Boise Senior AdvisorWhich counties does Boise Senior Advisor cover?
We cover the five counties of the Boise metropolitan area: Ada, Canyon, Gem, Boise and Owyhee, from the city of Boise to Emmett, Idaho City and Homedale.
| County | Population | Age 65+ | Share 65+ | Median age | Senior RALFs | Nursing homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ada County | 546,141 | 98,764 | 18.1% | 39.1 | 65 | 14 |
| Canyon County | 275,123 | 43,140 | 15.7% | 35.2 | 25 | 7 |
| Gem County | 21,773 | 5,462 | 25.1% | 45.0 | 3 | 2 |
| Boise County | 8,545 | 2,660 | 31.1% | 54.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Owyhee County | 12,661 | 2,545 | 20.1% | 39.7 | 0 | 1 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 county population estimates by age (July 1, 2025); IDHW RALF search; CMS Care Compare.
Why do the rural counties have so little licensed care?
Boise and Owyhee counties together have about 5,200 residents aged 65 and older spread over thousands of square miles, too few to support licensed assisted living, so their families rely on in-home help, home health and hospice, and on facilities in Emmett, Eagle, Caldwell and Nampa.
Gem County is in between: Emmett has assisted living and nursing homes, but specialist care means a trip to Boise or Nampa.
Do all five counties share the same aging services?
Yes: all five belong to Area 3, the Southwest Idaho Area Agency on Aging ((208) 898-7060), which also covers Adams, Elmore, Payette, Valley and Washington counties.
That agency runs the long-term care ombudsman and Adult Protective Services for the whole region, so the same phone number works whether a parent lives in Meridian or Marsing.
How fast is the Treasure Valley's older population growing?
Quickly: the five counties counted about 152,571 residents aged 65 and older on July 1, 2025, and 15,057 aged 85 and older, the group most likely to need assisted living or nursing care.
Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Kuna and Star have grown fast since 2020, mostly with younger families, while Gem and Boise counties are older. New assisted living keeps appearing on IDHW's list as “Proposed” buildings, mostly in Ada and Canyon counties.
Which county should a family search in?
Search where the person who will visit most lives, not where the parent lives now; for most families that means Ada or Canyon County, where nearly all licensed assisted living and nursing homes are.
Families in Boise, Owyhee and Gem counties can still find small homes and in-home help nearby, and the county pages list the nearest licensed alternatives with distances.
Where do the counties' hospitals sit?
Acute-care hospitals are in Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell and Emmett; Boise and Owyhee counties have none, so residents travel to Emmett, Boise, Nampa or Caldwell for hospital care.
Each county page lists the nearest hospitals to its county seat, with approximate straight-line distances.
