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Rick Carr

Cell (208) 818-0188

Direct (208) 665-2614

rickc@c21beutler.com

Idaho's labor pool is strong, with a variety of skill levels. As a right-to-work state, and also an employment-at-will state, businesses and employees may choose to have either union or non-union operation or employment.

Between 1993 and 2003, Idaho was the sixth fastest growing state in terms of population, while Kootenai County was the fourth fastest growing county in Idaho. Kootenai County's population increased 42.1% during that time frame. Roughly 2,970 more people moved into the county each year than moved out.

The rapid population growth brought in a large group of people with varied skills; roughly half of whom joined the labor force. The population influx kept the unemployment rate relatively high, despite strong growth. Since 1990, the county's annual unemployment rate always has exceeded 7 %. In 2003, it was 7.3 %. The population influx also kept wages in check.

In June of 2003, Coeur d'Alene was designated as a new Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) by the US Census Bureau. The new "Coeur d'Alene MSA" includes all of Kootenai County, Idaho.

Categories:

Population

Percent of Population
In Age Groups

Real Estate & Property Taxes

Property Tax Allocation

Economy

Crime Statistics

Climate

Utilities

Government

Taxes

Education

Transportation

Retirement

Healthcare

Facts

Arts & Entertainment

Recreation

Population (back to top)

	1980	1990	% Change 1980-1990	2000	% Change 1990-2000
Coeur d'Alene	22,309	24,561	10.1%	34,514	40.5%
Hayden	2,586	4,888	89%	9,159	87.4%
Kootenai County	59,770	69,795	16.8%	108,685	55.7%
State of Idaho	944,127	1,006,749	6.6%	1,293,953	28.5%
United States	226,546,000	248,765,170	9.8%	281,421,906	13.1%

Idaho was the fifth fastest growing state in the 1990s, and Kootenai County was the third fastest growing county in Idaho. - Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Percent of Population In Age Groups (back to top)

	Kootenai 1990	US 1990	Kootenai 2000	US 2000
Persons under age 15	23.1%	21.7%	22.4%	21.4%
Persons age 15-34	27.1%	32.1%	26.0%	28.1%
Persons age 35-54	27.6%	25.2%	30.0%	29.4%
Persons age 55-64	8.9%	8.5%	9.4%	8.6%
United States	13.4%	12.5%	12.3%	12.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Real Estate & Property Taxes (back to top)

Real Estate

Americans from New York to California are not only finding the right community in North Idaho, they are provided with hundreds of choices for real estate investment that fit their lifestyle wants and desires. Waterfront to mountain top locations, acreage to condominium living, the retirement centers to the historic Fort Grounds district provide real estate investors with ample opportunity throughout North Idaho! For a complete list of member realtors who continually reinvest in this community through the Coeur d'Alene Area Chamber of Commerce, please refer to our business directory. Also, check out property management to assist you with permanent or temporary living accommodations. Chamber member hotel and motel properties are also listed.

Board of Realtors
www.cdarealtors.com

Average Cost of New Construction*
• Residential $36.60 sq. ft.
• Commercial $61.4 7 sq. ft.

Source: City of Coeur d'Alene, 1999
*Excludes cost of land

Percentage of Home Owners in Kootenai County
• Homeowners 71.2%
• Rentals 28.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1990

Median Sales Price of a Single Family Home

	2000 (3rd Qtr)	1999	1998
Coeur d'Alene, ID	$116,571	$117,161	$109,475
Bend, OR	162,000	135,000	125,500
Spokane, WA	103,700	106,800	108,600
Los Angeles, CA	222,200	208,300	192,600
Seattle, WA	299,300	n/a	175,300
Sun Valley/Ketchum, ID	365,000	317,500	317,000
Portland, OR	173,100	165,000	159,800

*This represents an average price
Source: National Association of Realtors, Coeur d'Alene Assoc. of Realtors, Ada County Assoc. of Realtors

Property Tax Allocation (back to top)

Economy (back to top)

The traditional base of Coeur d’Alene’s strong economy lies in the natural resources industry. Surrounding forests provide ample timber for mills to convert to boards and plywood. To the east, the Silver Valley at one time was home to the richest mining district in the world. These industries provided good paying jobs although they were subject to cyclical economic downturns. While these enterprises continue today, Coeur d’Alene’s economic base has expanded to include many new industries.

