Gem County, Idaho | |
|---|---|
 Gem County Courthouse | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofIdaho | |
 Idaho's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:44°04′N116°25′W / 44.06°N 116.41°W /44.06; -116.41 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Idaho |
| Founded | March 15, 1915 |
| Named after | thestate nickname, "Gem State". |
| Seat | Emmett |
| Largest city | Emmett |
| Area | |
• Total | 566 sq mi (1,470 km2) |
| • Land | 561 sq mi (1,450 km2) |
| • Water | 4.8 sq mi (12 km2) 0.8% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 19,123 |
| • Density | 34.1/sq mi (13.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Gem County is acounty in theU.S. state ofIdaho. As of the2020 census, the population was 19,123.[1] Thecounty seat and largest city isEmmett.[2]
Gem County is part of theBoise metropolitan area.
Gem County is home to theIdaho ground squirrel.
Named for thestate nickname, "Gem State," the county was established on March 15, 1915, partitioned fromCanyon County andBoise County.[3]Fur trappers were in the area as early as 1818, andAlexander Ross exploredSquaw Creek in 1824.Prospectors andminers moved through the county in 1862 en route to thegold rush in the Boise Basin aroundIdaho City, and by the next yearirrigation began along thePayette River.[4] UnderWashington Territory, the area was part ofIdaho County from the time of settlement until the territory south of the Payette River became part of Boise County at its creation in 1863. Picket's Corral, northeast of Emmett was the base of operations for a gang of horse thieves and "bogus dust peddlers" between 1862 and 1864.[3] The Payette Vigilance Committee eliminated the gang, bringing safety for citizens of the area. The act creatingAda County in 1864 established the Ada County boundary common to Boise County as a line from Grimes Creek to Picket's Corral and then north from that point to the existing northern boundary of Boise County, leaving the areas outside of Emmett within Boise County.[5][6] Jonathan Smith and Nathaniel Martin settled near Emmett about 1862. They established a ferry on the Payette River at Emmett in 1866. On May 31, 1867, a post office was established at the ferry and named Martinsville, which was renamed Emmettsville on October 31, 1868; postal officials shortened the name of the post office to Emmett in 1885.[7][8]
Census data for the area shows Squaw Creek Precinct under Boise County with a population of 30 in 1870.[9] Ada County did not separately return precincts at that census. By 1890, Squaw Creek was split into two precincts. Those precincts were grouped with Horseshoe Bend at the 1890 census. The Emmett precinct contained 479 residents at that time.[10] The Emmett area was transferred to Canyon County at its establishment in 1892.[11] At the 1910 Census, three Emmett area precincts contained a population of 2,601 while three Boise County precincts of Upper Squaw Creek, Lower Squaw Creek, and Pearl contained 1,069 residents.[12]
TheBlack Canyon Diversion Dam on the river was built in the early 1920s, east of Emmett.[13]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 566 square miles (1,470 km2), of which 561 square miles (1,450 km2) is land and 4.8 square miles (12 km2) (0.8%) is water.[14] It is the fifth-smallest county in Idaho by area.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 6,427 | — | |
| 1930 | 7,419 | 15.4% | |
| 1940 | 9,544 | 28.6% | |
| 1950 | 8,730 | −8.5% | |
| 1960 | 9,127 | 4.5% | |
| 1970 | 9,387 | 2.8% | |
| 1980 | 11,972 | 27.5% | |
| 1990 | 11,844 | −1.1% | |
| 2000 | 15,181 | 28.2% | |
| 2010 | 16,719 | 10.1% | |
| 2020 | 19,123 | 14.4% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 21,857 | [15] | 14.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[16] 1790–1960,[17] 1900–1990,[18] 1990–2000,[19] 2010,[20] 2020[1] | |||
As of thecensus[21] of 2000, there were 15,181 people, 5,539 households, and 4,176 families living in the county. The population density was 27 inhabitants per square mile (10/km2). There were 5,888 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (3.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.79%White, 0.73%Native American, 0.36%Asian, 0.07%Black orAfrican American, 0.06%Pacific Islander, 3.16% fromother races, and 1.83% from two or more races. 6.92% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 18.9% were ofAmerican, 17.5%German, 13.1%English and 7.2%Irish ancestry.
There were 5,539 households, out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.40% weremarried couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.60% were non-families. 20.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.00% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 25.30% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 15.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,460, and the median income for a family was $40,195. Males had a median income of $31,036 versus $20,755 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,340. About 11.60% of families and 13.10% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 15.60% of those under age 18 and 13.90% of those age 65 or over.
