On the western side of the district, in Elmore County, is the Mountain Home Air Force Base. But most of the district subsists on agriculture, with potatoes, sugar beets and grain as the major products. But farms are faring poorly. To replace crops that have declining market value, farmers have expanded into dairy and cheese processing, especially in Twin Falls and Jerome counties.
Tourism is the state's third-leading industry.
With natural wonders like Shoshone Falls and ski resorts like Sun Valley, the 2nd attracts a steady stream of vacationers. Politically, the district consistently votes Republican on the state and national level. In 1992 and '96 presidential elections, only Blaine County, with its resorts, voted Democratic. Nearly 85 percent of all commercial trout sold in the United States are produced in the Hagerman Valley near Twin Falls.