Idaho continues to be one of America’s biggest migration success stories, with nearly 73,000 people moving to the state from another state in 2024, resulting in a net gain of approximately 12,500 new residents. Washington was Idaho’s single largest source of newcomers, followed closely by California.

Competing for Families

A new report from the Mercatus Center examined nearly 34 million interstate moves between 2018 and 2023, including 6.7 million Americans who moved in 2023 alone. The report found that Americans are increasingly choosing states with lower tax burdens, greater economic freedom, and more abundant housing. Montana has experienced a similar transformation, gaining more than 71,000 residents through domestic migration over the last decade.

Every family that chooses Idaho or Montana brings purchasing power, investment, entrepreneurship, charitable giving, and future tax revenue. Every newcomer strengthens the state’s economy and its communities. In contrast, states like Washington, California, New York, and Illinois have lost millions of residents due to higher taxes, greater regulation, and rising costs of living.

Policies Matter

The Mercatus research finds that tax burdens, economic freedom, and housing availability consistently rank among the strongest predictors of interstate migration. Idaho and Montana have pursued policies designed to make their states more competitive, including maintaining low overall tax burdens, embracing regulatory reforms, and improving economic competitiveness.

While taxes aren’t the only factor people consider, the report suggests that policy matters. States are competing for people, and every moving truck carries future workers, entrepreneurs, taxpayers, and community leaders. The challenge is to preserve the policies that earned that trust while avoiding the mistakes that have driven so many families away from states like Washington, California, New York, and Illinois.

Original reporting: Idaho Education News — read the source article.