The county economy from official statistics, with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Ada County is a county of Idaho with 518,935 residents. Its economy produced $45,455 million in 2024 (ranked #1 of 44 counties) and had 288,010 jobs with an average annual pay of $70,588 (#2 for pay). The unemployment rate was 3.1% in 2026M09. It is part of the Boise City, ID metropolitan area (central county).
Ada County produced about $45,455 million of goods and services in 2024, which is 35.2% of the combined output of the 44 counties of Idaho that BEA reports (about 26.8% of the state's population lives here), and ranks it 1st of 44 on that measure. Per resident that is $87,592, 31% above the state average; the average for all counties of the state taken together is $66,702. In current dollars output grew 7.9% from 2023 to 2024, before adjusting for inflation.
BLS counts 288,010 jobs located in Ada County on average in 2024, spread over 26,886 employer sites (about 11 jobs per site). That is 0.56 jobs for every resident, above the 0.35 of the typical county in Idaho, which tells you whether the county is a place people mostly commute to for work or a place they commute from. The average annual pay per job was $70,588, 21% above the average of all counties in the state ($70,588 against $58,412). Average pay is total wages divided by jobs, so it is pulled up by high earners and counts part-time jobs as whole jobs; it is not the pay of a typical worker. The number of jobs rose 2.1% from 2023 to 2024.
The three largest private industries are health care and social assistance (17.4% of private jobs, $65,562 a year on average), retail trade (11.7% of private jobs, $44,643 a year on average), accommodation and food services (10.2% of private jobs, $25,615 a year on average). Together they hold 39.3% of private-sector jobs. Among industries with at least 3% of jobs, the best paying is manufacturing at $128,247 a year, followed by wholesale trade ($105,973). The county is specialised in an industry: construction (1.4 times the US share, 21,962 jobs). A location quotient above 1 means an industry employs a larger share of workers here than in the whole country, so these are the industries where local employers compete hardest for skills. Several of the biggest employers pay well below the county average: retail trade ($44,643), accommodation and food services ($25,615). Jobs there are plentiful but the pay is lower than the headline average suggests.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate in Ada County was 3.1%, 5% below the average of the state's counties (3.1% against 3.3%). The labour force (people working or looking for work) numbered 294,713. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 3.1% (2025M12) to 3.8% (2026M01); the latest month is preliminary and BLS revises it. These county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so compare the same month across years.
The median household income was $91,502 (ACS 2020–2024), 18% above the state median ($91,502 against $77,800). The guide covers 6 cities with this as the main county: Boise City, Meridian, Eagle, Kuna, Star, Garden City. Open any of them for rent, home values, commuting and climate. Within the county, median rent runs from $1,323 in Garden City to $1,924 in Star, so where you live matters as much as which county you pick.
Counties close to Ada County in output are Canyon County, Kootenai County. Compare their jobs, pay and unemployment on their own pages.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ | Rank among the 44 counties of Idaho ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 518,935 | 1 of 44 |
| GDP 2024 | $45,455 million | 1 of 44 |
| GDP per resident | $87,592 | 7 of 44 |
| Jobs (QCEW 2024) | 288,010 | 1 of 44 |
| Average annual pay | $70,588 | 2 of 44 |
| Job change vs 2023 | +2.1% | 16 of 44 |
| Unemployment rate (lower is better) | 3.1% | 17 of 44 |
| Median household income | $91,502 | 3 of 44 |
Federal jobs in Idaho (247) →All cities of IdahoState guide: Idaho
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
Cities of this guide whose main county is Ada County.
| City ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ | Median home value ⇅ | Bachelor's+ ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boise City | 237,242 | $83,904 | $1,446 | $484,800 | 47.5% |
| Meridian | 130,138 | $100,795 | $1,805 | $531,600 | 44.1% |
| Eagle | 32,855 | $122,894 | $1,765 | $772,900 | 57.5% |
| Kuna | 27,158 | $96,219 | $1,774 | $423,900 | 28.6% |
| Star | 14,745 | $97,936 | $1,924 | $564,300 | 34.9% |
| Garden City | 12,654 | $70,124 | $1,323 | $449,500 | 39.2% |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 43,525 | 17.4% | $65,562 | 1.05 |
| Retail trade | 29,226 | 11.7% | $44,643 | 1.02 |
| Accommodation and food services | 25,414 | 10.2% | $25,615 | 0.97 |
| Construction | 21,962 | 8.8% | $75,523 | 1.45 |
| Professional and technical services | 21,072 | 8.4% | $98,519 | 1.05 |
| Administrative and waste services | 20,695 | 8.3% | $55,442 | 1.22 |
| Manufacturing | 18,336 | 7.3% | $128,247 | 0.77 |
| Wholesale trade | 14,473 | 5.8% | $105,973 | 1.28 |
