Boise City, ID
Census place 1608830 · pop 237,242
Idaho's capital, set against the Boise Foothills and home to the largest Basque community in the United States.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
35 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$484,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
300 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
44 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
63.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
88/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
10.6% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
1135 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
8.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$83,904 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+4.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.1% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
93.7% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.1% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
10.6% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
47.5% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
29.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
19 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.59% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
18.8% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
Not measured for Boise City: Rent. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Boise City, ID a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Boise City scores 56/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 21 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is physical inactivity and its weakest is unhealthy air days. Idaho overall ranks #9 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Boise City, ID?
- Boise City reports 300 violent crimes per 100k and 1135 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Boise City, ID expensive to live in?
- Boise City has a median home value of $484,800 — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Boise City, ID?
- Its weakest measured area is unhealthy air days (35 days) — 8/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Boise City, ID best at?
- Its strongest measured area is physical inactivity (18.8%) — 84/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Idaho's capital, set against the Boise Foothills and home to the largest Basque community in the United States.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.