WSJ: Small Idaho Town Being Overrun By Californians

Idaho is a popular state.  It's now normal for Gem State to be ranked at the top or the near the top of any state poll when it comes to popularity or quality of life.  Idaho may be a victim of its own success as thousands Americans flood into the Gem State jeopardizing are quality of life.  A reporter from the Wall Street Journal recently detailed how the growth of Star, Idaho has totally changed Ada County's smallest city.  Residents expressed their concern that their dream 'Idaho Life' is gone due to excessive developments of homes without any infrastructure to support them.  Star is Idaho's fastest growing city with a population that has doubled in nine years.

Star was a place where you could get more home for your money.  Now the average home price is 400,000.  This is troubling to Idahoans who live in a state where the average working wage is ranked in at or near the bottom.  Some homeowners tell the Journal that they've had enough and will move further North.

The congestion has become so bad that some residents avoid being on the roads during rush hours.  In the old days, you were more likely to see a tractor on the road than a traffic jam in Star.  Like the rest of the Gem State, property taxes in Star have doubled over the past few years.  The recently elected mayor told the Journal handling growth is job number one.  We wish him luck.  If he succeeds, maybe he can help out the rest of the state.