Tourism has had a long history in the area and currently is the largest industry in the Coeur d’Alene area. People visit here to enjoy the natural beauty of Lake Coeur d’Alene. Throughout the last decade, the development of the Coeur d’Alene Resort, Silverwood Theme Park, and the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course have made Coeur d’Alene a world class destination. Tourism-related businesses provided more than 5,900 jobs with wages and salaries equaling more than $66 million in 1999.

More recently, the Coeur d’Alene region businesses have developed a mixture of high-tech manufacturing, light manufacturing firms and high-end customer service centers. Harpers Manufacturing, the largest light-manufacturing firm in the area, provides solid employment for 550 employees. Advances in telecommunications operations have also attracted large customer service centers to the area including Verizon Communications’ National Open Markets and Digital Subscriber Line Order Centers, Center Partners which provides incoming customer service for telecommunications companies, and retailer Coldwater Creek. Recently Metropolitan Mortgage and Securities announced it will locate some of its insurance administration operations here bringing at least 50 and possibly 100 new employees to town. These types of new industries provide a continued diversification of the area and greater economic stability and show the continued vitality of our economy. To serve potential manufacturers or commercial businesses, the area has more than 11 industrial parks.

Major Employers in Kootenai County - 2001

Company	Employees	Type
Hagadone Hospitality	1200	Tourism/Service
Kootenai Hospital District	1148	Health Care
North Idaho College	985	Community College
Coeur d'Alene School District	963	Public Schools
Center Partners	730	Outsource Sales
US Government	662	Federal Govt
Kootenai County Government	596	County Govt
State of Idaho	565	State Govt
Harpers	550	Furniture Manufacturer
Lakeland School District	510	Public Schools
Verizon Communications	445	Communications
Coeur d'Alene Tribal Bingo	400	Amusement
Post Falls School District	383	Public Schools
Advanced Input Devices	355	Control Panels/Keyboards
Stimson Lumber	337	Lumber & Wood Products
City of Coeur d'Alene	294	City Govt
Coldwater Creek	272	Catalog Call Center
Manito Super 1 Foods	260	Grocery Store

Source: Journal of Business

Employment and Wages by Industry (Kootenai County)

	Number of Jobs	Total Wages & Salaries
Agriculture	53	$771,790
Mining	127	11,885,520
Construction	3,323	96,709,379
Lumber & Wood Products Manufacturing	1,581	56,410,782
Other Manufacturing	3,405	100,574,248
Transportation, Communications and Utilities	1,510	50,974,400
Wholesale Trade	1,635	55,580,093
Retail Trade	9,911	163,578,055
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate	1,868	62,455,870
Services	12,135	256,378,763
Federal Government	693	27,251,005
State Government	829	26,026,158
Local Government	6,798	182,165,152
TOTAL	43,867	1,090,761,215

Source: Idaho Department of Labor

Median Family Income

	1990	2000	Growth
Kootenai County	$30,013	$42,905	43.0%
State of Idaho	$29,472	$43,490	47.3%
United States	$35,225	$50,046	42.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Labor Force

	Total Employment	Total Unemployment	Rate
City of Coeur d'Alene (2001)	18,417	1,239	6.3%
Kootenai County (2001)	51,216	4,575	8.2%
City of Coeur d'Alene (1991)	11,512	767	6.2%
Kootenai County (1991)	33,377	2,873	7.9%

Source: Idaho Department of Labor

Economic Development Efforts

There are several local organizations actively promoting economic development in Northern Idaho. The missions, goals, and services provided by these organizations complement the services offered by the Coeur d’Alene Area Chamber of Commerce. These include Jobs Plus, Inc, Panhandle Area Council Inc. and the Idaho Small Business Development Center.

Jobs Plus, Inc., is a non-profit economic development corporation, formed in 1987 to expand the diversification of the economic and employment base for out-of-state companies considering relocation or expansion to Kootenai County. By 1999, more than 61 companies had relocated to Northern Idaho, now employing 2,660 workers and paying more than $62 million annually in wages. These companies have invested more than $140 million in capital projects in the community.

Jobs Plus, Inc. • 1.800.621.5600 or 208.667.4753
jobsplus@ior.com

The Panhandle Area Council Inc. (PAC) is a non-profit, certified Economic Development Corporation organized to aid in diversifying and stabilizing the area’s economy. The council serves the five northern counties of Idaho and assists small businesses in their start-up or expansion.

