How The Boise Valley Ranks Nationally
#1 Lowest Cost Metro in Pacific U.S.
KPMG Competitive Alternatives | April 2016
Top 10 Best Air Quality
Realtor.com | April 2016
#6 Best Place to Live
U.S. News & World Report | March 2016
#3 Best Cities for Jobs this Spring
Business Insiders | March 2016
Top 20 Americas Fastest Growing Cities
Forbes | March 2016
Top 10 Best Places to Live 2016 - "The Revamped Rocky Mountain City"
Men's Journal | March 2016
#6 Best Downtown
Livability | March 2016
Hot Cities for Cool Downtown Meetings
Smart Meetings | February 2016
Top 10 Best Capital City
WalletHub | February 2016
Top 5 Places for Millennial Startups
Tech.co | February 2016
Top 10 Hottest Housing Markets of 2016
Zillow | January 2016
Top States for Job Growth - #6
Forbes | January 2016
#1 Most Caring City in America
WalletHub | December 2015
#2 State for Volunteerism
Corporation for National & Community Service | December 2015
#2 Most Artistic Mid-Sized City in America
gogobot | November 2015
Meridian #1 Best City To Live In
USA Today | November 2015
"Meridian, located just outside of Idaho's capital city of Boise, is 24//7 Wall St.'s best city to live in. The city is safe, and jobs have attracted growing numbers of new residents."
Top 20 Greenest Cities in America
WalletHub | October 2015
Top 10 Best Towns for College Football
Time Magazine | September 2015
#2 Best City for Millennial Entrepreneurs
via FastCompany | September 2015
Top 100 Best Places to Live
Livability | September 2015
"Situated at the intersection of where desert meets mountains, the city of Boise's cultural amenities are just as impressive as its natural surroundings. The Boise River flows through the city, past theatres, musuems, great breweries and Boise State University..."
#1 Best Corn Maze to Visit for Family Fun - Meridian, ID
USA Today | September 2015
#3 State with Fastest Job Growth in 2015
Kiplinger via MSN Money | July 2015
The Next Top 10 Cities for Tech Jobs (Boise #7)
via FastCompany | July 2015
Boise has cemented itself as an affordable launch pad for tech careers, attracting major industry employers like Hewlett Packard and Microsoft along with a burgeoning startup ecosystem.
#2 Top Up-And-Coming Cities for Recent College Grads
Forbes | June 2015
#5 Best City for Freelancers
Forbes via a Nerdwallet Study | June 2015
#1 State for Job Growth
Governing.com | May 2015
Top 15 Fastest Growing Cities | Meridian, #9
Yahoo Homes | May 2015
#2 Best City to Move to in 2015
SML | March 2015
#1 City "Where the Jobs Will Be This Spring"
Forbes | March 2015
#4 Best Place to Save Money
Forbes | February 2015
#4 Best Travel-Worthy State Capital
USA Today | January 2015
Top 10 Best Brunch Spots in America (The Fork, Boise)
Mens Journal | January 2015
#11, The 35 Best U.S. Cities for People 35 and Under
Vocativ | December 2014
#3 Most Charitable State
WalletHub | December 2014
Best Under-The-Radar Destinations of 2015
Huffington Post | November 2014
"Boise is known as the best-kept secret in the West for a reason: This former military outpost along the Oregon Trail is a haven of unbeatable hiking, skiing, rafting and mountain biking. Boise proper has a handful of wineries, but it's worth the 40-mile drive into Snake River Valley, where life is officially complete upon drinking the 2010 Late Harvest Riesling."
Top 10 Best Museums for Kids - Discovery Center: Boise, ID
MSN | November 2014
#1 Best College Football Field
USA Today | October 2014
Top 10 Happiest States
WalletHub | September 2014
#5 "Most Fair State Tax Systems" (Idaho)
WalletHub | September 2014
Top 10 Best Places to Live
Livability.com | September 2014
Top 10 Best "Big Cities for Active Families"
Outside Magazine | 2014
"Set in the Northern Rockies with more than 4,300 acres of open space, a whitewater park, and a ski area just outside of town, Boise is a place you move to for outdoor fun."
Top 10 Places You Should "Dare to Go" on Your Global Adventure
CNN | May 2014
#1 Best "Under the Radar Tech Hub"
Sparefoot | May 2014
#1 Best City for Kids
Livability.com | May 2014
#7 Best City in America - "Livability"
AreaVibes | May 2014
Fourth-Highest Percentage of Residents Who Bike to Work
U.S. Census Bureau | 2014
#7 Best Place to Raise a Family
Forbes | April 2014
#1 Lowest Cost of Doing Business in the Pacific U.S.
