Housing and tax tradeoff: Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
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Compare Boise and 3 other shortlist cities on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
BoiseDuluthSanta FeSan Diego
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on sunshine, weaker on safety.
Potential dealbreaker: San Diego, California
San Diego, California needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on tax burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route | ||||
| General Info | ||||
| Population | 235,684 | 86,772 | 87,505 | 1,394,928 |
| Population Density | N/A | 1.2k /sq mi | 1.7k /sq mi | 4.2k /sq mi |
| Center Elevation | 2,700 ft(823 m) | 702 ft(214 m) | 6,995 ft(2,132 m) | 66 ft(20 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||||
| Median Home | $485,481 | $279,279 | $572,026 | $972,713 |
| Median Rent | $1,728 | $1,901 | $1,982 | $2,907 |
| Median Income | $76,402 | $63,545 | $67,663 | $98,657 |
| Rent Burden | 27% | 36% | 35% | 35% |
| Climate & Risks | ||||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 323 days/yr | 278 days/yr | 353 days/yr | 346 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 65°F | 52°F | 61°F | 70°F |
| Avg. Low | 43°F | 37°F | 41°F | 56°F |
| Comfort Score | 42/100Challenging | 26/100Challenging | 47/100Mixed | 95/100Excellent |
| Temp Swing | 56°F | 56°F | 49°F | 15°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 15"(38 cm) | 31.18"(79 cm) | 13"(33 cm) | 13"(33 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 30"(76 cm) | 90.2"(229 cm) | 30"(76 cm) | 0"(0 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 462024 modeled avg · 13 days > 100 | Typical: 432024 modeled avg · 15 days > 100 | Typical: 452024 modeled avg · 15 days > 100 | Typical: 612024 modeled avg · 5 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||||
| Walkability | N/A | 36 | N/A | N/A |
| Transit Score | 47 | 33 | N/A | N/A |
| Safety Score | 74 / 100 | 72 / 100 | 51 / 100 | 67 / 100 |
| School Rating | 5.3/10 | 6.3/10 | 5.1/10 | 7.1/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | moderateModerate Risk | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | N/A | N/A | minimalMinimal | minimalMinimal |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 17%Cable: 97% | Fiber: 4%Cable: 79% | Fiber: 2%Cable: 83% | Fiber: 35%Cable: 98% |
| Demographics | ||||
| Median Age | 37.9 years | 34.7 years | 44.5 years | 35.8 years |
| College Educated | 46% | 41% | 44% | 49% |
| Remote Workers | 14% | 9% | 15% | 17% |
| Nature Access | ||||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||||
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move. | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Boise. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Duluth. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Santa Fe. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in San Diego. One featured slot per city |
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