Is Boise one of the best state capitals? This survey, and the city’s growth, say yes

Shaun Goodwin
·2 min read

Honking horns, backed-up traffic at lights, and more people at downtown restaurants and bars than you know what to do with.

This isn’t your parents’ Boise.

Idaho was once again one of the fastest-growing states in 2023, seeing a 1.3% growth between July 2022 and July 2023. That ranked the Gem State as the fourth-fastest growing state in the nation.

The Treasure Valley was, naturally, a hot spot for many of the people who moved to Idaho.

Even though Boise saw a slight population drop in 2023, surrounding cities such as Meridian, Nampa and Caldwell saw huge jumps. And despite Boise’s slight dip, the Boise metro area is projected to grow to 1.1 million by 2050, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting.

But it shouldn’t be surprising that so many people are flocking to Boise. A new study from personal finance website WalletHub found that Boise is the fourth-best state capital in which to live.

Boise was the highest ranked in the Mountain West, with Utah’s Salt Lake City the closest competitor, coming in at No. 7.

Source: WalletHub

How did Boise rank fourth?

To determine the best state capitals, WalletHub used four key dimensions to formulate the rankings: affordability, economic well-being, quality of education and health, and quality of life.

Under those three dimensions are 30 key indicators, such as the median household income, unemployment rate, high school graduation rate and the number of local attractions. A total score up to 100 was calculated for each city to determine its final ranking.

Data was gathered from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Council for Community and Economic Research and County Health Rankings, among other sources.

Boise scored 59.44, coming in just behind Raleigh, North Carolina, and ahead of Atlanta. Under the key dimensions, Boise scored 27th in affordability, No. 2 in economic well-being, No. 8 in quality of education and health, and fourth in quality of life.

Under the 30 key indicators, Boise scored noticeably well for the second-lowest premature death and second-lowest crime rates.

Boise had the second-best rate of premature deaths and crime of all state capitals.
Boise had the second-best rate of premature deaths and crime of all state capitals.
Boise had the second-best rate of premature deaths and crime of all state capitals.
Boise had the second-best rate of premature deaths and crime of all state capitals.

Who is Boise competing with?

Here were WalletHub’s top 10 best state capitals to live in:

  1. Austin, Texas

  2. Madison, Wisconsin

  3. Raleigh, North Carolina

  4. Boise, Idaho

  5. Atlanta, Georgia

  6. Lincoln, Nebraska

  7. Salt Lake City, Utah

  8. Columbus, Ohio

  9. Denver, Colorado

  10. Concord, New Hampshire