Is Idaho a red state?
Yes, and firmly so. Idaho is one of the most Republican states in the country, backed Donald Trump by about 37 points in 2024, and gives the GOP total control of the Capitol in Boise. Here is what the numbers actually show.
Talk to a Idaho agent Explore Idaho →Idaho is one of the reddest states in America
Idaho has not backed a Democrat for president since 1964, one of the longest Republican streaks in the country. In recent years it has become a top destination for conservatives leaving bluer states, which has only deepened its Republican lean. The election results show just how lopsided it has become.
Red and getting redder
Idaho last backed a Democrat for president in 1964 and has been reliably Republican ever since. In 2024 Donald Trump carried it by about 37 points, taking roughly 67 percent of the vote.
The dominance runs down the entire ballot. Republicans hold the governor's office, both U.S. Senate seats, both U.S. House seats, every statewide office, and supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature. Democratic strength is limited mostly to Boise and a couple of resort and college towns.
The pattern is consistent across Idaho's 44 counties. Republicans carry nearly all of them, with Democratic support concentrated in Ada County around Boise, Blaine County near Sun Valley, and Latah County around Moscow.
Four cycles, one direction
2012
Romney won Idaho by nearly 32 points as the state stayed firmly Republican.
2016
Trump won by more than 31 points, sweeping nearly every county.
2020
Trump won by about 31 points as conservative in-migration accelerated.
2024
Trump won by about 37 points, one of his widest margins anywhere.
Unified Republican control
Republicans hold the governor's office under Brad Little, both U.S. Senate seats, both U.S. House seats, every statewide elected office, and supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature. Republican priorities move through Boise with little resistance, and the state has cut its flat income tax repeatedly.
Practically, this means Republican policy priorities move through the legislature with little friction. If you are evaluating Idaho on the basis of policy direction rather than any single election, that unified control matters more than any one result.
What a statewide label does not tell you
Idaho is not uniformly conservative
Boise leans Democratic within an otherwise red Ada County, along with the resort area of Sun Valley and the college town of Moscow. If you are moving to be near like-minded neighbors, the county and the community matter far more than the statewide label.
2026 is an active election year
Idaho holds a governor's race, U.S. House races, and legislative elections in November. In a state this red, the real contests usually happen in Republican primaries, so the statewide lean tells you more about direction than any single result.
None of this changes the underlying answer. A state can be reliably red and still hold competitive individual races. Plan around the place you are actually moving to, not the label.
Idaho's most conservative regions
Kootenai County (North Idaho)
Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls, and Hayden. A booming, deeply conservative lakeside region and one of the country's top relocation destinations.
Canyon County
Nampa, Caldwell, and the western Treasure Valley. Fast-growing, affordable, family-friendly communities near Boise.
Eastern Idaho
Idaho Falls, Rexburg, and the upper Snake River Valley. Deeply conservative, family-centered, with a strong agricultural base.
Twin Falls & the Magic Valley
A growing regional hub with a low cost of living, strong job growth, and heavy Republican margins.
Idaho's Rural Counties
From the northern forests to the high desert. Wide-open spaces, low costs, and overwhelming Republican margins.
Idaho's political makeup, answered
Was Idaho always a red state?
Yes, for generations. Idaho has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1968 and has grown even redder as conservatives have moved in from bluer states.
Is Idaho more conservative than Utah?
By recent presidential margin, they are close. Trump carried Idaho by about 37 points in 2024 and Utah by a somewhat smaller margin. Both rank among the most Republican states, with GOP supermajorities in their legislatures.
Does Idaho have a state income tax?
Yes, but it is flat and falling. Idaho taxes income at a single rate that lawmakers have cut repeatedly, now about 5.3 percent, alongside strong job growth and a low cost of living outside the resort areas.
Which Idaho counties are the most conservative?
By recent voting margin, rural counties across the state are strongly Republican. Among larger counties, Kootenai in the north and Canyon near Boise combine growing populations with wide Republican margins.
How many Idaho counties lean Democratic?
Only a few of Idaho's 44 counties lean Democratic, mainly Ada County around Boise, Blaine County near Sun Valley, and Latah County around Moscow. Republicans carry the rest.
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