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Wisconsin here who along with his girlfriend wants to relocate to Idaho. We are in our early 20's and basically just want to restart somewhere that has beautiful scenery, a conservative political environment, low crime, and an affordable cost of living. We would both working in the food/tip industry and would likely enroll in college courses after settling down in Idaho. I have done my research on the differences between the three main areas of Boise (and surrounding areas of Nampa, Eagle, Meridian, etc), Idaho Falls, and CdA/Post Falls. We are really attracted to the landscape and greenery of Coeur d'Alene because it reminds us of the lushness of Wisconsin but with the addition of mountains. Our main concern is that CDL is a bit pricey. I have found some really affordable and spacious two bedroom apartments in the Boise metro area for around $700-$850ish a month. Although I prefer something newer and with fresh paint/carpet (which I can easily find in the Boise area), I can settle for less. After searching many websites for rentals in the CdA-Post Falls area, I am starting to worry that this entire area is out of my rental price range of under $850ish a month. Am I not searching hard enough or is this area really more expensive? Is it unrealistic of me to expect to find a decent place to rent with two bedrooms for $850ish or below? As much as we really want to live in this area of Idaho, I am thinking that settling in either the Boise metro area or Idaho Falls areas as our "gateway" into Idaho and the West might be our best option. Am I wrong? I have been using the real estate websites of Zillow and Trulia to find rentals so if there is a better website to use I would love to be redirected to it. Any other information relating to the affordability of CdA for younger folks or people who aren't wealthy would be appreciated.
Government stats say the cost of living in CDA is about 6% higher on average than the national average. Housing more, some other things less high. But incomes are on average 20% lower too.
The rental data suggests that the average 2BR is less than $850 but that estimate might be outdated and newer will of course run higher than older places.
The 3 places are pretty different in terms of economies and look. Your call but I wouldn't make a $100 / month on rent the decisive factor. Jobs and the right educational opportunities seem more important. The food industry might be a bit slower, less lucrative in CDA during winter, but that is just a guess. Average income in IF is about the same as CDA, while Boise is about 25% higher and slightly above nations average. Tips might be better there but check with potential co-workers.
You are right to keep in mind the option of starting somewhere and then moving elsewhere later.
Here is the results of quick search on Craigslist. Many are out of your price range but downtown CDA is expensive unless you are lucky to find just the right place.
As much as we really want to live in this area of Idaho, I am thinking that settling in either the Boise metro area or Idaho Falls areas as our "gateway" into Idaho and the West might be our best option. Am I wrong? I have been using the real estate websites of Zillow and Trulia to find rentals so if there is a better website to use I would love to be redirected to it. Any other information relating to the affordability of CdA for younger folks or people who aren't wealthy would be appreciated.
If you can get a job that pays your way you really can't go wrong in any of the three cities you've mentioned.
Boise is by far the largest city in the state with the most opportunity and some of Idaho's most beautiful areas, including greenery, are in Boise's backyard.
I don't think you can get the type of rental you want for the price you want in CDA. There aren't many of the less expensive rentals and those tend to be already occupied. As they become vacant, the rent is raised.
Rents are slightly lower in next door Post Falls, but I still don't think you can find what you are looking for.
CDA is a beautiful area and it sounds like what you are looking for, except for cost of living. I suggest that you make the effort to qualify yourself for a better paying job. With more income you can afford higher rent.
Look in the Spokane craigslist for rentals and in the search column if you put Coeur d Alene you will get a bunch of apartment listings. If you put CDA in the search field, it will bring up most of the rental listings for Coeur d Alene and nearby areas in Idaho. You can see for yourself what the going rate is for rent.
Boise is a nice area, and it is less expensive, but rent is going up there, too.
I don't think you can get the type of rental you want for the price you want in CDA. There aren't many of the less expensive rentals and those tend to be already occupied. As they become vacant, the rent is raised.
Rents are slightly lower in next door Post Falls, but I still don't think you can find what you are looking for.
