Boise, ID or Omaha, NE (Meridian, Mountain Home: low crime, home, income)
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I lived in Mountain Home, ID for 5 years when I was in the Air Force. During that time I fell in love with Boise. I currently live in California where I grew up and it is really starting to wear on me...I cannot afford to live here anymore, and the ever increasing crime and traffic is enough to make me hate it here. I am wanting to move within the next year, I just cannot decide where would be the best place for me.
I am 28 years old and a single mom. I currently work as a Payroll Specialist/Human Resource Assistant, and I have 10 years of administrative experience. I also have a BA in English and am working on my Master in Human Resource Management. I mention all this because I want to move to a city that I can easily find work. I am also a Christian and am middle-of-the road as far as values and politics are concerned. I probably lean a little more to the left than the right. I would really like a place that is safe (low crime), affordable (in consideration to income and cost of living), and a great place to raise kids (I have one son). Arts, culture, and outdoors activities are all important to me as I want to live somewhere where my son and I will always be busy and have fun things to do together. I also want to live somewhere clean and beautiful. I prefer to see green, trees, and places to hike (I know Boise is not necessarily green with lots of trees, but the city itself makes up for it IMO).
I am considering Boise (or that area in general...even as far out as Mountain Home, as long as I'm within driving distance to Boise) because I have spent considerable time there and know that I like it, but it seems that it is incredibly difficult to find work there (from personal experience and the experience of others). This is an issue since I am a single mom. My aunt lives in Omaha, NE and says it is a great place to raise a family. She says there are plenty of job opportunities as well. She suggested Papillion as a good suburb. My concern is the weather (is it more extreme than Boise?) and crime (research tells me there is considerably more crime).
I just want to hear some opinions from people who have visited or lived in both places. Considering who I am and what I am looking for, which city might be the best place for me?
Personally, I couldn't do Omaha because there aren't any mountains. Boise has a lot of Mormons, if that's an issue to you. They can be cliquish. The tradeoff is the lower crime stats that you're seeing.
Maybe check on both. I've heard of some brutal winters in Omaha. My father was also stationed at MH and loves Boise. Has a nice downtown and a lot of newcomers which would probably work in your favor socially... I've lived in places where the natives weren't the friendliest to newcomers.
Personally, I couldn't do Omaha because there aren't any mountains. Boise has a lot of Mormons, if that's an issue to you. They can be cliquish. The tradeoff is the lower crime stats that you're seeing.
Maybe check on both. I've heard of some brutal winters in Omaha. My father was also stationed at MH and loves Boise. Has a nice downtown and a lot of newcomers which would probably work in your favor socially... I've lived in places where the natives weren't the friendliest to newcomers.
So, if a city has a fair number of Catholics, Baptists, Buddhists, etc., would that be something you would point out?
Boise doesn't have a lot of Mormons, Meridian and the burbs do.
I lived in Mountain Home, ID for 5 years when I was in the Air Force. During that time I fell in love with Boise. I currently live in California where I grew up and it is really starting to wear on me...I cannot afford to live here anymore, and the ever increasing crime and traffic is enough to make me hate it here. I am wanting to move within the next year, I just cannot decide where would be the best place for me.
I am 28 years old and a single mom. I currently work as a Payroll Specialist/Human Resource Assistant, and I have 10 years of administrative experience. I also have a BA in English and am working on my Master in Human Resource Management. I mention all this because I want to move to a city that I can easily find work. I am also a Christian and am middle-of-the road as far as values and politics are concerned. I probably lean a little more to the left than the right. I would really like a place that is safe (low crime), affordable (in consideration to income and cost of living), and a great place to raise kids (I have one son). Arts, culture, and outdoors activities are all important to me as I want to live somewhere where my son and I will always be busy and have fun things to do together. I also want to live somewhere clean and beautiful. I prefer to see green, trees, and places to hike (I know Boise is not necessarily green with lots of trees, but the city itself makes up for it IMO).
I am considering Boise (or that area in general...even as far out as Mountain Home, as long as I'm within driving distance to Boise) because I have spent considerable time there and know that I like it, but it seems that it is incredibly difficult to find work there (from personal experience and the experience of others). This is an issue since I am a single mom. My aunt lives in Omaha, NE and says it is a great place to raise a family. She says there are plenty of job opportunities as well. She suggested Papillion as a good suburb. My concern is the weather (is it more extreme than Boise?) and crime (research tells me there is considerably more crime).
I just want to hear some opinions from people who have visited or lived in both places. Considering who I am and what I am looking for, which city might be the best place for me?
Boise is called "The City of Trees," and it's only when I venture out on the interstate that I realize I live in the middle of the desert. It's easy to forget that when you live in/near Boise.
I am VERY familiar with Papillion (late husband lived/has family there) - and the winter weather there is WAY MORE EXTREME than Boise. Summers are hot/HUMID, really humid. Can't speak of the crime, though.
Boise is the place for you.
Last edited by T M H; 08-26-2016 at 08:45 PM..
Reason: typo
As you saw when you lived here before, Idaho is a pretty nice place to call home. Mountain Home is pretty Air Force based, so if you are no longer tied to that, you might consider better jobs in the Boise area and more things to do in the Boise area. However, Mtn. Home is much cheaper for housing and the commute is only about 45 minutes to an hour of very boring driving albeit at 80 MPH.
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