Panhandle Area Council • 208.772.0584
jimd@pacni.org

The Idaho Small Business Development Center (ISBDC) is a small business assistance program serving small business owners and managers in starting or expanding businesses. It also assists in business plans, cash flow projections, organizational development, marketing/advertising plans, loan assistance information and new venture analysis. The center is funded by a grant from the Federal Government, funds from the State, and money from North Idaho College.

ISBDC • 208.769.3284
jalynn@nidc.edu

Crime Statistics (back to top)

	Kootenai County per 100,000	State of Idaho per 100,000	United States per 100,000
Murder	3.8	2.9	6.3
Rape	38.4	31.0	34.4
Robbery	27.8	21.3	165.2
Aggravated Assault	289.8	225.8	360.5
Burglary	834.9	667.0	862.0
Larceny	2,037.4	2,567.8	2,728.1
Motor Vehicle Theft	208.4	184.6	459.0
Arson	22.1	24.7	24.6

Source: Uniform Crime Reports, Idaho Department of Law Enforcement, FBI

Climate (back to top)

	Kootenai County per 100,000	State of Idaho per 100,000	United States per 100,000
Murder	3.8	2.9	6.3
Rape	38.4	31.0	34.4
Robbery	27.8	21.3	165.2
Aggravated Assault	289.8	225.8	360.5
Burglary	834.9	667.0	862.0
Larceny	2,037.4	2,567.8	2,728.1
Motor Vehicle Theft	208.4	184.6	459.0
Arson	22.1	24.7	24.6

Source: Uniform Crime Reports, Idaho Department of Law Enforcement, FBI

Utilities (back to top)

Government (back to top)

Taxes (back to top)

Idaho State tax revenues come from a mix of individual and corporate income, sales, and property taxes. This “three legged stool” approach provides a stable base with which to fund public services without burdening any sector.

Property taxes provide the majority of tax revenues used to fund local government services. The average property tax levy rate in Kootenai County is 1.4% of the taxable value of property. A homeowner’s exemption is available on a primary residence; this exemption reduces the taxable value of a house by 50 percent up to a maximum of $50,000.

Businesses are required to collect and remit a 5% tax on retail sales, and on the use, consumption or storage of tangible personal property in the state.

Corporate income tax applies at the rate of 7.6% on Idaho taxable income. Personal state income tax is based on the taxable income of individuals. With limited exceptions, taxable net income is as defined in the Internal Revenue Code. Tax rates for individuals vary from 1.6 to 7.8 %, based on their taxable net income.

Idaho State Tax Commission
208.769.1500 or toll free at 1.800.972.7660
www2.state.id.us/tax

Motor Vehicle Registration

For cars and pick-up trucks, depending on the year and make of the vehicle, the fee is generally between $30 and $60. For more information, contact the Department of Motor Vehicles - Auto Licensing at: 208.769.4448. For drivers license information, contact Drivers Licensing at: 208.769.4466.

Education (back to top)

The Coeur d'Alene area is very proud of its local and regional educational system. The area's network of public schools, private schools, community colleges and universities provide a multitude of options for lifelong learning. Within a 60 mile radius of Coeur d'Alene there are several educational facilities offering undergraduate and graduate programs including North Idaho College, Lewis-Clark State College, University of Idaho-Coeur d'Alene Center, Gonzaga University, Eastern Washington University, Washington State University and Whitworth College.

Coeur d'Alene School District #271
	Fall 2002	Fall 2001	Fall 2000
Student Enrollment	9,185	9,149	9,181

The Coeur d'Alene School District serves 9,185 students with its 2 high schools, 3 middle schools, 1 alternative high/middle school, and 10 elementary schools. The district has a dedicated staff of 536 teachers, 31 administrators and 304 support personnel to provide quality education for the Coeur d'Alene, Hayden and Dalton communities. All schools are accredited and two high schools have merit status.

A Skyway Elementary teacher, Patti Perry, was recently named 2003 Idaho Teacher of the Year, the third such honor for the district in five years. Past recipients are Hayden Meadows teacher Judy Bieze (1999) and Ramsey teacher Nancy Larsen (2000).

