What's New at the Idaho State Library Vol. Not everything can be reduced to numbers. Used responsibly, however, statistics can be invaluable for quantifying a problem, assessing progress and tracking results.
Governments are among the most trusted and authoritative sources of statistical information.
Idaho state agencies publish figures on state finances, citizen opinion, election results, housing, highway safety, agriculture, and recreation, to name only a few. In this article, we focus on statistical compilations that cover a broad range of socio-economic factors. As a State Data Center for the U.S. Census, the Idaho Department of Commerce publishes several statistical resources useful in all policy areas. Included are figures on the labor force, wages, population, education, taxation, and other factors affecting Idaho's business climate. County Profiles is another useful title, providing comparative data at the county level.