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I’m from the Las Vegas Nevada area. We are considering a move to Idaho. I’m hearing mixed reviews on Nampa . Some say avoid Nampa due to high crime & gang issues. Others say the opposite.
I looked up crime stats on the net. Nampa crime seems higher than Boise. But doesn’t look terrible on charts.
What is your opinion of nampa? How are the high schools? Does nampa have certain areas I should avoid? Would you feel comfortable raising teenagers in Nampa compared to Boise?
I don't live in Nampa but I go there a lot and I'd say on the surface it appears no worse than West Boise. I think they started cleaning up the gang activity more than a decade ago. Neighboring Caldwell now has numbers that are among the lowest in the state when it used to be fairly high. I think the development is also watering down the numbers. There may be some derelict looking neighborhoods but over all Nampa doesn't feel unsafe. And if you're in a newer development it won't feel much different than living in Meridian or Boise. South Nampa is growing like Meridian.
You'll find many people who moved to nice neighborhoods in Boise and Eagle look down on Nampa but I would see for yourself. Nampa is very blue collar, which is not a bad thing. The city has been trending up the past decade in regards to crime and quality of life, minus the congestion of population increase. Traffic is a mess in the hot spots.
We rented a house out in Caldwell when we first moved here. We did not know the area and we had a difficult time finding a rental due to a large dog. My husband works in Nampa.
There is more crime in Nampa/Caldwell, but that is relative to Boise. Compared to Las Vegas, it's Pleasantville. Since my husband works in Nampa, it really is easier for him to drive to work now that we live in Boise because he is always travelling the opposite of the traffic. There is a bit of tie-ups in the morning and evening coming into then out of Boise in the evening. Nothing as bad as Vegas, though. To people who grew up here, it is relatively new and very annoying.
Both cities (and Caldwell, Meridian, etc.) are quite safe in the grand scheme of things. There are a few slightly sketchier areas, like near the north side of the railroad tracks across from downtown Nampa and Caldwell, and areas of Garden City, but nowhere I would say is actually dangerous. I've spent a lot of time in all the cities, including plenty of times in downtown Caldwell, Nampa, and Boise, and pretty much all of the greenbelt in Boise and Garden City, and never once felt in danger.
I would say traffic/commute is more of a concern than crime. If you have a job in Boise, commuting from Nampa or Caldwell isn't very fun (I did it for a while, and even from Meridian isn't great). And if you have kids, schools could be a concern. Though I don't have experience there, I've heard Boise has the best schools in the area (followed by West Ada in Meridian/Eagle).
There is no where in our entire valley where I feel unsafe. FYI, Caldwell is doing a lot to build community, downtown, etc. Might be worth checking out. There are some lovely areas in south Nampa.
There is no where in our entire valley where I feel unsafe. FYI, Caldwell is doing a lot to build community, downtown, etc. Might be worth checking out. There are some lovely areas in south Nampa.
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