Living in Boise

Boise, the "City of Trees", is the Capitol and largest city in Idaho. The city has a population of over 200,000 and over 500,000 people live in the greater metropolitan area. Boise is often described as family friendly, outdoor oriented, and a good place to do business. In fact, Forbes Magazine rated Boise #1 on its list of "Best Places for Business and Careers" in 2004.

The city's major industries are high-tech electronics, retail food, health care, agriculture, and manufacturing. Boise is the home of the corporate headquarters or major divisions of Micron, Hewlett-Packard, Albertson's, Direct TV, Washington Group International, Boise Cascade, and Simplot Corporation. Saint Alphonsus and St. Luke's Regional Medical Centers are also major employers, and Boise State University, Albertson's College, and Northwest Nazarene College are located in the Boise area. The diverse business and educational community provides a wide variety of job opportunities for residents' family members.

Boise has a symphony, ballet, summer Shakespeare Festival, year-round theater companies, art museum, historical museum, excellent public library system, and a growing live music scene. Professional sports teams include baseball (Hawks), basketball (Stampede), and hockey (Steelheads), and the Caldwell Night Rodeo and Snake River Stampede are popular summer events. Outdoor recreational activities include hiking, skiing and snowboarding, whitewater rafting, kayaking, hunting, fishing, and horseback riding.

Housing in Boise is affordable, and the climate is temperate, with warm, dry summers and mild winters. The average annual rainfall is 12 inches and the average snowfall is 22 inches, mainly in the foothills.

For more information about living in Boise, please see: www.boise.org and www.cityofboise.org