Other awards received by district staff this year include Elementary Environmental Educator of the Year, Teri Burch of Fernan Elementary, and Idaho Secondary Physical Education Teacher of the Year, Harry Selby of Project CDA. In August, Linda Turner was named Outstanding Food Service Director of the Year for Idaho and, in October, School Bus Fleet magazine named the district's transportation operation as one of 50 Great Fleets Across America. SchoolMatch, a nationwide corporate relocation service, has given a "What Parents Want" designation to the district for seven consecutive years.

The District works hard to provide numerous learning and enrichment opportunities and to help all students meet Idaho's new Performance Standards. In addition to numerous Honors and Advanced Placement courses, high school students who qualify may enter a dual enrollment program with North Idaho College or take advanced technical and specialized courses at Riverbend Professional Technical Academy, a collaborative effort with Post Falls and Lakeland districts.

The District appreciates the strong support of the business community and governmental agencies. Partnerships with the City of Coeur d'Alene Police Department and Kootenai Medical Center provide five school resource officers and four school nurses.

North Idaho College (NIC)

North Idaho College
	Fall 2002	Fall 2001	Fall 2000
Student Enrollment	4,222	4,133	4,049

Founded in 1933, North Idaho College is a comprehensive community college offering a wide array of academic, professional-technical, and workforce training programs. NIC enrolls over 4,200 students in its academic courses and an additional 8,000 in various non-credit programs through its Workforce Training Center in nearby Post Falls. The college's beautiful 44-acre campus is located on the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene and the Spokane River making it a perfect setting for it's excellent outdoor recreation program. A new state-of-the-art residence hall is the new home for 200 on-campus residents and a newly remodeled student union is the center for numerous student activities and services. The college is well-known for its excellent nursing program and nationally acclaimed, awarding-winning student newspaper.

North Idaho College serves as a center for the performing arts, is home to an outstanding intercollegiate athletic program, and is the site for many community sponsored events. NIC's 1,148-seat auditorium houses performances by the college choir, jazz and symphonic bands, madrigal singers, and theatre groups. Complementing the arts, is a full array of athletic teams including the Cardinal wrestling program that has won a total of 12 national championships.

North Idaho College instructors are dedicated teachers, committed to student success which is enhanced with an average class size of 20 students. Credits earned for an associate of arts or associate of science degree transfer automatically to any Idaho public college or university. As an accredited college, NIC's credits transfer to most institutions across the country. For information, call the NIC Admissions Office at (208) 769-3311

Lewis-Clark State College - Coeur d'Alene Center

Lewis-Clark State College - Cd'A Center
	Fall 2002	Fall 2001	Fall 2000
Student Enrollment	300	300	250

Located on the North Idaho College campus, Lewis-Clark State College-Cd'A provides baccalaureate degree completion programs to the residents of northern Idaho. The Center offers the final two years of baccalaureate degrees in Business Administration, Communication Arts, General Studies, Justice Studies, Nursing (BSN), and Social Work (BSW). Courses are offered in intensive formats mainly in the evenings, and weekends to meet the needs of working students. Eligible students may earn college credit for work, military and vocational/technical experiences to apply to certain degrees.

University of Idaho-Coeur d'Alene Center (UI-CDA)

University of Idaho-Cd'A Center (UI-CDA)
	Fall 2002	Fall 2001	Fall 2000
Student Enrollment	n/a	700	747

University of Idaho-Coeur d'Alene center was established in 1981 to provide continued growth in a wide range of quality educational opportunities for Coeur d'Alene residents. Current programs draw from the Colleges of Education and Letters and Science. Programs include degrees in elementary education, K-12 physical education, K-12 special education, environmental science; graduate degrees in education, educational administration, counseling and human services, vocational teacher and adult education; and two specialist degrees.

The UI-CDA collaborates with other educational institutions and community groups and has assumed an active roll in educational and research projects. The Thomas O. Bell New Century Classroom provides the most current technological advances for public school teachers and students. The UI Research and Development Park links economic development strategies with University research and technologies. The Northern Idaho Center for Higher Education (NICHE) is a coalition of UI, North Idaho College, Lewis-Clark State College and Idaho State University to combine services for expanded educational opportunities. The directors of the UI-CDA, Washington State University-Spokane, and Gonzaga University are developing a collaborative agreement to combine programs to assist the communities and patrons of eastern Washington and Northern Idaho.

