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Boise among top places to live in America, report says. Here’s where it ranks nationally

Home prices are rising dramatically in the Boise area, but the city is still one of the best places to live in the nation, according to a new U.S. News & World Report ranking.

Boise was ranked 15th. in U.S. News’ most recent ranking of the “best places to live in the U.S.” for 2022-23.

“Boise is a recreationalist’s paradise,” U.S. News states on its Boise profile. “If you value the outdoors and time spent among rivers, mountains, canyons, deserts and lakes – and all the activities encapsulated therein – it’s worth a serious look.”

No other city in Idaho ranked within the top 150.

U.S. News’ methodology for the ranking uses a weighted index that factors in the unemployment rate and average salary, housing affordability, quality of life including the crime rate and education, and migration in and out of the city.

Data is compiled from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census, and the FBI.

According to the report, Boise has an overall score of 6.6 out of 10. Breaking things into categories, Boise scored a 7.1 in quality of life, 7 in value, and 6.2 for the job market.

Who is Boise competing with?

According to U.S. News & World Report, here are the cities that Boise is ranked alongside in the top 15 places to live in America:

  1. Huntsville, Alabama

  2. Colorado Springs, Colorado

  3. Green Bay, Wisconsin

  4. Boulder, Colorado

  5. San Jose, California

  6. Raleigh & Durham, North Carolina

  7. Fayetteville, Arkansas

  8. Portland, Maine

  9. Sarasota, Florida

  10. San Francisco, California

  11. Ann Arbor, Michigan

  12. Naples, Florida

  13. Austin, Texas

  14. Des Moines, Iowa

  15. Boise, Idaho

  16. Grand Rapids, Michigan

  17. Madison, Wisconsin

  18. Boston, Massachusetts

  19. Washington, DC

  20. Melbourne, Florida