Boise City, ID Reviews


131 Reviews



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What BestPlaces Users Say about Boise City

As the capital and largest city of Idaho, Boise City has garnered a lot of attention as a desirable place to live. With its vibrant downtown, outdoor recreation opportunities, and affordable cost of living, it's no surprise that many people have chosen to call this city their home. However, as with any place, there are always varying opinions from those who have experienced living there. Let's take a look at what some users have to say about living in Boise City.

From , JohnB shares his positive experience, stating "Boise is a great place to live! The people are friendly, the city is clean, and there is always something to do." Similarly, user, KatieM, raves about the city's outdoor activities, writing "I love the access to hiking, biking, and skiing. There's always something to do, no matter what season it is." On the other hand, some reviewers have expressed concerns about the city's growth. MaryC from says, "Boise has grown tremendously in the past few years and it's starting to feel crowded. Traffic and housing prices have increased, making it less affordable." Another user, RyanH, echoes this sentiment, stating "The growth of the city has brought in a lot of transplants from other states, which has changed the feel of the community."

 based on 131 Reviews
Get to know Boise City with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Boise City

Boise was the all-American town 30 years ago. - 6/20/2023
The people that made Boise the really appealing small-town America kind of place it was 30-40 years ago are gone. I moved here about 30 years ago. I'm not immediately and automatically disrespectful of people from California, so I don't fit well with Boise's so called "native Idahoan" crowd. I'm a Boomer, so I don't share much of the current or up-and-coming generation's visions for going forward. And yes, the Idaho politics appear to focus more on loyalty to Republican leadership than on the "United" half of "United States". If you're a woman who wants body autonomy, there are other places. If you're LGTBQ1A+ etc., you may need your thick skin. If you aren't LDS or at least comfortable with LDS, realize that there's a higher concentration of Mormons in Boise Idaho than there are in Salt Lake City Utah. If you're not bringing your own skillset, profession, or employment (professional or entrepreneur) expect job opportunities, wages and benefits to be on par with college student jobs. Read More

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Low wages and Months of hot weather. - 9/6/2022
My wife and I moved here in 2018 with pans to eventually buy a house and start a family. We bought a house at the end of 2019, if we hadn't there's no way we could afford to live here now. We make a combined income of over 90k per year and are just making ends meet. Between the price of food, daycare, fuel and bills there isn't a lot left over. The wages in Idaho are in the Stone Age while the price of basic goods and services is in the space age. Another issue we have is summers are HOT. Way to hot to do anything outdoors. I am thankful for where we are in comparison to other places in the country but we are definitely looking to leave the area in the next couple of Read More

Boise is a Democratic stronghold in deep red ID. - 7/11/2022
Boise is often characterized as a right-leaning city, as Sperling mistakenly did in their synopsis of Boise.

But, the truth is the city its not just blue; it is deep, deep blue. The voting records show Boise is on the brink of being like Boulder and Bend, and trending more Read More

Wonderful city with incredible outdoor lifestyle - 10/1/2021
We’ve been in Boise for about two years. To be upfront about my biases, we love it here, so keep that in mind. That said, this review is my attempt to provide a balanced assessment of the pros and cons so that those considering a move can make an informed decision.

Boise is situated in the high desert at the base of the foothills of the Sawtooth range. It’s an interesting mix of urban and the great outdoors. It has a moderately sized downtown, year-round fly fishing, nearby skiing, approximately 200 miles of hiking/biking trails, paved paths along a river greenbelt, beautiful city parks, emerging foodie scene, thriving university, international airport, and much more. The city is situated within easy reach of wilderness areas and the great outdoors is available in all directions. Boise isn’t “the best” in any single category, but the combination of everything together is what really makes it stand out.

Downtown: Boise’s downtown has buildings of moderate Read More

Crowded House - 7/29/2021
Looking for a rental?  On 7/28/21 Boise Dev reported Boise rent prices have gone up faster than anywhere in the US. They've jumped 39% since March 2020.

According to the Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker, Boise is second only to Los Angeles for reported rental scams per capita. 7/23/21

Looking to buy a home? The median home price in Ada County was $525,000 in June  according to the Intermountain Multiple Listing Service. The median price of a new home was $552,200.

Planning on driving somewhere? A new study says Boise has the worst rush hour in the United States. According to the Idaho Statesman on 2/16/21.

If you like breathing, you might be interested in the air quality. Boise is in a valley. In addition to all the smoke we get from forest fires in the Summer we get inversions in the Winter. I hope you like the mountains, because if you want to see the sun during an inversion, you've got to drive up into the hills. Read More

Racist & boring - 7/15/2021
Boring ass place full of Read More
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Lame Duck City and County - 7/10/2021
Lived in Boise for 16 and half years. Sorely disappointed in the changes. Understand why the natives feel like their lands stolen from them and how a small all American town has become the ugly cancer most of the country is. Sold out by those in power, precious idaho area is lost Read More

Moved from East coast to Boise - 7/5/2021
Boise is a mix of everything. I would say predominantly republican but ever changing. Four seasons which we really enjoy since we like snow sports. The snow we get often melts off without needing to plow. There is ample snow in the higher elevations (Bogus Basin) and in mountain towns like Cascade, Donnelly and McCall, Idaho City for skiing, snowmobiling, etc. Easy access to jobs, shopping and recreation (such as hiking, biking, ATV trails, Greenbelt, kayaking, fishing, lots of public parks, skiing, etc) from downtown and surrounding areas. We have ridden ATVs in the desert area and snowmobiles in the mountains in the same weekend. People are pleasant and helpful here. Head downtown to check out the vibrant dining establishments and entertainment. I would feel safe downtown after dark. Great restaurants in surrounding towns also. Although the population continues to increase, Boise does not seem to be nearly as crowded as other major Pacific Northwest cities. The one down Read More

Was great once but has lost its way - 6/17/2021
Have lived here for nearly 30 years. Used to be a place where you never had to lock your car or door - you have to now. Property taxes are skyrocketing; people who live here can't afford a house or even an apartment. Greedy developers and "investors" are land-grabbing every lot in sight. Developers seem to have council members in their pockets and are putting up unsightly "communities" for exorbitant prices/rents.

Wages are stagnant and absolute nutjobs have taken over state government/ school boards pedaling every ridiculous conspiracy you can think of.

It's a shame to see the decline. It used to be the friendly, relatively conservative, common sense place. Read More

Greed and corruption has taken over - 5/6/2021
There should be limits to expansion and unnecessary growth. The almighty dollar has changed the natives minds and they move to smaller towns. Then more move into smaller towns. Quit selling out your own Read More

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