| Finance and insurance | 12,805 | 5.1% | $104,636 | 1.10 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 8,945 | 3.6% | $56,978 | 0.73 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 8,340 | 3.3% | $46,262 | 0.96 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 6,266 | 2.5% | $29,812 | 1.29 |
| Management of companies | 5,278 | 2.1% | $162,611 | 1.09 |
| Real estate and rental | 4,472 | 1.8% | $66,414 | 1.00 |
| Educational services | 3,641 | 1.5% | $48,534 | 0.61 |
| Information | 3,228 | 1.3% | $119,257 | 0.60 |
| Utilities | 1,272 | 0.5% | $74,042 | 1.16 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 662 | 0.3% | $58,476 | 0.28 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 290 | 0.1% | $98,832 | 0.27 |
A location quotient above 1 means the industry is more concentrated here than in the US. BLS withholds sectors with too few employers.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Labour force | 294,713 |
| Employed residents | 285,684 |
| Unemployed residents | 9,029 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% |
| Jobs located in the county (QCEW) | 288,010 |
| Employer sites | 26,886 |
Residents employed and jobs located here differ: many residents commute to other counties.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP 2024 ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Unemployment ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ada County | 518,935 | $45,455 million | $87,592 | 288,010 | $70,588 | 3.1% |
| Canyon County | 250,790 | $11,738 million | $46,803 | 88,684 | $51,903 | 3.2% |
| Kootenai County | 181,996 | $11,539 million | $63,402 | 71,068 | $55,888 | 3.7% |
| Bonneville County | 129,523 | $9,062 million | $69,967 | 61,259 | $49,303 | 3.0% |
| Twin Falls County | 93,734 | $5,946 million | $63,433 | 41,812 | $48,171 | 3.2% |
| Bannock County | 89,454 | $4,410 million | $49,302 | 37,594 | $47,720 | 3.8% |
| Madison County | 54,618 | $2,007 million | $36,755 | 17,397 | $42,345 | 4.2% |
| Bonner County | 51,049 | $2,546 million | $49,870 | 15,970 | $51,761 | 4.2% |
| Bingham County | 49,664 | $2,218 million | $44,654 | 16,096 | $47,602 | 3.4% |
| Nez Perce County | 42,697 | $3,075 million | $72,028 | 21,969 | $54,589 | 3.1% |
| Latah County | 41,049 | $2,072 million | $50,488 | 14,731 | $49,203 | 2.9% |
| Jefferson County | 33,154 | $1,366 million | $41,195 | 9,658 | $46,365 | 2.7% |
| Elmore County | 29,321 | $1,908 million | $65,059 | 7,531 | $47,221 | 3.7% |
| Payette County | 26,771 | $1,289 million | $48,134 | 7,122 | $49,412 | 3.9% |
| Cassia County | 25,483 | $2,637 million | $103,491 | 12,443 | $49,757 | 2.9% |
| Jerome County | 25,173 | $2,004 million | $79,605 | 12,175 | $51,608 | 2.8% |
| Blaine County | 24,951 | $2,519 million | $100,969 | 14,374 | $60,713 | 2.6% |
| Minidoka County | 22,208 | $1,255 million | $56,513 | 9,290 | $50,905 | 3.0% |
| Gem County | 20,614 | $696 million | $33,766 | 4,520 | $44,976 | 3.1% |
| Idaho County | 17,432 | $680 million | $39,020 | 4,590 | $46,963 | 3.3% |
| Gooding County | 15,931 | $1,765 million | $110,766 | 6,743 | $48,813 | 2.9% |
| Franklin County | 15,056 | $635 million | $42,184 | 4,087 | $44,391 | 2.8% |
| Fremont County | 13,943 | $550 million | $39,430 | 3,748 | $45,563 | 2.7% |
| Shoshone County | 13,785 | $955 million | $69,273 | 4,834 | $53,791 | 4.1% |
| Boundary County | 13,172 | $659 million | $50,008 | 4,045 | $51,133 | 4.0% |
| Owyhee County | 12,503 | $677 million | $54,181 | 3,544 | $47,269 | 2.9% |
| Teton County | 12,425 | $653 million | $52,565 | 4,762 | $53,408 | 2.0% |
| Valley County | 12,389 | $849 million | $68,567 | 5,516 | $52,271 | 3.4% |
| Washington County | 11,142 | $664 million | $59,637 | 2,941 | $42,467 | 4.3% |
| Benewah County | 10,142 | $558 million | $54,981 | 3,392 | $56,185 | 4.3% |
| Clearwater County | 9,012 | $474 million | $52,613 | 2,721 | $50,553 | 5.4% |
| Boise County | 8,273 | $283 million | $34,214 | 1,782 | $40,427 | 3.3% |
| Lemhi County | 8,249 | $546 million | $66,198 | 2,720 | $49,342 | 3.3% |
| Power County | 8,133 | $561 million | $68,937 | 4,005 | $55,894 | 2.4% |
| Caribou County | 7,162 | $1,143 million | $159,647 | 3,566 | $67,400 | 3.2% |
| Bear Lake County | 6,650 | $296 million | $44,468 | 1,998 | $40,230 | 2.7% |
| Lincoln County | 5,358 | $397 million | $74,102 | 1,725 | $49,246 | 3.0% |
| Oneida County | 4,768 | $201 million | $42,158 | 1,707 | $38,378 | 2.9% |
| Adams County | 4,744 | $205 million | $43,136 | 1,025 | $56,947 | 4.6% |
| Custer County | 4,470 | $257 million | $57,570 | 1,539 | $45,656 | 3.5% |
| Lewis County | 3,682 | $223 million | $60,594 | 1,567 | $43,504 | 3.8% |
| Butte County | 2,684 | $1,870 million | $696,648 | 10,216 | $115,323 | 3.2% |
| Camas County | 1,124 | $118 million | $104,797 | 360 | $60,307 | 4.4% |
| Clark County | 849 | $57 million | $67,250 | 301 | $61,984 | 3.3% |
518,935 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024).
$45,455 million in 2024 (BEA, current dollars).
3.1% in 2026M09 (BLS, not seasonally adjusted; the latest month may be revised).
288,010 jobs on average in 2024 with an average annual pay of $70,588 (BLS QCEW).