CDA is a beautiful area and it sounds like what you are looking for, except for cost of living. I suggest that you make the effort to qualify yourself for a better paying job. With more income you can afford higher rent.
Look in the Spokane craigslist for rentals and in the search column if you put Coeur d Alene you will get a bunch of apartment listings. If you put CDA in the search field, it will bring up most of the rental listings for Coeur d Alene and nearby areas in Idaho. You can see for yourself what the going rate is for rent.
Boise is a nice area, and it is less expensive, but rent is going up there, too.
I am coming to that conclusion about Coeur d'Alene. The area is gorgeous but the only requirement it doesn't check off for me is the cost of living. Also Boise has more educational opportunities for young folks like myself since I plan on further education. Does anyone know what the natural areas around Boise are like? I know that to the Northeast is the Boise National Forest/Sawtooth National Forest which looks gorgeous. I also know that the dunes/canyons are sort of South of Boise. It seems like a good area due to the cost of living, lower crime, educational opportunities, and the surrounding variety of natural scenery. Does my assessment sound correct about Boise? I was looking into the Nampa area for cheaper rentals but was scared off by some other forum users who wrote about it being a not so nice area anymore. I'm aiming to live mostly around White folks. I do not have problems with other races but prefer to live among my own people. I'll probably start centering my research around Boise from here on out. Can anyone just tell me what living in Boise is like and how far away/what the natural areas are like around the city?
Last edited by username_already_taken; 09-15-2017 at 03:06 PM..
Reason: Clarity
Don't overlook Pocatello. It's the home of Idaho State University, and it's located in some beautiful scenery, though different from that in CDA and the panhandle.
Pocatello isn't growing as fast as Idaho Falls presently, but for a long time, it was the larger of the 2 cities, and it has all the amenities of a college town.
I don't keep up with any rental prices, but I' pretty sure the cost is lower in Poky than in CDA, and rental availabiltiy may be better, if a person takes into account all the nearby small towns that are closer than 25 miles away. That includes the Sho-Ban reservation, which borders Pocatello; I have some friends who shared a rental house on the rez while going to school at ISU, and they loved life on the rez.
Idaho Falls and surrounding Bonneville County are growing pretty fast right now, so I would expect rentals to be somewhat harder to find and more expensive. Older and smaller homes for rent may be easier to find than apartments here in I.F. right now, but I noticed that there are several brand-new apartment complexes being built right now out in the county; an unusual development for rural Bonneville county. Closer in, there are a lot of new apartment complexes in and out of the I.F. city limits.
Ammon is home to many of them. Ammon is growing faster than I.F., and the 2 towns now adjoin. Ammon was once a much smaller bedroom community, and it's always been separate from Idaho Falls, with its own city council and everything. Housing prices may still be lower there, but I don't think by much.
There are a lot of jobs available here at present.
The greatest thing about Idaho Falls is its central location. Head in any direction, and there's a lot of the best of the west within a short drive. The city has a lot of amenities, as it serves a huge surrounding area.
Don't overlook Pocatello. It's the home of Idaho State University, and it's located in some beautiful scenery, though different from that in CDA and the panhandle.
Pocatello isn't growing as fast as Idaho Falls presently, but for a long time, it was the larger of the 2 cities, and it has all the amenities of a college town.
I don't keep up with any rental prices, but I' pretty sure the cost is lower in Poky than in CDA, and rental availabiltiy may be better, if a person takes into account all the nearby small towns that are closer than 25 miles away. That includes the Sho-Ban reservation, which borders Pocatello; I have some friends who shared a rental house on the rez while going to school at ISU, and they loved life on the rez.
Idaho Falls and surrounding Bonneville County are growing pretty fast right now, so I would expect rentals to be somewhat harder to find and more expensive. Older and smaller homes for rent may be easier to find than apartments here in I.F. right now, but I noticed that there are several brand-new apartment complexes being built right now out in the county; an unusual development for rural Bonneville county. Closer in, there are a lot of new apartment complexes in and out of the I.F. city limits.
