Should I Move To
Boise City, Idaho comes in at about 234,192 residents. Cost of living comes out moderate — essentially matching the national average. Rent typically lands near $1,223/mo, and the median household income is about $76,402. Overall, 64/100 on our composite score, which works out to a C+, putting it at #61 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 99 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's moderate territory. With median rent at $1,223/mo and median household income at $76,402, housing takes about 19% of gross income — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Homes typically value around $401,800.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect four-season weather — summers near 88°F, winters around 27°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 12 inches annually. Some neighborhoods are walkable; others aren't. A car is useful, but not required everywhere. On crime, it scores well — incidents per capita run noticeably under the national average. Air quality reads good (AQI 34).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
On the families profile, Boise City sits squarely in the middle. It earns 66/100 (grade B-) on the families profile. Strongest on environmental quality (91/100); weakest on climate (18/100).
On the retirees profile, Boise City sits squarely in the middle. It earns 59/100 (grade C) on the retirees profile. Strongest on environmental quality (91/100); weakest on climate (18/100).
On the remote workers profile, Boise City sits squarely in the middle. It earns 62/100 (grade C+) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on environmental quality (91/100); weakest on climate (18/100).
On the young professionals profile, Boise City sits squarely in the middle. It earns 59/100 (grade C) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on environmental quality (91/100); weakest on climate (18/100).
Boise City, Idaho pulls a 64/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C+), currently ranked #61 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Boise City's cost-of-living index is 99 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the moderate band — essentially matching the national average. Median rent runs about $1,223/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 88°F, winter averages around 27°F, with about 12 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 64/100. Some neighborhoods are walkable; others aren't. A car is useful, but not required everywhere.
Boise City has about 234,192 residents, 46% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 38.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Boise City head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Boise City stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Boise City with other Idaho cities scored on UrbRank.
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