KPMG's Competitive Alternatives 2014
Top 10 Cities to earn Coffee Bragging Rights
Bustle | April 2014
"With nearly 150 coffee shops, many of them artisanal enough to hang with the big boys in Portland and S.F., this quaint and unassuming-seeming city engages in “Treat. Yo. Self”-level indulgence when it comes to coffee."
#1 Best City to Move to in 2014
SML | March 2014
#1 Region "Getting it Right"
TIME Magazine | March 17, 2014
"Idaho's capital has become a techy boomtown with a thriving cultural scene."
#10 Best Place to Invest in Housing 2014
Forbes | February 2014
Top 24 Best Places to Live & Work 2014
Sunset Magazine | February 2014
Top 25 Best Places to Retire in 2014
Forbes | January 2014
#12 in Top 100 Places to Live 2014
Livability.com | October 2013
#12 Healthiest State
AmericasHealthRankings.org | December 2013
#9 Best State for Expected Job Growth
Forbes, September 2013
#4 Best State for Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneur Magazine, August 2013
#2 Safest Driving City in America
Allstate Insurance Company, August 2013
#7 Safest Cities in America (Boise)
Business Insider, August 2013
#10 Best State for Business
Idaho also ranked #7 for Cost of Doing Business, #5 for Business Friendliness, and #3 for Cost of Living.
CNBC, July 2013
#1 Most Eye Healthy City
VSP Vision Care, June 2013
#2 "America's Top 10 Wine Destinations"
Redbook Magazine, June 2013
#7 Most Entrepreneurial State
CNN Money, June 2013
#3 Best U.S. City to Raise a Family (Boise)
MomItForward.com, May 2013
#3 Best Flyfishing College (Boise State)
Fly Rod & Reel Magazine, May 2013
Top 50 cities for Business Growth
MarketWatch, April 2013
#5 "Five States Experiencing the Most Enjoyment"
Gallup Wellbeing, April 2013
#1 State: Training & Networking Programs, Licensing Regulations, & Ease of Starting a Business
A+ Ranking for Overall Friendliness
Thumbtack (& Kauffman Foundation), April 2013
#9 Spring Break Destinations for Families, 2013
Livability.com, March 2013
#3 Metro Market Leading the Housing Recovery
Forbes, February 2013
#4 Healthiest City for Women
Women's Health Magazine, December 2012
#1 Best City for Men
Men's Health Magazine, December 2012
#4 Best Downtown in America
Livability.com, October 2012
#6 Most Inventive State
CNN Money, October 2012
#3 Best River Town in America
Outside Magazine, September 2012
In 2012, a series of reports and studies from highly regarded sources globally (KPMG, Brookings Institute and Forbes) have singled out the Boise Valley in three key areas:
Cost of Doing Business: KPMG (March 2012) - The Boise MSA is the third lowest-cost place to do business among the 15 largest cities in the Pacific U.S. and Canada (lowest among the Pacific U.S. cities). Click here to read the full study by KPMG, or see below how we ranked with other metros:
Recession Recovery: Brookings Institute (March 2012) - The MetroMonitor lists Boise - "one of the knowledge capitals of the West" and one of the top 20 fastest-recovering cities by growth, employment and housing prices.
Family-friendly environment: Forbes (April 2012) - Of the largest MSAs, Boise ranks #2 on Forbes list of Best Places to Raise a Family (based on median income, overall cost of living, housing affordability, commuting delays, percentage of families owning homes, crime rate and education quality).
Learn more about what others are saying about the Boise Valley and the State of Idaho...
Outside Magazine, 2010 Best Town in the Western U.S.:
"Boise, to put it mildly, has been on a roll. Government, education, and health care remain core industries, but dozens of high-tech startups have moved to town, joining behemoths like Hewlett-Packard and Micron Technology. And while its population has more than doubled in the past 30 years and jaded locals bemoan the sprawl, Boise has managed its growth impressively well: The city is home to nearly 2,000 acres of parks and a 25-mile greenbelt. The outlying areas feel a bit bland, but the older neighborhoods have that Boulder vibe—cruiser bikes, farmers' markets, and prayer flags—only with reasonably priced homes."
Boise
#6 America's Hottest Music Cities
The Atlantic, March 2012
"Fittest Towns of the West"
Sunset, February 2012
#5 Healthiest Cities
Women's Health/Men's Health, January 2012
#2 Five Safest Cities for Driving in America
Allstate Insurance Co., September 2011
#9 Top Entrepreneurship & Innovation
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, June 2011
#8, 10 Best Places to live in the U.S.
