Drowning data
Idaho: Drowning and Boating Data
Official numbers for Idaho: CDC’s drowning death rate, U.S. Coast Guard boating counts and the state’s boating education rule.
Drowning death rate, 2018-2021
1.71
Per 100,000 a year, age-adjusted. U.S.: 1.31
Boating deaths, 2024
4
39 incidents, 16 injured
U.S. Coast Guard, Recreational Boating Statistics 2024 (opens in a new tab)
Boating education
Not required
See the rule below
Idaho Code Title 67, Chapter 70 (Idaho Safe Boating Act) (opens in a new tab)
Key takeaways
- From 2018 to 2021, Idaho’s drowning death rate was 1.71 per 100,000 people a year (age-adjusted), higher than the U.S. rate of 1.31. (CDC Drowning Data (opens in a new tab), 2018-2021)
- CDC’s map places Idaho in the band 1.58-4.40 per 100,000, its highest band. (CDC Drowning Data (opens in a new tab), 2018-2021)
- In 2024, 4 recreational boating deaths were reported by Idaho, from 39 reported incidents. (U.S. Coast Guard, Recreational Boating Statistics 2024 (opens in a new tab), 2024)
- Boating deaths reported by Idaho: 5 in 2020 and 4 in 2024. Small numbers can swing a lot from year to year. (U.S. Coast Guard, Recreational Boating Statistics 2024 (opens in a new tab), 2020-2024)
Drowning in Idaho
CDC counts people by the state they lived in, not where they drowned. Its state rates pool four years, 2018 to 2021.
How the states compare, 2018-2021
Idaho is outlined. Bands are CDC’s map categories, per 100,000 people, age-adjusted.
- 0.74-1.11
- 1.12-1.34
- 1.35-1.57
- 1.58-4.40
- Unreliable (too few deaths)
By state of residence. CDC publishes rates only (no counts) for this period.
Source: CDC Drowning Data (opens in a new tab). Retrieved .
Show the data table
| State | Abbreviation | Average annual age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2018-2021 | CDC map band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | AL | 1.57 | 1.35-1.57 |
| Alaska | AK | 4.40 | 1.58-4.40 |
| Arizona | AZ | 1.42 | 1.35-1.57 |
| Arkansas | AR | 1.88 | 1.58-4.40 |
| California | CA | 1.11 | 0.74-1.11 |
| Colorado | CO | 1.35 | 1.35-1.57 |
| Connecticut | CT | 0.78 | 0.74-1.11 |
| Delaware | DE | 0.83 | 0.74-1.11 |
| District of Columbia | DC | Unreliable (too few deaths) | Unreliable |
| Florida | FL | 2.07 | 1.58-4.40 |
| Georgia | GA | 1.33 | 1.12-1.34 |
| Hawaii | HI | 3.34 | 1.58-4.40 |
| Idaho | ID | 1.71 | 1.58-4.40 |
| Illinois | IL | 1.06 | 0.74-1.11 |
| Indiana | IN | 1.25 | 1.12-1.34 |
| Iowa | IA | 1.08 | 0.74-1.11 |
| Kansas | KS | 1.11 | 0.74-1.11 |
| Kentucky | KY | 1.54 | 1.35-1.57 |
| Louisiana | LA | 2.31 | 1.58-4.40 |
| Maine | ME | 1.45 | 1.35-1.57 |
| Maryland | MD | 1.01 | 0.74-1.11 |
| Massachusetts | MA | 0.83 | 0.74-1.11 |
| Michigan | MI | 1.22 | 1.12-1.34 |
| Minnesota | MN | 1.12 | 1.12-1.34 |
| Mississippi | MS | 1.85 | 1.58-4.40 |
| Missouri | MO | 1.42 | 1.35-1.57 |
| Montana | MT | 2.32 | 1.58-4.40 |
| Nebraska | NE | 0.90 | 0.74-1.11 |
| Nevada | NV | 1.45 | 1.35-1.57 |
| New Hampshire | NH | 1.32 | 1.12-1.34 |
| New Jersey | NJ | 0.77 | 0.74-1.11 |
| New Mexico | NM | 1.62 | 1.58-4.40 |
| New York | NY | 0.74 | 0.74-1.11 |
| North Carolina | NC | 1.20 | 1.12-1.34 |
| North Dakota | ND | 1.17 | 1.12-1.34 |
| Ohio | OH | 1.14 | 1.12-1.34 |
| Oklahoma | OK | 1.75 | 1.58-4.40 |
| Oregon | OR | 1.66 | 1.58-4.40 |
| Pennsylvania | PA | 0.81 | 0.74-1.11 |
| Rhode Island | RI | 1.08 | 0.74-1.11 |
| South Carolina | SC | 1.59 | 1.58-4.40 |
| South Dakota | SD | 1.55 | 1.35-1.57 |
| Tennessee | TN | 1.40 | 1.35-1.57 |
| Texas | TX | 1.44 | 1.35-1.57 |
| Utah | UT | 1.33 | 1.12-1.34 |
| Vermont | VT | 1.30 | 1.12-1.34 |
| Virginia | VA | 1.03 | 0.74-1.11 |
| Washington | WA | 1.50 | 1.35-1.57 |
| West Virginia | WV | 1.36 | 1.35-1.57 |
| Wisconsin | WI | 1.20 | 1.12-1.34 |
| Wyoming | WY | 1.41 | 1.35-1.57 |
| No match. Check the spelling. | |||
Boating in Idaho
U.S. Coast Guard counts of reportable recreational boating incidents, by the state that reported them.
