Indicators Idaho

These data come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. They are based on averages of data collected in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. These estimates cannot be used to say what is going on in any particular year in the period, only what the average value is over the full period. The Census Bureau also provides 1-year estimates for counties with at least 65,000 people. We use 5-year estimates because they are available for all counties and allow comparison to other counties within the region.

The ability of Hispanics to speak English "Very well" versus "Less than 'very well'" differs by whether the population is native-born or foreign-born. The American Community Survey categorizes the survey respondent's ability to speak English, specifically the respondents who reported speaking a language other than English, as speaking English "Very well," "Well," "Not well," or "Not at all." Those who answer "Well," "Not well," or "Not at all" can be grouped together and termed "Less than 'very well.'" Survey respondents are not instructed as to interpretation of these response categories and the response is self-reported.

In Idaho in 2017-2021:

the native-born Hispanic population numbered 157,550, and 58 percent spoke only English, 37 percent spoke English "Very well" while 6 percent spoke English "Less than 'very well,'"
the foreign-born Hispanic population numbered 61,672, and 8 percent spoke only English, 33 percent spoke English "Very well" while 59 percent spoke English "Less than 'very well.'"

To get the most out of this indicator . . .

Ask questions:

· What’s the ethnic make-up of your county (e.g., how many are Hispanic and how many are non-Hispanic)?

· How is it changing over time?

· Is the Hispanic population growing at a different rate than the population as a whole?

Dig deeper:

· Look at the county rankings for your state and/or view maps to see how your county compares to others.

· Use the U.S. Census Bureau’s Center for Enterprise Dissemination Services and Consumer Information (CEDSCI) to learn more about the local Hispanic population. See https://data.census.gov/cedsci/. Many indicators at this site report data for both Hispanics and non-Hispanics.

· Take a Big Picture view of your county.

· If you have specific questions, send us an e-mail.

NOTE: These ACS data are estimates based on a five-year average, meaning that data gathered from 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 are averaged together to come up with the results shown here. There is no problem with comparing these data to census data from 2000. For a technical discussion of the "margins of error" associated with ACS estimates, please see: (https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/library/handbooks/researchers.html)

Source: 2006-2022, Explore Census Data, (https://data.census.gov/cedsci/); (ACS: Table B16005 and B16005I) DATE LAST UPDATED: March 22, 2024.