Welcome to Boise, Idaho — the “City of Trees”
The crown jewel of the Gem State, Boise is Idaho’s state capital and a cultural treasure. This mid-size, semi-arid city in the Mountain West may not be known for its wet weather, but it has become known as a City of Trees, thanks to its graceful urban canopy and the surrounding woodland that inspired early French fur-trappers to remark on les bois, or the trees.
Boise is now home to nearly 250,000 residents, making it the largest city in the state. At the same time, the greater Treasure Valley region has more than 800,000 residents, including residents of nearby Nampa, Meridian and Caldwell. And many of those residents are newcomers — the region’s popularity has exploded over the past ten years, and there seems to be little sign of slowing down. Remote workers found Boise’s outdoors a haven during the pandemic’s lockdown phase, but many fell in love with the close-knit community and the easier pace of life and have made their move permanent.
While Boise’s housing costs are still moderate compared to the coasts, they are more expensive now than the U.S. average. This is a departure from just a few years ago, when the low cost of living was one of the city’s biggest draws. With 30,000 new residents in the city, 20,000+ in Caldwell, 33,000+ in Nampa, and gains of more than 60,000 in Meridian since 2010, home values in the area have skyrocketed, but income levels seem to be keeping pace. In Boise and Meridian, the median household income exceeds the national average and poverty levels fall below it — both major pluses in a boomtown.
As more and more workers return to traditional office life, the city’s job market has remained diverse and healthy. The unemployment rate in Boise also lags far behind the national average, so if you’re looking for a career move involving an actual job change instead of just a scenic one, Boise offers some enticing options.
With a zoo, an aquarium and plenty of museums and historic sites to explore, Boise’s cultural scene is family-friendly but hip enough for singles to enjoy, too. Concert series in the spring and summer bring major-name headliners to this region known for its remoteness. And when you want to take advantage of that isolation, the Boise National Forest is yours to explore. Grab your mountain bikes, your hiking shoes or your skis and set out on an easy morning trek or a weeklong adventure. In town, there are dozens of parks to enjoy your downtime in, and the 25-mile-long Boise River Greenbelt gives city-dwellers immediate access to nature.
If you’re looking for a friendly slice of urban life in the Western wilds of the U.S., Boise may be for you. Learn more about the city below in our moving guide, where we’ll discuss the pros and cons of living in Boise, Idaho, from the weather to the job and housing markets and our favorite activities in the city.
Pros of Living in Boise
Four-Season Weather
If you’ve assumed a northern city like Boise would be intolerably cold in the winter and mild in the summer, this city’s climate will surprise you. Boise certainly gets its fair share of both cold and snow in the wintertime, but the extremes of this season are largely relegated to higher elevations in the mountains. Boise sits at around 2,850 feet above sea level, and its average snowfall amounts to only 21.5 inches/year. Winter lows average in the 20s from December to February, but highs average above freezing year-round.
Spring is Treasure Valley’s windy season, while fall is just the opposite, and both seasons have mild temperatures — that is, above freezing and below 80°F, on average.
Summer is, perhaps, the most unexpected of all the seasons in Boise. Highs will almost certainly climb above 90°F in July and August, making for scorching days followed by chilly nights, with evening temperatures dropping into the low 60s. But this fever-pitch is usually short-lived — it’s not until the end of June that the city regularly breaks the 80-degree mark consistently and temperatures fall back down to earth by September.
One important thing to note — especially if you’re a gardener — is that, like many Western cities, Boise is remarkably dry. In an average year, you can expect 12-13 inches of rain, but virtually none of that will fall during the peak growing season. You can expect 1-2 inches of rain per month from November through May, but the summertime will be almost completely dry, especially in July and August.
Outdoor Adventures Galore
Boise is built for every kind of outdoor adventure — hiking and biking, kayaking and white-water rafting, golfing and fishing, skiing and snow-tubing.
When the weather has warmed and the muddy season has passed, it’s the perfect time to hit the trails. Ridge to Rivers maintains an impressive trail network for hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders, and there are even trails for motorcycles and e-bikes. The Hull’s Pond Loop is an easy, beautiful hike for families while the aptly named Hard Guy trail was planned for the hiker with something to prove. Table Rock Trail and Stack Rock Trail both provide impressive views of the valley, but if you want to stay closer to town, the Boise River Greenbelt provides 25 miles of pathways along the riverfront, making it easy to train for races or explore the region without getting behind the wheel.
Numerous parks in the city provide a pleasant respite from the workweek. Julia Davis Park is the city’s oldest and one of the best-appointed. It’s got beautiful pavilions, a rose garden and a bandshell, which was originally built in 1928 and named for musician Gene Harris, who also lends his name to the city’s Jazz Festival.
Ann Morrison Park is loaded with activities, so if you’re looking for a picnic party spot, this is it. There are horseshoe pits and a bocce court, along with a disc golf course, a sand volleyball court and even a cricket field. With an archery range and bike terrain park, Boise’s Military Reserve Park has its own setup for adventure. Beginners will enjoy the asphalt pump tracks while more advanced riders will find appropriately challenging trails to match their experience level.
