Idaho: A Healthy and Diversified Economy

• Idaho's personal income increased nearly 16 percent between 2003 and 2005, ranking third nationally. (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 4/2006)
   
• Idaho exports increased 55 percent in value between 2003 and 2005, ranking seventh nationally in percentage growth. Idaho’s top exports include high-tech, food and agriculture and wood and building materials. (U.S. Census Bureau)
   
• Idaho exports set a record for the first half of 2006 of nearly $1.8 billion. China, including Hong Kong, and Canada are Idaho’s largest markets for international trade. (U.S. Census Bureau)
   
• Idaho’s gross state product grew at over 18 percent when adjusted for inflation between 2003 and 2005 to rank first in the nation. Inflation-adjusted growth ranked first in 2004 and fourth in 2005. (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 6/2006)
   
• Idaho’s growth rate in non-farm payroll jobs ranked fourth nationally between 2002 and 2005 and from 2004 to 2005. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
   
• Idaho’s non-farm payroll jobs increased by a greater percentage than any other state between second quarter 2005 and second quarter 2006. The rate was just over 5.1 percent. (U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, 7/2006)
   
• Idaho is number one in the nation in the production of potatoes, trout and winter peas. The state ranks in the top 10 in 22 other products. (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
   
• Idaho ranks first nationally in manufacturing investment. (Corporation for Enterprise Development, 2006 Development Report Card for the States)
   
• Idaho ranked first nationally in the percentage growth of in new companies. (Corporation for Enterprise Development, 2006)
   
• Idaho ranked seventh nationally with a 25 percent increase in the value added by manufacturing in the latest Annual Survey of Manufactures. (U.S. Census Bureau)

Idaho: A Great Place to Do Business

• Idaho has the 13th lowest overall cost of doing business in U.S., third lowest in West. (Moody’s/Economy.com, 5/2006)
   
• Forbes placed Idaho sixth best on its list of Best States for Business. (8/18/2006 press release)
   
• Idaho's overall tax burden per capita is the second lowest in the West. (U.S. Census Bureau)
   
• Idaho has the lowest state and local government per capita debt in the nation. (U.S. Census Bureau)
   
• Between 1997 and 2004, Idaho ranked fourth in growth of women-owned businesses, first for employment growth in those businesses and third in sales by women-owned businesses. (Center for Women’s Business Research)
   
• According to the Pacific Research Institute, Idaho ranked fourth nationally for business economic freedom in 2004.
   
• The Kauffmann Index ranks Idaho fifth highest in the nation for residents who start their own business.
   
• Idaho is third in the nation in population growth from 2004 to 2005 and sixth since 2000. (U.S. Census Bureau)
   
• Idaho ranks third lowest nationally in energy costs. (Corporation for Enterprise Development, 2006)

Idaho's Emerging Science & Technology Economy:

• Idaho is number one in the nation for patents issued per capita. Idaho companies such as Micron, Hewlett-Packard and the Idaho National Laboratory account for a large percentage of the patents issued (U.S. Patent Trademark Office, 2004)
   
• Idaho ranks sixth nationally in semiconductor employment with 11,000 jobs. (AeA Cyberstates 2006, 4/2006)
   
• Idaho ranks eighth in the nation in computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing jobs. (AeA, 4/2006)
   
• Idaho is 17th nationally in per capita research and development spending. (AeA, 4/2006)
   
• Idaho ranks third in percentage of exports coming from high-tech firms at 69 percent in 2005. (AeA 4/2006)
   
• Micron Technology and AMI Semiconductors are two of Idaho's largest semiconductor manufacturers. Micron is one of the largest manufacturers of DRAM semiconductor chips in the world.
   
• Idaho ranks seventh in the nation in the concentration of high-tech workers. (AeA, 4/2006)
   
• Idaho ranks second to California in the differential between high-tech wages and private-sector wages at twice the average. (AeA, 4/2006)
   
• Idaho ranked sixth nationally in the rate of increase in high-tech employment growth. (AeA, 4/2006)
   
• Idaho ranked seventh nationally in the percentage increase in venture capital investments. (AeA, 4/2006)
   
• Idaho is number three on Business Facilities magazine’s list of Top 10 High-Tech Rapid Growth States, 2000-2010. (Business Facilities, 8/2003)
   
• Idaho ranked sixth nationally in percentage of households with computers. (Corporation for Enterprise Development, 2006)

Idaho's Quality of Life:

What They're Saying About Idaho:

• ipIQ, Intellectual Property Intelligence Quotient, an independent technology analysis firm, recently ranked Micron Technology number one in the semiconductor industry in its 2006 Patent Scorecard. (ipIQ, 7/2006)
   
• Boise: Eighth in Money’s Best Places to Live. (Money, 8/2006)
   
• Boise: Eighth on the Wall Street Journal’s “Top 20 Most Inventive Towns.” (Wall Street Journal, 7/2006)
   
• Why I Went to Boise: Getting Out of Town on a Saturday Night. (National Geographic Traveler, 2006)
   
• Inc. magazine’s 2006 list of top 10 Boomtowns “Best Cities for Doing Business” ranked Coeur d’Alene fifth and Idaho Falls 10th. Boise ranked second in 2005. (Inc., May, 2006)
   
• Boise Metro: Best for business and careers in 2005 and fourth best in 2006. Boise has claimed a spot in the top 10 for seven of the last eight years. (Forbes Magazine)
   
• Idaho Falls: #10 on USA Today’s Top 10 “Emerging Cities List.” (USA Today, 2004)
   
• Coeur d’Alene: #5 on USA Today’s Top 10 “Emerging Cities List.” (USA Today, 2004)
   
• Boise Metro: #1 in Innovation and #30 overall in the Creativity Index. (CreativeClass.org, 2003)
   
• “Tamarack Ski Resort: One of America’s Hottest Destinations in 2004” – (Washington Post, 2004)
   
• Boise is the fourth best walking city in the U.S. (Prevention Magazine)
   
• “Teton Ridge Ranch: Top Ten Great Escape Travel List.” (Chicago Tribune, 2004)
   
• Sun Valley: Skiing North America's Top Ten Travel List.” (Chicago Tribune, 2004)
   
• Sun Valley, Idaho: The most romantic ski / snowboard resort in the West (skisnowboard.com, 2004)
   
• 10 Great places to see Lewis and Clark sites: Lemhi Pass and Lolo Pass and Lochsa River (USA Today, 2004)