The University of Idaho Research Park is the Inland Northwest's campus focus for research and technology companies wanting to create or continue working relationships with the University. At its completion, the park will be home to approximately 25 large companies and many smaller, technology-based companies, which will interact with the University and each other.

Cd'A School District Resources
311 N. 10th Street
208.664.8241; fax 208.664.1748
www.sd271.k12.id.us

Find out about Coeur d'Alene and surrounding area School Districts. Learn where to contact these schools and find out more about our school systems. Consists of 29 valuable resource sites for Districts 271 (Cd'A), 273 (Post Falls), and 272 (Lakeland).

Lewis-Clark State College
715 River Avenue
208.666.6707; fax 208.666.6712
www.lcsc.edu

North Idaho College
1000 W. Garden
208.769.3300; fax 208.769.7760
www.nic.edu

University of Idaho
1000 W. Hubbard, Ste. 242
208.667.2588; fax 208.664.1272
www.uicda.uidaho.edu

Idaho Career Information System
www.cis.idaho.gov

Provides info on occupations, schooling, financial aid, and the world of work. You can also sort colleges and universities based on your own needs and preferences.

Transportation (back to top)

Coeur d'Alene is located on I-90 and US Highway 95, and is easily accessed by travelers and residents. The city is just 32 miles east of Spokane, Washington. The Spokane International Airport has daily non-stop flights to all major hubs with scheduled flights from Horizon, Alaska, United, Northwest, Southwest, Delta Airlines, Air Canada, Big Sky Airlines, and America West.

The Coeur d'Alene Airport which serves the General Aviation community is located seven miles north of Coeur d'Alene. It is the home to over 135 corporate and private aircraft and provides access for aviation education, emergency medical transport and is the home base for the U.S Forest Service Fire-Fighter Bomber. The airport has two runways, the longest being 7,400 feet with an instrument landing system (ILS) for all weather operations. The airport is capable of operating as a certified weather alternate for Spokane to accommodate commercial traffic such as DC 9's and Boeing 727's.

Bus transportation is available through North Idaho Community Express (NICE) which offers door-to-door bus service around North Idaho, as well as OmniBus and Payless Airport Shuttle.
Mileage from Coeur d'Alene:

• Boise, Idaho 318
• Calgary, Alberta 411
• Missoula, Montana 167
• Portland, Oregon 377
• Salt Lake City, Utah 687
• San Francisco, California 897
• Seattle, Washington 312
• Spokane, Washington 32
• Sun Valley, Idaho 481

Retirement (back to top)

Healthcare (back to top)

Quality health care is critical to a strong community, and Coeur d'Alene is well served. Kootenai Medical Center, an award-winning regional health care facility, has a long history of providing modern, high-quality health care services in an environment where caring and compassion are the rule.

The 225 bed state-of-the-art facility features a specialized emergency room center, critical care units, and excellent pediatrics, obstetrics, oncology, and rehabilitation departments. KMC is also dedicated to providing the community with information about the latest health-related issues and hosts several public and medical professional forums. Health screenings are routinely held at the hospital and in the community. The KMC volunteer program is one of the finest in Idaho.

The area also offers many other outstanding health and medical facilities. The North Idaho Immediate Care Centers recently opened its third office building in the Coeur d'Alene area to provide emergency care for those in need. The North Idaho Cancer Center is known throughout the Northwest for its Oncology/Hematology Diagnostic treatment and research.

North Idaho Behavioral Health, is a division of KMC, provides separate units for children, adolescents and adult care for mental health and chemical dependency services. It offers dual diagnosis programs for chemical dependency and psychiatric care, a 24-hour crisis line, crisis assessment, and a mental health referral system. The counseling center offers individual and group therapy, couple and family therapy, and AA meetings held on location. Coeur d'Alene is home to a large number of professional doctor and dentist offices, day surgery, alternative health care offices, massage facilities and pharmacies to address your health care needs.

Kootenai Medical Center
www.kmc.org

North Idaho Public Health Info
www.niphin.phd1.state.id.us

Health Information
www.nicon.org/communityhealth

North Idaho Web Portal for Health Information.

Facts (back to top)

Arts & Entertainment (back to top)

Recreation (back to top)

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