Chapter 1
IDAHO
POWER RANKING - #2
Sawtooth Mountains
ABOUT IDAHO
Alright, so Idaho. Yeah, Idaho. The place you think about when you want potatoes and... more potatoes. Picture this: you’re strolling around Boise—if you can call anything in Idaho a “stroll”—and you meet this guy named Buck. Of course, his name’s Buck. Every dude in Idaho is either Buck or something that sounds like it was ripped straight from an action movie. He’s wearing flannel, jeans, and a trucker hat that looks like it’s been through a couple of bear attacks. The dude’s beard? It’s not just facial hair; it’s like a statement—like he’s saying, “Yeah, I could probably build a cabin with my bare hands if I wanted to.”
Now, Buck isn’t your average guy who watches Yellowstone and thinks he’s an outdoorsman. No, no, Buck is the guy they based that show on. He’s out here hunting elk, fishing for trout, and camping in the kind of places where you either come back with a story or you don’t come back at all. And while he’s telling you this, he’s sipping on some craft beer that was brewed in a shed by a guy named Gus, who lives up in the mountains and probably hasn’t paid taxes since the ’90s.
Let’s talk history for a second. Idaho was the last place European fur traders even bothered to look at. They were like, “You know what, let’s check out literally everywhere else before we get to Idaho.” Then, in the 1840s, a bunch of New England Yankees hit the Oregon Trail, dragging themselves through southern Idaho, probably thinking, “This place better be worth it.” Meanwhile, up in the north, you’ve got miners chasing gold and silver and loggers chopping down everything they can get their hands on. Then, like every place in the West, Mormons started showing up, making Idaho their northern outpost. But you know who really made an 113
impact? The Basques. Yeah, Basques. I don’t know how they ended up in Idaho, but there they are, changing politics and probably eating more lamb than anyone else around.
Now, this place wasn’t exactly the Garden of Eden until Uncle Sam decided to step in with water reclamation projects. They basically turned the Snake River Valley from a wasteland into prime farmland. That volcanic soil? It’s a potato’s dream come true. And here’s a fun fact: Idahoans drink more wine per capita than Californians. Yeah, Idahoans. You know, the same people who can’t live without potatoes also apparently have a thing for wine.
And potatoes? Yeah, they’re big. But let’s not forget the barley, the sugar beets, and the hops. Idaho’s like the secret MVP of the beer world. Oh, and the dairy industry? It’s massive. They’re producing so much milk that potatoes are basically a side gig at this point. Chobani’s got a yogurt plant in Twin Falls, and it’s like the Amazon warehouse of yogurt. Just cranking out Greek yogurt like it’s going out of style.
But let’s talk about the real Idaho success story: J.R. Simplot. This guy? He dropped out of eighth grade, figured out how to freeze French fries, and then sealed a deal with a little place you might’ve heard of—McDonald’s. Yeah, McDonald’s. That’s how this guy becomes the king of potatoes and a billionaire. Then he’s like, “You know what? Let’s get into tech.” He funds Micron Technology and boom, Idaho’s not just making potato chips; they’re making actual chips for computers.
And here’s the kicker: Idaho’s exporting more electronic components than potatoes now. Yeah, they’ve traded one kind of chip for another. The Idaho National Laboratory is out here doing research on nuclear stuff, cyber security, and all that top-secret government stuff that, frankly, doesn’t seem like it should be happening in a state most people forget about until they’re eating fries.
So, Idaho—more than just potatoes, but let’s be real, the potatoes are still a pretty big deal.
VITAL STATISTICS
Nickname: Idaho is often informally referred to as “The Gem State” due to its abundance of natural resources and scenic beauty.
Joined Union: Idaho became the 43rd state in the United States on July 3, 1890.
Size: Idaho covers approximately 83,569 square miles, making it the 14th largest state by land area in the country.
Ethnicity:
White: Approximately 83-85% of Idaho’s population identifies as White.Hispanic or Latino: Around 12-14% of the population in Idaho identifies as Hispanic or Latino.Native American: The Native American population constitutes about 1-2% of Idaho’s residents, with several Native American tribes having a presence in the state.Asian: The Asian population in Idaho is relatively small, accounting for less than 2% of the state’s residents.
College Grads:
Bachelor’s degree: Roughly 26-28% of Idahoans aged 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree.
Master’s degree: Approximately 8-10% of the same age group have earned a master’s degree.
GROWTH OF THE STATE
Population: As of the most recent estimates, Idaho has a population of over 1.8 million people, making it the 39th most populous state in the U.S.
HIGH CRIME AREAS
Cities with crime rate over the National Average: According to the FBI UCR data, in 2022, among Idaho cities with a population of at least 10K,
Lewiston had the highest Total Crime Rate per 100K residents (2,834.84)
Pocatello suburb Chubbuck (2,799)
Boise suburb Garden City (2,663.08)
Blackfoot (2,589.05)
National Average (2500)
To read more please click here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FDTWVPHR
