Gem County, Idaho Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Gem County is located in Idaho with a total population of 20,614. It is the 19th most populous county out of 44 in Idaho. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Gem County is 44.2 years. This is 18% higher than the state median of 37.3 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Gem County is $64,605. This is 17% lower than the state median of $77,800. It is also 20% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.0%. This is 13% higher than the state poverty rate of 10.6%. The unemployment rate is 2.9%. This is 21% lower than the state rate of 3.7%. The median home value is $428,700. Housing costs are 2% higher than the state median of $418,600. The home-value-to-income ratio of 6.6x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 76.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 5% higher than the state average of 72.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Gem County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 83.5% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 9.7%. The Black or African American population (0.0%) is well below the state average of 0.7%.

Education

20.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 35% lower than the state rate of 31.8%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 89.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Gem County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Idaho and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.