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My husband and I (both in our early 30's) are considering moving to the Boise area in the next year or two. We have a five-year-old and a two-year-old, so schools are very important, as is a low crime rate, and fun things to do. We are both from Humboldt County, which is a rural area of very northern California. We feel like the drugs and crime are getting bad, although bad is a relative term. There also isn't a lot of opportunity around here and we'd like to offer our children a brighter future. We are definately not city people (we currently live in a town with a population of 14,000). The weather near Boise does concern me a little. I can handle snow, but I don't do well in extreme heat. Up to the 90's is okay, but much hotter than that and I'd melt. I've read a bit about Star, which is supposed to be growing and Eagle, which is supposedly nice, too. I've been told by a friend who lived in Nampa, to stay away from there. We are nice, normal small town people who are looking to get our family out of the drug culture here and provide them with a few more opportunities. We'd like to be within an hours drive of Boise. As far as employment, I've been a paralegal for the past nine years and have just recently switched professions to bookkeeping. My husband is a roofer. What are typical wages/job opportunities like in the Boise area? Any advice or tips would be great. Thanks!
My husband and I (both in our early 30's) are considering moving to the Boise area in the next year or two. We have a five-year-old and a two-year-old, so schools are very important, as is a low crime rate, and fun things to do. We are both from Humboldt County, which is a rural area of very northern California. We feel like the drugs and crime are getting bad, although bad is a relative term. There also isn't a lot of opportunity around here and we'd like to offer our children a brighter future. We are definitely not city people (we currently live in a town with a population of 14,000). The weather near Boise does concern me a little. I can handle snow, but I don't do well in extreme heat. Up to the 90's is okay, but much hotter than that and I'd melt. I've read a bit about Star, which is supposed to be growing and Eagle, which is supposedly nice, too. I've been told by a friend who lived in Nampa, to stay away from there. We are nice, normal small town people who are looking to get our family out of the drug culture here and provide them with a few more opportunities. We'd like to be within an hours drive of Boise. As far as employment, I've been a paralegal for the past nine years and have just recently switched professions to bookkeeping. My husband is a roofer. What are typical wages/job opportunities like in the Boise area? Any advice or tips would be great. Thanks!
Go to this link below, it will give you an idea of what the wages are for your profession. It's from the Occupational Wage Report 2008
You will most likely have more job opportunities and higher pay within the Boise-Metro area. You can still live further out in the smaller towns such as Star, Middleton, Kuna, Nampa & Caldwell, and be able to commute for work if needed.
Coming from Humboldt, I think you might like Middleton and Star the best, both have that small town kind of feel. I can't say these areas are free of drugs. Drugs are everywhere unfortunately, but you are coming to a very family oriented community and you will feel safe. It's not like drugs are ramped here, so I don't want you to think that's what I'm saying. I just won't make the claim that they're not here.
Average age is typically 31 to 32 years of age, so you'll fit right in. As far as the heat, typically two weeks out of the year seem to hover in the low 100's-last week of July, first week of August, somewhere around there. Just remember it's a dry heat and you are use to humidity, so it might not be as bad as you anticipate. I'm not a big heat person, and it's been quite bearable for me.
Boise has consistently been voted one of the safest places to live in the country by Farmer's Insurance. I've posted it so many times that I will spare the viewers from seeing the link for a while. Please come for a visit and see what you think- make it a family vacation!
Am well versed with Humboldt County albeit as a visitor rather than as a resident. We usually stayed in Fortuna. This past June I took my daughter out to Arcata so she could visit Humboldt State University. We also spent time in the town of Arcata. However, there's the perception that HSU is Weed/Hippie U despite the excellent academics.
At any rate, have always enjoyed being in Humboldt County although I'm not so sure we'd want to live there. Has more to do with the climate (windy, wet, overcast, foggy, and cold). Was always glad to arrive in Willow Creek where it was much warmer.
We do get into the 90s and low 100s here during the peak summer months. However, the dry climate in Southwest Idaho makes it more tolerable. Have experienced all too many blast furnace days in the Bay Area.
Keep in mind that the population center in the Treasure Valley is located at Eagle Rd (SH-55) and Fairview Ave. It'll continue shifting west as Ada County and Canyon County grow towards each other.
However, there's basically nothing out there between Gowen Rd/I-84 and Mountain Home east of Boise. You could look into housing east of Broadway and west of Gowen Rd in Southeast Boise north of I-84.
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Yeah, if you wanna stay away from drug culture, avoiding Nampa and Caldwell would be good advice. It's up-n-down there as opposed to more balanced dynamics elsewhere.
You've probably been repelled from East Boise due to your budget. If you can afford a house with a yard, that'd be the place to look for demographics sake. Even then, you'd want to stay to the North.
Overall, with your attitude about heat and maintaining a more close-to-home town, you'd be very pleased with the North Idaho (NID) area. Those are not only great places to raise kids, but give the average "hyperactive" child an "exceedingly" marvelous outlet. Truly, no deficit of areas to expend one's energy getting to know the area. It may drift into the low 90s in Summer, but is in the hundreds only days you could count on your fingers.
Really, for the same reasons you took NoCal over LA, you may be the same to take NID over most of Idaho, even though all of Idaho serves the interests of someone who wants a safe home and school. With your criteria, you should definitely look into NID.
The average NID town keeps a more moderate temp, too.
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an "exceedingly" marvelous outlet. Truly, no deficit of areas to expend one's energy getting to know the area. It may drift into the low 90s in Summer, but is in the hundreds only days you could count on your fingers. 
