Possible move to Idaho? (Boise, Idaho Falls: sales, rentals, crime)

[cgc4200]

My wife and I are considering a move to Idaho. Can someone name of some cities with a reasonable cost of living and good job markets? We have three kids and safety and schools is paramount importance. All input will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[GoodStuff]

I have lived in Northern, Southern and now Boise ID for a total of 26 yrs. Boise is great all around. Idaho Falls is a little safer but not by much, but the weather is better is Boise. The job market is good in Boise with an education, without it is harder than Idaho Falls. Boise itself is clean, safe, and there are many activities for families...parks, outdoors, summer events, the public library summer reading program, the arts festival, sports, Boise is an all-around great town. The traffic is getting worse, but that comes with growth. North and East Boise have more of a city/town/community feel while the farther west you go the more it feels like suburbia instead a community.... Moscow is beautiful but a little cold and not too many jobs unless you are a professor or engineer. In between my time in Idaho I have also lived in Arizona, New York, Georgia, Utah, London, and Hong Kong. Out of those places the best public schools were in Boise. The lowest crime and best overall weather was Boise. While the friendliest people were in Arizona. The best economy for all types of jobs was in Utah though. But overall, Boise beats out any place I have lived.

[cgc4200]

That's a great reply. Thanks for all the info. We are interested in Boise, and some others as well like CDA. We appreciate your info.

[kristinl5]

cgc4200 you might want to look at Meridian, 10 minutes away from Boise and cost of house and utilities is lower than Boise.
www.meridiancity.org
www.meridianchamber.org
Meridian has great schools and is considered a safe place to raise a family. Depending on your price range you might want to look at the following subdivisions: Thousand Springs, Tuscan, Woodbridge, Paramount, Baldwin...right now you can get some really good deals on a home and those neighborhoods are great!

[cgc4200]

Thanks for the information! We are actively researching Idaho and in particular this area so your input is appreciated. We are both searching for job possibilities and slowing getting the ball moving forward. Thanks again!

[pacalady]

cgc4200

Since you mentioned CdA was on your list, I thought I'd share a little about this area.

We live in between CdA and Spokane ....20 minutes to either (we are in Post Falls). The schools are excellent, and offer many activities for the kids during the school year. There are some outstanding private schools as well.

If you like the outdoors, we are close to numerous lakes, hiking, snow skiing (including cross country), bicycling etc. Yes we have parks too!

There is virtually no crime, here .... and if you like rural living as opposed to a subdivision, you'll find you can be close to all the amenities the city can offer. Post Falls and CdA have subdivisions also if you're more inclined to be in town.

Generally speaking, we have four seasons ....but it is now Thanksgiving, and there is only snow on the tops of the surrounding hills. We usually have snow for Christmas ....melts about Feb when the early spring flowers pop up.

If you like rural living, as opposed to a subdivision, you don't have to give up being close to stores, excellent healthcare, cultural activities etc. And, you can have pets, livestock etc.

Depending on your occupation will determine whether CdA or Spokane would be a better fit for employment. You can search the Spokane paper, called the Spokesman Review and also the Coeur d' Alene Press to see what is offered. Another good resource is the unemployment offices: Washington Employment Security Department for Spokane, and Idaho Department of Labor for CdA.

Hope this helps in your research, and good luck!

PacaLady

[SacTown11]

Originally Posted by cgc4200

My wife and I are considering a move to Idaho. Can someone name of some cities with a reasonable cost of living and good job markets? We have three kids and safety and schools is paramount importance. All input will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

My wife and I have decided on northern Idaho. You have the convenience of the airport in Spokane and the job market seems good. I have yet to check on schools, but rent rates seem incredibly reasonable...I could rent a mansion at my current rent rate here in Sacramento. Though, I plan on making less than I do here and my move is more about quality of life and the politics(I have no desire to pay higher income taxes AND sales taxes that go into effect next year in CA). And I fully intend to help Idahoans keep the political values it already possesses.

Good luck!

[IdahoEagle]

There are a lot of reasonably priced rentals in the Coeur d'Alene area right now. The rental management companies are telling rental owners to rent on short term leases because they think the rental prices will go up next summer.
So if you are thinking about renting for awhile until you find a home to buy it may be a good time to do that.

On another note I just looked outside and there are little white fluffy things falling from the sky.

[SacTown11]

Originally Posted by IdahoEagle

There are a lot of reasonably priced rentals in the Coeur d'Alene area right now. The rental management companies are telling rental owners to rent on short term leases because they think the rental prices will go up next summer.
So if you are thinking about renting for awhile until you find a home to buy it may be a good time to do that.

On another note I just looked outside and there are little white fluffy things falling from the sky.

Dang...oh well, I suppose they gotta make money too.

[cgc4200]

Thank you both for the information. The Spokane area is an area we had briefly looked at and now will have to reconsider. We're a little concerned Boise & CDA housing will be a little high for what we are looking for so the rural areas that you mentioned are something we need to consider. Especially with their close proximity to towns/cities. Thank you both again.