Ammon is home to many of them. Ammon is growing faster than I.F., and the 2 towns now adjoin. Ammon was once a much smaller bedroom community, and it's always been separate from Idaho Falls, with its own city council and everything. Housing prices may still be lower there, but I don't think by much.
There are a lot of jobs available here at present.
The greatest thing about Idaho Falls is its central location. Head in any direction, and there's a lot of the best of the west within a short drive. The city has a lot of amenities, as it serves a huge surrounding area.
I will look into Pocatello. I did note that Idaho Falls is in a great location. From I.F. one could head west into Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, down the interstate south into Utah, north into the Montana Rockies, and west into Sawtooth National Forest. Is there anything within close distance of Idaho Falls that is spectacular nature wise? One benefit of Boise compared to I.F. is that Boise seems closer to mountains. Is Idaho Falls mostly surrounded by flat and dry land? Exactly how far (in minutes) is it to be in any mountains or lush forests? I'm just worried that the dry scenery and farther distance to natural attractions will make me not enjoy I.F. as much. Also I have heard that unless you are Mormon or very religious that you are sort of an outsider in I.F. Is this true?
Wisconsin here who along with his girlfriend wants to relocate to Idaho. We are in our early 20's and basically just want to restart somewhere that has beautiful scenery, a conservative political environment, low crime, and an affordable cost of living. We would both working in the food/tip industry and would likely enroll in college courses after settling down in Idaho. I have done my research on the differences between the three main areas of Boise (and surrounding areas of Nampa, Eagle, Meridian, etc), Idaho Falls, and CdA/Post Falls. We are really attracted to the landscape and greenery of Coeur d'Alene because it reminds us of the lushness of Wisconsin but with the addition of mountains. Our main concern is that CDL is a bit pricey. I have found some really affordable and spacious two bedroom apartments in the Boise metro area for around $700-$850ish a month. Although I prefer something newer and with fresh paint/carpet (which I can easily find in the Boise area), I can settle for less. After searching many websites for rentals in the CdA-Post Falls area, I am starting to worry that this entire area is out of my rental price range of under $850ish a month. Am I not searching hard enough or is this area really more expensive? Is it unrealistic of me to expect to find a decent place to rent with two bedrooms for $850ish or below? As much as we really want to live in this area of Idaho, I am thinking that settling in either the Boise metro area or Idaho Falls areas as our "gateway" into Idaho and the West might be our best option. Am I wrong? I have been using the real estate websites of Zillow and Trulia to find rentals so if there is a better website to use I would love to be redirected to it. Any other information relating to the affordability of CdA for younger folks or people who aren't wealthy would be appreciated.
No, you're not wrong at all.
I have been watching the CDA area stats with an eye on retirement for the last 10 years. And there is no doubt that average rents there have been reaching for the stars, by Idaho standards. I personally have been priced out of that area for retirement.
Here's a little test that I use to get a big picture of rental pricing in any given area. It's quick and easy, and I think quite revealing. First, I get a total of Craigslist ads for Apts/Housing, checking the "has image" and "bundle duplicates" options. Once I have that number, I then apply an upper price limit of $900. I then divide that new number by the total unfiltered by price and get a percentage.
Here are the numbers for Idaho....
Boise 45.4%
East Idaho (Idaho Falls and Pocatello) 69.8%
CDA (using a 12 mile radius to filter out Spokane) 17.4%
More interesting numbers, since you're coming from Wisconsin....
Appleton 78.7%
Green Bay 77.8%
Sheboygan 78.0%
Wausau 89.9%
Those Wisconsin numbers are high on the list of my reasons for now seriously considering central or northern Wisconsin for retirement. I've done this study on many other areas as well, and those Wisconsin numbers are among the highest the nation for areas that I would consider desirable. For me, that means eliminating the Southeast, Southern Plains, and Southwest from consideration. Basically, eliminating the southern half of the country.
I know from my personal experience doing lots of research over many years that Boise would have been in the neighborhood of 75% a very few years ago. Idaho housing costs are going up fast in Boise and much faster in CDA.
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