Idaho Is Running Out of Land

It seems that everyone in Idaho wants more land. It wasn’t that long ago that popular roads like Eagle or Ten Mile were filled with fields and endless acreage. Today, those two roads carry the most road traffic in the Gem State.

What changed? Idaho was one of the last undiscovered, undeveloped parts of the country twenty years ago. The state witnessed two booms before the current endless stream of visitors became permanent residents.

The first wave of home buying was right before the big crash of 2008. The Great Recession left the state with half-finished subdivisions and the lowest home values in state history. For example, the median home price back then in Ada County was $140,000, and in Canyon County, $70,000.

Today, we doubt anyone could buy a studio condo for those prices. The mass migration continues to transform the state as home values rise throughout the state.

Land in Idaho is at a premium.

COMPASS recently reported that the city of Star’s population rose by more than 130% over the last five years. Farmers are cashing out, exchanging crops for big cash.

The famous Wilks Brothers of Texas bought a massive amount of property next to public land several years ago. Their security measures, complete with cutting off access to public lands, caused quite a fuss over who really owns what in Idaho.

Utah Senator Mike Lee got into trouble when he proposed selling public lands to manage forest fires and address the housing shortages. That move was rebuffed by a motley group of conservatives to tree-hugging liberals.

So who owns Idaho? Let's find out together.