CBS Market Watch, August 2011
#7 Long-Term Job Growth Rate
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, June 2011
#5 Best Performing Medium Metro, Summer 2011
Headlight-LLC, October 2011
#10 Best Places to Find A Job
The Fiscal Times, November 2011
#1 Best Adventure Town
Outside Magazine, August 2010
Forbes Magazine's Best Places for Business and Careers:
- #18, May 2011
- #9, May 2010
- #9, May 2009
- #2, May 2008
- #3, May 2007
- #4, May 2006
- #8, May 2005
- #7, May 2004
- #2, May 2003
#2 Top Growth Towns for Families
U-Haul International, Inc., February 2011
#5, America's 15 Most Active Cities
Time Healthland, February 2011
#7 Best Places for Women
Women's Health Magazine, December 2010
Boise State's Bronco Stadium is one of America's Best College Football Stadiums
CNN Travel, November 2011
#62 Best Sports City
SportingNews.com, October 2011
#3, 25 Best Places to Retire
CNNMoney.com, September 2011
#8 Best Place for Paddling in the City
USA Today, August 2011
#17 of 384 Cities for Vitality
Moody's Analytics, April 2011
#20 Most Socially Networked City
Men's Health, March 2011
#6 Best Place to Retire
Yahoo! Finance, September 2010
#8 Most Underrated City in the West
Life Magazine, June 2010
In the West: 20 Towns of the Future
Sunset Magazine, February 2010
#6 Best U.S. Cities for Business
Market Watch, December 2009
Best Downtown in the Rocky Mountain West
Christopher Leinberger-Brookings Institute Scholar, April 2009
#8 Best Mid-size Metropolitan Area
MSNBC.com, March 2009
#5 Best Market for Small Businesses
Bizjournal.com's Best Places to Start a Small Business, February 2009
Award for Municipal Excellence
National League of Cities, November 2008
"North End" Named to Top 10 Best Neighborhoods in the Country
American Planning Association, October 2008
#2 Most Secure U.S. Place
Sperlings, August 2008
#1 Economic Vitality Among U.S. Metro Areas
Brookings Institute Economic Vitality Report, June 2008
#2 Best of the Best Places
MSNBC Top 10 Best Places to Live in the U.S., June 2008
#4 Best Cities to Live
Kiplinger.com Best Cities to Live, Work, and Play, May 2008
#5 Lowest Carbon Footprint
Shrinking the Carbon Footprint of Metro America, Brookings Institution, May 2008
#13 Least Costly Places to do Business
KPMG Least costly metropolitan areas to do business with populations between 500,000 and 1.5 million, April 2008
#13 Job Growth
Forbes Magazine Best Places for Business and Careers, March 2008
Meridian
#2 Best Micro-City - Quality of Life
fDi Magazine, June 2011
#7 Best Micro-City - Economic Potential
fDi Magazine, June 2011
#8 Best Family-Friendly US City
Family Circle Magazine, July 2010
Top 100 towns in the U.S.
CNNMoney.com, July 2010
Caldwell
College of Idaho, #174 of the Top 569 Colleges in America
Forbes Magazine, August 2008
State of Idaho
#3 Highest Projected Percentage Job Growth, 2008-2018
Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 2011
#5 Best Economic Outlook
American Legislative Exchange Council, September 2011
CNBC's America's Top States for Business, 2011
- #5 - Workforce
- #11 - Cost of Doing Business
- #12 - Cost of Living
- #16 - Quality of Life
#10 Job Placement Efficiency
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, June 2011
#7 Long-Term Job Growth Rate
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, June 2011
#9 Top Entrepreneurship & Innovation
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, June 2011
#6 Least Polluting State in the Nation
24/7 Wall Street, December 2010
#9 Healthiest State
America's Health Rankings, November 2010
#13 Best Economic Outlook
American Legislative Exchange Council, September 2010
#13 Best State for Business
Chief Executive Magazine, May 2010
#5 State - Lowest Crime Rate in the Country
CQ Press, April 2010
#14 Healthiest State
America's Health Rankings, November 2009
#14 Best Economic Outlook
American Legislative Exchange Council, September 2009
#4 in Entrepreneurial Activity
Kauffman Foundation Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, June 2009
#7 Best State for Renewable Source Electricity Generation
Energy Information Administration, June 2009
Fastest Growth for Green Jobs
Pew Institute, June 2009
#1 Patents Per Capita
Forbes.com, May 2009
#2 Lowest Energy Costs
Small Business & Entrepreneur Council, April 2009
Most Improved State for Employing Energy Efficiency
American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, October 2008
#3 America's Best Places for Alternative Energy-Geothermal
Forbes.com, July 2008
#4 America's Top States For Business
CNBC.com, July 2008
#5 Best Homeownership Rate in the Nation
U.S. Census Bureau
#13 Wind Power Development Potential
American Wind Energy Association