As of the2010 United States census, there were 16,719 people, 6,495 households, and 4,611 families living in the county.[22] The population density was 29.8 inhabitants per square mile (11.5/km2). There were 7,099 housing units at an average density of 12.7 per square mile (4.9/km2).[23] The racial makeup of the county was 93.4% white, 0.6% American Indian, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.1% black or African American, 3.1% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.0% of the population.[22] In terms of ancestry, 23.2% wereGerman, 19.2% wereEnglish, 15.8% wereAmerican, and 12.3% wereIrish.[24]
Of the 6,495 households, 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.0% were non-families, and 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age was 42.9 years.[22]
The median income for a household in the county was $42,794 and the median income for a family was $49,976. Males had a median income of $39,482 versus $31,083 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,431. About 9.7% of families and 14.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.[25]
As of 2016 the largest self-reported ancestries/ethnicities in Gem County, Idaho were:
| Largest ancestries (2016) | Percent |
|---|---|
English | 19.3% |
German | 17.9% |
Irish | 11.9% |
| "American" | 8.8% |
Italian | 3.3% |
Scottish | 2.4% |
Dutch | 1.1% |
French | 2.0% |
Swedish | 1.7% |
Norwegian | 1.1% |
Swiss | 0.9% |
Welsh | 0.8% |
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
| Race | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 14,898 | 16,132 | 89.11% | 84.36% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 20 | 29 | 0.12% | 0.15% |
| Native American orAlaska Native (NH) | 77 | 124 | 0.46% | 0.65% |
| Asian (NH) | 78 | 99 | 0.47% | 0.52% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 10 | 20 | 0.06% | 0.1% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 13 | 96 | 0.08% | 0.5% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 287 | 901 | 1.72% | 4.71% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,336 | 1,722 | 7.99% | 9.0% |
| Total | 16,719 | 19,123 |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 19,123 people, 6,683 households, and 4,585 families residing in the county.
Gem County is almost always Republican. The last time a Democratic presidential candidate carried the county was in 1964 byLyndon B. Johnson.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1916 | 750 | 39.47% | 990 | 52.11% | 160 | 8.42% |
| 1920 | 1,404 | 62.73% | 832 | 37.18% | 2 | 0.09% |
| 1924 | 1,072 | 41.31% | 380 | 14.64% | 1,143 | 44.05% |
| 1928 | 1,656 | 71.01% | 646 | 27.70% | 30 | 1.29% |
| 1932 | 898 | 27.54% | 2,007 | 61.55% | 356 | 10.92% |
| 1936 | 879 | 24.64% | 2,468 | 69.17% | 221 | 6.19% |
| 1940 | 1,462 | 35.38% | 2,666 | 64.52% | 4 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | 1,363 | 41.75% | 1,866 | 57.15% | 36 | 1.10% |
| 1948 | 1,585 | 46.26% | 1,724 | 50.32% | 117 | 3.42% |
| 1952 | 2,568 | 62.21% | 1,555 | 37.67% | 5 | 0.12% |
| 1956 | 2,445 | 58.75% | 1,717 | 41.25% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 2,428 | 55.13% | 1,976 | 44.87% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 1,979 | 45.95% | 2,328 | 54.05% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 2,314 | 57.89% | 1,183 | 29.60% | 500 | 12.51% |
| 1972 | 2,717 | 61.32% | 1,069 | 24.13% | 645 | 14.56% |
| 1976 | 2,401 | 52.75% | 1,978 | 43.45% | 173 | 3.80% |
| 1980 | 3,766 | 65.77% | 1,613 | 28.17% | 347 | 6.06% |
| 1984 | 3,644 | 68.11% | 1,607 | 30.04% | 99 | 1.85% |
| 1988 | 2,926 | 56.90% | 2,064 | 40.14% | 152 | 2.96% |
| 1992 | 2,455 | 42.90% | 1,609 | 28.11% | 1,659 | 28.99% |
| 1996 | 3,362 | 53.96% | 1,968 | 31.58% | 901 | 14.46% |
| 2000 | 4,376 | 73.14% | 1,346 | 22.50% | 261 | 4.36% |
| 2004 | 5,416 | 75.92% | 1,628 | 22.82% | 90 | 1.26% |
| 2008 | 5,585 | 70.27% | 2,166 | 27.25% | 197 | 2.48% |
| 2012 | 5,311 | 70.90% | 1,957 | 26.12% | 223 | 2.98% |
| 2016 | 5,980 | 75.18% | 1,229 | 15.45% | 745 | 9.37% |
| 2020 | 7,951 | 79.65% | 1,803 | 18.06% | 229 | 2.29% |
| 2024 | 8,707 | 81.99% | 1,699 | 16.00% | 214 | 2.02% |
There is a single K-12school district in the county:Emmett Independent School District 221.[30]
Residents are in the area (but not the taxation zone) forCollege of Western Idaho.[31]
The county is served by the Southwest Idaho Health District.[32]
Places adjacent to Gem County, Idaho | |
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Municipalities and communities ofGem County, Idaho,United States | ||
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| Other communities | ||
State ofIdaho | |
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Boise (capital) | |
| Topics | |
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| Larger cities | |
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| Counties | |
44°04′N116°25′W / 44.06°N 116.41°W /44.06; -116.41
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