When the snow arrives, everyone will be headed up-mountain to enjoy the powder. The Boise National Forest is prime terrain for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, from easy trails at Whoop Um Up Park N’ Ski to the Cascade area, which is also famous for its salmon fisheries. If you’re looking for downhill action, Bogus Basin is just 16 miles outside the city. The tubing hills are perfect for a low-risk thrill and the alpine courses offer 88 runs of higher-stakes excitement. Once the snows melt, their ropes course, mountain coaster and gravity park make great use of the beautiful, snowless terrain.
Small-Town Vibe, Big-City Perks
As the biggest city in the state, Boise is Idaho’s center of culture. With an expansive art museum, an aquarium and a major arena for concerts and the ECHL Steelheads, Boise’s recreation scene may be bigger than you think.
One of the city’s treasures is the Idaho Botanical Garden, a 32-acre floral oasis where you’ll find dedicated spaces for roses, herbs and vegetables, native plants and even meditation. Kids will love learning about how to grow their own plants in the Children’s Adventure Garden, but the garden offers classes and activities for every age group — including adults — so this can be a great way to meet new people when you first arrive in Boise. In the warmer months, the garden hosts blowout concerts on its Outlaw Field, and this summer’s lineup includes Arcadia; Lyle Lovett; Earth, Wind & Fire; and many others.
Springtime in Boise is welcomed by one of the region’s most unusual events — the Treefort Music Fest. This five-day extravaganza brings together dozens of musical performances, great food and many activities, from comedy to drag shows to skateboarding. Nothing quite certifies Boise’s West Coast spirit like Treefort.
Have you ever wanted to feed an anteater? Hold a slithering snake? Meet a Nile crocodile (from a safe distance)? Well, Zoo Boise is the place to do it! You and your kids can meet over 300 different species, from sloth bears to sand cats, learning what makes each creature special — even the Madagascar hissing cockroach. Ick!
Idaho is home to a prominent Basque community — one of the largest in the U.S. — and there are many ways to engage with Basque culture in Boise. Much like a Little Italy or Chinatown, Boise’s Basque Block is filled with restaurants, a marketplace, historic buildings and the Basque Museum & Cultural Center, a gathering place where you can see performances of traditional music and dance, play Briska and Mus, or just grab a beer or a cortado with your friends.
History buffs and civic-minded newcomers will want to visit the Idaho State Capitol. You can explore the magnificent grounds and buildings, which are known as the Capitol of Light, thanks to architects John Tourtellotte and Charles Hummel, who incorporated large windows, skylights and luminescent marble to amplify natural light in the interior.
Other must-see historical spots include the Boise Depot, the Idaho State Museum, the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights and Anne Frank Memorial and the Idaho Black History Museum — the oldest institution of its kind in the region.
Career and Education Opportunities
The greater Boise area has a large, well-balanced workforce, with strengths in trade, transportation and utilities, education and health services; and professional and business services. The region added 3,600 jobs between January 2024 and January 2025, keeping the unemployment rate at 3.5% — nearly a point below the national average and noticeably lower than the statewide average, as well.
As the home of Boise State University, the city has a well-educated workforce with proficiencies in many fields, and it attracts students and researchers from around the globe. But Idaho has also been attracting another kind of talent of late — tech experts.
Since 2019, the state has seen an uptick of 7.5% in tech jobs, according to PR Newswire. Many have come to work for HP or semiconductor giant Micron Technology. But remote workers tired of the high cost of living in Silicon Valley and other coastal metros have also found Boise’s approachability and lifestyle appealing, and the city has been happy to welcome these new residents, one-third of whom, between 2022 and 2023, moved from California.
Even if you’re not in tech, there are plenty of other companies to work for in the city, including Albertsons, St. Luke’s Health Systems, Saint Alphonsus Health System, Wells Fargo and Citigroup.
Another bonus of living in Boise? Wages. The median household income in Boise is $81,308, giving you more spending power than the average American.
Cons of Living in Boise
Rising Housing Prices
During the pandemic, new residents flocked to the greater Boise area seeking a respite from urban confinement during the lockdown. While the population level in the city proper remained fairly flat between 2020 and 2023, hovering just below 236,000, surrounding areas in Nampa and Meridian swelled more than 10 percent in those 36 months alone. This rapid growth has been both a blessing and a curse for the region, as the economic expansion has also caused real estate prices to spike across the Treasure Valley, leading to housing shortages.
The median home value in the city of Boise has swelled to $456,000 — $150K above the national average — and prices in nearby Meridian are even higher. In Nampa, another popular suburb, housing costs have shot up to $332,500. Rental rates have also increased sharply. Boise’s are now $1,359/month —roughly equivalent to the national average — but Meridian’s have topped $1,700/month, the same as you’d pay in Denver.
Limited Public Transportation
While commuting in the city is far more manageable than in larger metro areas, public transportation in Boise is limited to the bus, so if you intend to go car-free, make sure you check out Valley Regional Transit to ensure you live on a direct route. All buses have front bike racks, but bike commuting is not something everyone is prepared to handle in the winter.
Fewer Cultural Outlets
Boise isn’t as diverse as other cities of its size, and that homogeneity means that you may have to travel to find the cultural experiences you’ve come to expect in other places.
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