• county
  • FIPS 16045
  • Largest town: Emmett

Gem County, Idaho

Gem County had 21,857 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 559.8 square miles of land. It ranks 19th of 44 in Idaho by population and 40th by land area.

Population
21,857
#19 of 44 in Idaho · #1,727 in US
Area
559.8 sq mi
#40 of 44 in Idaho · #1,851 in US
Density
39 / sq mi
#12 of 44 in Idaho · #1,694 in US
Median household income
$62,479
#31 of 44 in Idaho · #1,602 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Gem County within Idaho. Pin: Boise.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Gem County

Gem County population, land area and income

Gem County had 21,857 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 559.8 square miles of land. It ranks 19th of 44 in Idaho by population and 40th by land area. That works out to 39.0 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and below the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Idaho has 15,019 residents; Gem County is somewhat larger.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $62,479 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

21,857

3144th1st

1727th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

560 sq mi

3144th1st

1851st of 3,144 (US)

Density

39.0 / sq mi

3144th1st

1694th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$62,479

3143rd1st

1602nd of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Idaho (44)

Population

21,857

44th1st

19th of 44 (ID)

Land area

560 sq mi

44th1st

40th of 44 (ID)

Density

39.0 / sq mi

44th1st

12th of 44 (ID)

Median household income

$62,479

44th1st

31st of 44 (ID)

How Gem County's population changed since 2020

Gem County gained 2,579 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 13.4%. That ranks 5th of 44 in Idaho for growth. The median Idaho county changed by +7.2%, and the state as a whole by +8.2%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Gem County recorded 884 births and 1,098 deaths, a natural change of -214. Net international migration added +963 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +1,984. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 1,984 people.

19.3k202019.8k202120.7k202221.4k202321.9k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
884
Deaths
1,098
Net international migration
+963
Net domestic migration
+1,984
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+473

Where Gem County is

The Census internal point of Gem County is at 44.061500, -116.398800. It sits in UTM zone 11N. The map shades Idaho's 44 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Gem County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Madison County: +5.0%Idaho County: +8.0%Benewah County: +9.9%Gooding County: +3.4%Lincoln County: +8.2%Minidoka County: +4.7%Custer County: +7.7%Boundary County: +15.6%Lemhi County: +5.5%Twin Falls County: +6.8%Franklin County: +9.5%Oneida County: +9.0%Gem County: +13.4%Shoshone County: +6.6%Fremont County: +7.3%Clearwater County: +4.6%Kootenai County: +9.0%Cassia County: +4.9%Blaine County: +3.8%Clark County: +0.1%Jerome County: +7.4%Bonner County: +13.8%Elmore County: +3.7%Caribou County: +3.2%Bonneville County: +7.1%Jefferson County: +12.1%Power County: +6.3%Lewis County: +5.8%Nez Perce County: +1.7%Ada County: +7.5%Adams County: +12.9%Valley County: +7.9%Bingham County: +5.8%Bannock County: +4.3%Owyhee County: +6.2%Washington County: +9.3%Latah County: +6.4%Teton County: +10.2%Camas County: +15.0%Boise County: +12.0%Bear Lake County: +6.5%Butte County: +5.9%Canyon County: +14.5%Payette County: +8.1%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < +4.7%
  2. < +6.4%
  3. < +7.7%
  4. < +9.9%
  5. ≥ +9.9%
no data

Orange pin: Gem County internal point. Dark pin: Boise.

Internal point

Decimal
44.061500, -116.398800
DMS
44°03'41.40"N 116°23'55.68"W
UTM
11N 548150.9E 4878879.2N
Geohash
9rv4xm0uz
Plus code
85P53J62+JF

Towns in Gem County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Gem County, 8,803 people together, or 40% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Gem County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Emmett with 8,803.

  1. 01Emmett8,803
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Gem County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 7 neighbors for Gem County. The most populous is Ada County, ID, with 535,799 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Boise and the nearest big city

Boise is 32.0 miles SSE of Gem County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Meridian, ID (population 139,740), 31.1 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Eagle, ID (population 33,451), 19.6 miles away.

Gem County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Gem County is 16045: state code 16 for Idaho plus county code 045. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $62,479.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Gem County, Idaho?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 21,857. That is up 2,579 people (13.4%) from the July 2020 estimate of 19,278.

What is the FIPS code of Gem County?

16045. The first two digits (16) are Idaho; the last three (045) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Gem County?

Emmett, with 8,803 residents inside Gem County in 2024.

Which counties border Gem County?

7 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Ada County, ID; Canyon County, ID; Payette County, ID; Valley County, ID; Washington County, ID; Boise County, ID; Adams County, ID.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.