Ada County, Idaho: commercial real estate data.
Ada County, Idaho has a population of 518,935 across 1,053 square miles, up 8.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $45.45 bn in 2024, 17,028 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1,211 7(a) approvals worth $578.7 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Ada County
How many people live in Ada County
- Population518,935
- Households202,543
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$91,502
- Median age38.4
- Median gross rent$1,577 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$512,300
- Home value to household income5.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher44.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree15.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over358,861
- Population under 18114,193
- Share under 1822.0 percent
- Population 65 and over84,270
- Share 65 and over16.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64320,472
- Civilian labor force275,145
- Unemployment rate3.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.0 percent
- Rank by population among Idaho counties1st of 44
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents140th
Ada County is the 1st largest of 44 Idaho counties by population. A median home costs 5.6 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.0 percent against 16.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Ada County
Is Ada County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base8.25 percent
- Census 2020 base population494,969
- Births, 20245,136
- Deaths, 20243,679
- Natural change, 20241,457
- Net domestic migration, 20245,240
- Net international migration, 20242,352
- Total net migration, 20247,592
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202427,072
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents230th
The county has grown 8.25 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Ada County
Where people moving to Ada County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving16,339
- People arriving, from those returns29,613
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.54 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$94,484
- Largest single originAda County Non-migrants (192,639 households)
- Largest single destination (192,639 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ada County Non-migrants | 192,639 | 394,506 | $23.07 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 3,408 | 5,890 | $287.4 m |
| Canyon County | 2,532 | 4,386 | $139.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,188 | 2,158 | $112.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 1,056 | 1,850 | $81.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 801 | 1,307 | $63.5 m |
| Orange County | 549 | 1,122 | $88.5 m |
| Los Angeles County | 527 | 1,050 | $58.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Ada County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Ada County
What the Ada County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$45.45 bn
- County GDP, 2023$42.11 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.9 percent
- GDP change over five years47.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Idaho counties1st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents130th
- GDP per resident$87,592
Output grew 7.9 percent in the latest year and 47.7 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Ada County
Who employs people in Ada County
- Covered employment, annual average288,010
- Establishments reporting26,886
- Average annual pay$70,588
- Average weekly wage$1,357
- Sector 62, employment43,525
- Sector 62, average annual pay$65,562
- Sector 44-45, employment29,226
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$44,643
- Sector 72, employment25,414
- Sector 72, average annual pay$25,615
- Sector 23, employment21,962
- Sector 23, average annual pay$75,523
- Sector 54, employment21,072
- Sector 56, employment20,695
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 43,525 | 3,628 | $65,562 |
| Sector 44-45 | 29,226 | 1,962 | $44,643 |
| Sector 72 | 25,414 | 1,436 | $25,615 |
| Sector 23 | 21,962 | 2,954 | $75,523 |
| Sector 54 | 21,072 | 4,539 | $98,519 |
| Sector 56 | 20,695 | 1,766 | $55,442 |
| Sector 31-33 | 18,336 | 876 | $128,247 |
| Sector 42 | 14,473 | 1,474 | $105,973 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 43,525 jobs, 15.1 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Ada County
What businesses operate in Ada County
- Establishments, all industries17,028
- Employment at those establishments243,004
- Annual payroll$16.11 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents32.8
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Ada County
What is being built in Ada County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20245,137
- Declared construction value permitted$1.50 bn
- Single family units authorised4,682
- Multifamily units authorised455
- Multifamily share of units8.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$291,990
- Units authorised per 1,000 households25.4
Multifamily is 8.9 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Ada County
How much SBA lending happens in Ada County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1,211
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$578.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$477,841
- Median 7(a) approval$159,500
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,270,100
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)13,061
- Jobs per approval10.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active94
- Distinct industries receiving approvals281
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer9.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms112
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1,010
- Franchise loans197
- Franchise share of approvals16.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (36)
- Most active lenderIdaho Central CU (165)
- 504 approvals recorded562
- 504 gross approval dollars$348.3 m
- Average 504 approval$619,676
- Median 504 approval$371,000
- Distinct CDCs active8
- 504 jobs per approval8.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.1
- Most active CDCCapital Matrix, Inc. (460)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals68.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$926.9 m
The average approval of $477,841 sits well above the median of $159,500, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 9.2 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Ada County
Do SBA loans in Ada County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded282
- Paid in full272
- Charged off10
- Charge off rate on resolved loans3.5 percent
- Status: Paid in full272
- Status: Exempt from disclosure764
- Status: Charged off10
- Status: Cancelled97
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed68
| NAICS | Industry | Resolved loans | Charged off | Charge off rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 621111 | Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) | 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
Of the 282 loans that have reached a final outcome, 3.5 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong. Among industries with at least ten resolved loans, Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) carries the highest charge off rate at 0.0 percent.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Ada County
Which parts of Ada County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending12
- BOISE, approvals574
- MERIDIAN, approvals359
- Eagle, approvals107
- Garden City, approvals86
- Kuna, approvals41
- STAR, approvals30
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| BOISE | 574 | $272,216,800 |
| MERIDIAN | 359 | $175,209,800 |
| Eagle | 107 | $58,405,800 |
| Garden City | 86 | $39,410,700 |
| Kuna | 41 | $10,978,800 |
| STAR | 30 | $11,651,900 |
| NAMPA | 5 | $7,417,600 |
| TWIN FALLS | 3 | $406,200 |
BOISE accounts for 574 approvals against 359 in MERIDIAN. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Ada County
How big is Ada County
- Land area1,053 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Idaho counties31st of 44
- Width, east to west27 mi
- Height, north to south48 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land493
- Establishments per square mile16.17
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Ada County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Ada County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population518,935
- Households202,543
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$91,502
- Median age38.4
Common questions
Ada County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ada County, Idaho?
518,935, in 202,543 households, ranking 1st of 44 Idaho counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ada County growing?
The population has grown 8.25 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 5,136 births against 3,679 deaths, with net migration of 7,592. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ada County?
$91,502. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $512,300, which is 5.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,577 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Ada County?
17,028 establishments, employing 243,004 people with an annual payroll of $16.11 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Ada County?
Average annual pay is $70,588, or $1,357 a week, across 288,010 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Ada County?
1,211 7(a) approvals totalling $578.7 m since FY2020, across 94 lenders, with a median approval of $159,500, plus 562 504 approvals worth $348.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Ada County get paid back?
Of the 282 loans that have reached a final outcome, 272 were paid in full and 10 charged off, a charge off rate of 3.5 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Ada County?
5,137 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.50 bn. Multifamily was 8.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Ada County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Ada County come from?
The largest single origin is Ada County Non-migrants, with 192,639 households. Arriving households report an average income of $94,484 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Ada County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Ada County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.