area. Research using IRS tax-return data found that Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties sent more Idaho-bound movers than San Francisco did. The typical California transplant in Boise is more likely from Irvine, Temecula or Escondido than from Palo Alto.

One more interesting wrinkle: King County, WA (Seattle) sent 335 people to Ada County in that period, but more people actually moved from Ada County to King County. The Seattle-to-Boise flow has grown since then, which brings us to the newest data.

What Homebuyers Are Searching for Right Now

Census data runs a year or two behind. To see where future Boise residents are coming from, we can look at real-time search behavior:

Redfin: In the winter of 2024–25, homebuyers in the Los Angeles metro searched to move to Boise more than any other metro, followed by Seattle and San Francisco. At the same time, 73% of Boise-area buyers were searching to stay within the Boise metro.
Apartment List: About 25% of renters looking to relocate to Boise were in the Seattle area and about 20% were in Salt Lake City. No other metro topped 3%.

Search interest isn't the same as a signed lease or a closed sale, but it tells a consistent story: Southern California remains a major feeder for buyers, while Seattle and Salt Lake City are the biggest sources of renters and early-stage movers.

Is Migration to Boise Slowing Down?

Not really. It's normalizing from the 2020–2021 frenzy, but Boise remains one of the most in-demand destinations in the country:

Treasure Valley growth: The region added more than 50 people per day in 2025. Ada County grew by 10,916 people (2%) to nearly 550,000 residents, and Canyon County grew 2.9%, adding 7,679 people.
Fast-growing metro: The Boise metro grew 2.2% in 2025, ranking 13th fastest in the country and second in the West.
Migration-driven: Out-of-state movers accounted for 82% of southwest Idaho's population growth in 2025. In Ada County alone, domestic migration added roughly 8,500 net residents between 2024 and 2025.
Moving companies agree: Atlas Van Lines reported about 64% of its Idaho moves were inbound in 2025, nearly twice as many moves in as out and the highest ratio since 2020. United Van Lines put Idaho's inbound share at 57.8%.
#1 for move demand: moveBuddha's analysis of moving-cost searches in the first quarter of 2026 ranked Boise #1 in the nation, with 1.92 people searching to move in for every one searching to move out.

Why Are People Choosing Boise?

The reasons we hear most from clients relocating to the Treasure Valley line up with the data:

Relative affordability. Boise is no longer "cheap," but for buyers coming from Orange County, Seattle or the Bay Area, the price per square foot still goes a lot further.
Outdoor lifestyle. The Foothills, the Greenbelt, Bogus Basin and the Boise River are a big draw, along with four real seasons.
Jobs and remote work. Micron's expansion, healthcare, tech, manufacturing and construction continue to bring employment growth, and remote workers can bring their coastal salaries with them.
Family and community. Many newcomers are following kids, grandkids or friends who moved here first, which helps explain why the migration has stayed steady even as the initial pandemic surge cooled.
Proximity. For people in Washington, Oregon, Utah and Nevada, Boise is a manageable drive from family back home.

Where Newcomers Are Landing in the Treasure Valley

New residents aren't all moving into the City of Boise itself. Affordability is pushing more growth to the suburbs:

Meridian remains the area's hottest destination, with ZIP codes 83642 and 83646 topping Idaho's list of most in-demand ZIP codes in 2025, according to Moving Place.
Caldwell led all Idaho cities in residents gained for the second straight year, adding about 3,452 people in 2025, with home prices well below Ada County's.
Nampa, Kuna, Star and Middleton continue to absorb buyers looking for more house and land for the money.

What This Means for Buyers and Sellers

If you're selling: Your future buyer may well be relocating from Southern California, Washington or Utah. Many of them are shopping online first, often from out of state, so professional photography, video tours and strong online marketing matter more than ever.

If you're relocating to Boise: You're in good company. Whether you're coming from Seattle, San Diego or Salt Lake, working with a local team that knows the neighborhoods, school districts, commute patterns and new construction communities can save you from costly surprises.

If you're a local buyer: Understanding where competition comes from helps you plan. Out-of-state buyers often arrive with equity from higher-priced markets, so being pre-approved and ready to move quickly is key in the most popular price ranges.

Thinking About Making a Move?

Whether you're moving to Boise from out of state or making a move within the Treasure Valley, The Powell Group is here to help. We'll walk you through neighborhoods, current market conditions and what your home is worth today. Reach out anytime, we'd love to help you find your place in Idaho.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are most people moving to Boise from California?

California is the largest single source of out-of-state movers to the Boise area, roughly a quarter to a third of newcomers, depending on the dataset. But most people moving to Boise are not from California. They come from other Idaho counties, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Texas, Arizona, Nevada and beyond.

Which state sends the most people to Idaho?

As of the Census Bureau's 2024 estimates, Washington (~17,800 people) edged out California (~15,400) for the top spot statewide.

What city sends the most people to Boise?

At the county level, Orange County, CA has historically produced the largest net gain for Ada County. In current search data, Los Angeles, Seattle and Salt Lake City lead.

Is Boise still growing in 2026?

Yes. The Boise metro grew 2.2% in 2025, ranking among the 15 fastest-growing metros in the U.S., and early-2026 moving-search data ranked Boise #1 nationally for inbound demand.

Sources

Powell Group