The City of Trees
Posted by Kevin Hughes on Sunday, July 10th, 2011 at 12:01pm.
For folks considering calling Idaho home, Boise offers a great environment for starting a career and raising a family. As the capital of Idaho, Boise currently has a population of about 205,700 and is located in the southwest corner of the state. Major industries in the surrounding area include timber, mining, and agriculture. The current unemployment rate hovers near the national average of 9.5 percent, but that is likely to change with several high-tech companies in the process of expanding upon their presence in the city. Boise has a unique city feature in the Boise River, a 75-mile-long tributary of the Snake River that runs right through the center of town. The Boise greenbelt with its tree-lined walkways and meandering river remind all of why Boise has been nick-named the "City of Trees". Life in Boise
Boise has a metropolitan air with its stylish restaurants, boutiques, art galleries and a surprisingly lively nightlife. In contrast, the city sits among verdant forests and national parks and offers many options for outdoor family fun such as hiking, camping, skiing in the local mountains, snowmobiling, and water sports at the 18-mile Arrowrock Reservoir just outside of town where kids can swim, fish, jet ski, and windsurf along 60 miles of shoreline. Other attractions include the Idaho Botanical Garden, Boise Little Theater, Boise Art Museum, Idaho State Historical Museum, Idaho Black History Museum, the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, the Boise Zoo, and the Idaho State Capitol Building.
The Boise School System
Schools in the Boise School District serve over 25,000 students and rate higher than most other schools in Idaho. Today, Boise K thru 12 schools average about 17 students per classroom and rate 70.3 percent, or 8 on a scale of 10, compared with other schools in the United States. More importantly, students in the Boise school district score about 3% higher in math and reading test scores than in the rest of the state.
Crime in Idaho
The current crime rate in Boise is lower than the national average. Violent crimes affect barely four people per one thousand, compared with a national average of nearly five per thousand.
Housing in BoiseFor those seeking property in Boise, current housing prices are slightly higher than in other areas. The estimated median house or condo value in 2009 was $193,900, compared with $171,700 for the rest of Idaho, with lower and upper quartile values ranging from $152,700 to $274,900.
Mean price values as of July, 2009 are as follows:
- Detached houses - $234,874
- Townhouses or other attached units - $187,787
- In 2-unit structures - $166,200
- In 3-to-4-unit structures - $119,201
- In 5-or-more-unit structures - $167,239
- Mobile homes - $27,319
Boise is situated in a high-desert valley and therefore doesn’t get much snow. While the city goes through a four-season cycle, winters don’t get that cold and summers don’t get that hot. Like much of the Intermountain region, Boise maintains a dry climate. July is the hottest month, with an average maximum temp of 90F. January is the coldest month at 21.6F. Annual precipitation, mostly in the form of rain, averages 12.1 inches, with November being the wettest month.
Hughes Real Estate Group- Silvercreek Realty
(208) 571-7145
www.BuyIdahoRealEstate.com
www.StartPackingIdaho.com
Print
ShareBe the first to comment on this blog entry!