Article Table Of Contents
Race relations in America seem to be hitting a tipping point.
While we still haven't dealt with racism as a society, the election of Donald Trump to the presidency has only flamed the tensions that have been mounting for years.
Part of the reason for that tension? The country as a whole continues to self segregate across race, income, and party lines. But it's not all bad on the race relations front.
There are parts of Idaho where there's a high level of diversity -- where people of all walks of life come together. We decided to shine a light on those places today.
Using a standard measure of diversity, we ranked all 33 cities in Idaho from most to least diverse.
So what city is the most diverse in Idaho? According to the most Census data, Caldwell took the number one over all spot for diversity in Idaho.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. To see where Idaho ranked as a state, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in Ameria.
And if you already knew these places were diverse, check out:
The 10 Most Diverse Places In Idaho For 2020
/10
Caldwell is a city in and the county seat of Canyon County, Idaho, United States. The population was 46,237 at the 2010 census.
/10
Rupert is the county seat and largest city of Minidoka County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Burley Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,554 at the 2010 census.
/10
/10
Hailey is a city in and the county seat of Blaine County, in the Wood River Valley of the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho.
The city is named after John Hailey, a two-time Congressional delegate from the Idaho Territory.
/10
Weiser is a city in the rural western part of the U.S. state of Idaho and the county seat of Washington County. With its mild climate, the city supports farm, orchard, and livestock endeavors in the vicinity. The city sits at the confluence of the Weiser River with the great Snake River, which marks the border with Oregon. The population was 5,507 at the 2010 census.
/10
/10
Nampa ) is the largest city of Canyon County, Idaho. The population of Nampa was 81,557 at the 2010 census making it the second-most populous city in Idaho. Nampa is located about 20 miles west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles west of Meridian. Nampa is the second principal city of the Boise-Nampa metropolitan area. The name "Nampa" may have come from a Shoshoni word meaning either moccasin or footprint.
/10
/10
Fruitland is a city in Payette County, Idaho, United States. It lies along U.S. Route 95 in the Treasure Valley of southwest Idaho, about 50 miles west of Boise on the border with Oregon. It is part of the Ontario Micropolitan Area. Fruitland is named after the apple orchards that surround the community, and its slogan is "The Big Apple of Idaho."
/10
Payette is a city in and the county seat of Payette County, Idaho, United States. The population was 7,433 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ontario, ORID Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How we determined the most diverse cities in Idaho for 2020
We still believe in the accuracy of data -- especially from the census. So that's where we went to get the breakdown of race across Idaho.
That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2014-2018 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
- Hispanic or Latino
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 33 cities.
We then calculated the HHI for each city by finding the racial breakdown of a city in percent terms, squaring them, and then adding the squares together. This left us with scores ranging from 4,798 (Caldwell) to 8,641 (Hayden).
Finally, we ranked each city based on the HHI with a lower score being more diverse than a high score. Caldwell took the distinction of being the most diverse, while Hayden was the least diverse city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Idaho ranked for diversity or, for a more general take on diversity in america, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
There You Have It - Diversity Across Idaho
If you're looking for a scientific breakdown of diversity across Idaho, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least diverse places in Idaho:
- Hayden
- Kuna
- Post Falls
For more Idaho reading, check out:
- 10 Best Places To Live In Idaho
- These Are The 10 Best Counties To Live In Idaho
- 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Idaho
- 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Idaho
- These Are The 10 Best Places To Retire In Idaho
- These Are The 10 Richest Cities In Idaho
- 10 Safest Places In Idaho
- 10 Worst Places To Live In Idaho
Detailed List Of The Most Diverse Cities In Idaho For 2020
| Rank | City | HHI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caldwell, ID | 4,798 |
| 2 | Rupert, ID | 4,881 |
| 3 | Burley, ID | 4,957 |
| 4 | Hailey, ID | 5,092 |
| 5 | Weiser, ID | 5,159 |
| 6 | Jerome, ID | 5,166 |
| 7 | Nampa, ID | 5,635 |
| 8 | Mountain Home, ID | 5,777 |
| 9 | Fruitland, ID | 5,958 |
| 10 | Payette, ID | 6,116 |
| 11 | Blackfoot, ID | 6,287 |
| 12 | Twin Falls, ID | 6,438 |
| 13 | Emmett, ID | 6,548 |
| 14 | Idaho Falls, ID | 6,817 |
| 15 | Chubbuck, ID | 6,904 |
| 16 | Boise City, ID | 6,940 |
| 17 | Pocatello, ID | 7,177 |
| 18 | Middleton, ID | 7,237 |
| 19 | Preston, ID | 7,531 |
| 20 | Meridian, ID | 7,563 |
| 21 | Moscow, ID | 7,581 |
| 22 | Rexburg, ID | 7,599 |
| 23 | Star, ID | 7,756 |
| 24 | Garden City, ID | 7,764 |
| 25 | Coeur D'alene, ID | 7,878 |
| 26 | Ammon, ID | 7,955 |
| 27 | Rathdrum, ID | 8,146 |
| 28 | Eagle, ID | 8,151 |
| 29 | Sandpoint, ID | 8,328 |
| 30 | Lewiston, ID | 8,394 |
| 31 | Post Falls, ID | 8,404 |
| 32 | Kuna, ID | 8,571 |
| 33 | Hayden, ID | 8,641 |