Recreational boating deaths, 2020-2024
Reported by Idaho
By the state that reported the incident (Table 32).
Source: U.S. Coast Guard, Recreational Boating Statistics 2024 (opens in a new tab). Retrieved .
Show the data table
| Year | Incidents | Fatal incidents | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 77 | 5 | 5 |
| 2021 | 57 | 10 | 10 |
| 2022 | 42 | 12 | 15 |
| 2023 | 48 | 7 | 7 |
| 2024 | 39 | 4 | 4 |
Recreational boating in Idaho, 2024
| Measure | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Incidents | 39 |
| Fatal incidents | 4 |
| Incidents with injuries (no deaths) | 16 |
| Incidents with property damage only | 19 |
| Deaths | 4 |
| People injured | 16 |
| Property damage (USD) | $286,437.50 |
| Registered vessels | 92,501 |
| Deaths per 100,000 registered vessels | 4.3 |
| What the state registers | All motorized vessels and sailboats |
Tables 30 and 38 of the report, by the state that reported the incident.
Source: U.S. Coast Guard, Recreational Boating Statistics 2024 (opens in a new tab). Retrieved .
Registered vessels and boating fatality rate, Idaho
| Year | Registered vessels | Deaths | Deaths per 100,000 registered vessels |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 89,332 | 7 | 7.8 |
| 2024 | 92,501 | 4 | 4.3 |
Table 38. What the state registers: all motorized vessels and sailboats. States register different kinds of boats, so rates are not strictly comparable.
Source: U.S. Coast Guard, Recreational Boating Statistics 2024 (opens in a new tab). Retrieved .
Boating education rules
Not required
Idaho's Safe Boating Act sets no general boater education requirement. It requires a court-ordered safe boating course after a second or later boating violation (and after certain other violations), and people who rent a personal watercraft must receive instruction from the rental business and carry an "Idaho PWC renter's acknowledgment of education" form.
Idaho Parks and Recreation (https://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/park-activity/boating/) lists boating courses but does not say who must take one; this summary comes from reading the statute.
Source: Idaho Code Title 67, Chapter 70 (Idaho Safe Boating Act) (opens in a new tab) (statute), checked . This summary is not legal advice: laws change, so check the source before boating.
Read Water Safety in Idaho for local water-safety advice.
Compare every state · Drowning data dashboard
Methodology
- Where deaths are counted
- CDC counts U.S. residents by where they lived, not where the drowning happened.
- CDC’s state rates
- This is the only official, published table of drowning death rates for every state that we found. It pools four years (2018-2021) and gives rates only, not death counts. For the District of Columbia, CDC shows "Unreliable" instead of a rate because there were too few deaths, and so do we.
- Coast Guard boating counts
- The U.S. Coast Guard counts reportable recreational boating incidents that the states, territories and DC report. A boating death can be from drowning, trauma, hypothermia or another cause. These are not the same as CDC’s drowning counts.
- Coast Guard state rows
- State rows follow the state reporting authority. The report says: "The reporting authority can be either the state where the incident occurred, the state in which the vessel was numbered, or, if the vessel does not have a number, the state where the vessel was principally used." USCG lists incidents three or more miles offshore in the Atlantic and Pacific, and nine or more miles in the Gulf of America, separately (not in any state).
- Boating fatality rates
- fatality_rate_per_100k_vessels is deaths per 100,000 registered vessels as printed in Table 38. States register different kinds of boats (see registration_scope), so rates are not strictly comparable between states. Small states can swing widely from year to year.
- Why sources are not mixed
- CDC, the U.S. Coast Guard and WHO count different things in different ways. We keep each source in its own chart and never add their numbers together.
Data last checked . We copy numbers exactly as the source publishes them. We do not estimate, model or add up numbers. Found a mistake? Tell us and we will check it against the source.
Sources
- Drowning Data: "Drowning Deaths by State" (opens in a new tab) CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
- 2024 Recreational Boating Statistics (COMDTPUB P16754.38) (opens in a new tab) U.S. Coast Guard
- Idaho boating education (opens in a new tab) Idaho Code Title 67, Chapter 70 (Idaho Safe Boating Act)
- State FIPS codes and abbreviations (opens in a new tab) U.S. Census Bureau
What you can do today
- Wear a life jacket on every boat ride
How to choose one that fits, for adults and kids.
- Find the right life jacket
Answer a few questions to see which type fits your trip.
- Find swimming lessons near you
It is never too late to learn. Lessons help children and adults.
- Learn the signs of drowning
Drowning is often quiet. Know what it looks like and what to do.
