Nampa, Star, Kuna, Emmett, Caldwell, or Middleton which town would be the best place to live (Boise: real estate, low crime)

[boiseidaho]

Nampa, Star, Kuna, Emmett, Caldwell or Middleton:

in the readers opinions of these 6 towns, which town would be the best place to live for a youthful retired couple who wants a little land (anywhere from 1 - 10 acres) with their house and would drive into meridian/boise for shopping/entertainment once a week or so. the once a week commute driving distance is not an issue.

would only consider towns a bit outside of boise metro or in the boise metro area in order to get a more affordable price for the land/house combo then boise meridian and eagle can offer. we have noted the price of land/houses is quite a bit lower in the 6 towns in question.

key factors to use in your advice would be:

friendliness of people
low crime rate
stability of community ie town is not going bankrupt
weather

price of house and land is not the biggest factor regarding these 6 towns, we will just adjust what we can afford to fit the best suited area to live in, but obviously has some impact,

appreciate and value any input.

boiseidaho

[grmi66]

Personally I would pick Emmett, just far enough away to get away from it all, nestled in a valley but big enough to have a couple of grocery stores and some decent restaurants. Even has a small hospital if that is a requirement for you.

After that I would pick Star or Middleton. Kuna is a toss up, know some people that bought acreage and like everything about it other than the smell of the pig and dairy farms.

Would never move to Nampa or Caldwell.

[1V23]

I would pick in this order: Emmett, Star, and Kuna. The remainder has too many issues.

[Anwar Namtut]

From your list, I would say Emmett followed by Kuna. You might also consider Melba or Marsing - both small and quiet with opportunity for a small acreage.

[boiseidaho]

3 out of 3 picked Emmett as first choice and Star rated high also from the list of 6 towns. that sounds interesting. so lets now focus on Emmett and Star.

can anyone provide info as to why they think Emmett or Star is a good place to live, AND any drawbacks for either location ? (the drive time to boise metro is not a drawback or problem for us).

your input on these two towns is greatly appreciated.

thanks

[grmi66]

Emmett is an actual self contained town while Star is basically a semi-rural exurb at this point. The real estate bust cooled things off, but Star eventually will be another suburb of Boise. Star will probably look like Eagle in 10 years. But right now Star is far enough from Boise to feel rural, but you are only 10-15 minutes away from shopping, restaurants and two hospitals in Eagle.

Even though Emmett is pretty close, it feels like a farther drive. To get there you have to drive up a large hill then drop down into a river valley. So Emmett is cut off from Boise by these large hills, but that's what I like when I drive through there. It's really pretty to me. Plus Emmett is a small town with everything that you need to survive. If you want to save a few bucks on groceries just head 30 minutes to Wal-Mart or Winco and stock up.

[demartile]

Hello. What types of employment would a guy fins in that area of Idaho. Like many Californians, I am getting tired of the fast pace and loose morals of the San Francisco bay area. Although I will miss the weather and the industry, a slower pace is what I want for my family. So, are there power plants, waste water treatment plants, chemical plants in the surrounding areas of Emmett? It's my skill set and I would like to stick to it I'd possible. I can see from the home values and rents that income doesn't have to be in the six figures just to maintain, which is nice and one of the reasons I am looking towards Idaho as a destination for my family. Any information is appreciated.

[PopsNegro]

Emmett is kind of far away for a comfortable drive to Boise; if I were going to be that far away I'd try Payette for the cool Victorian houses and the general rural vibe.
Star/Eagle are more expensive areas, and Caldwell/Nampa are the cheapest with more land and cheaper houses the farther out you go.

[hdryder13]

My husband and I are planning to move to the Boise area as well and have been looking at houses in Caldwell, (only online, visiting in April). GRMI66, you said you'd never move to Nampa or Caldwell. Can you tell me why? We've seen quite a few nice looking homes with acreage online and are seriously considering that area, but am concerned it may not be a good area after reading the comments on this thread.

Thank you so much!

[Vegas-to-?]

Yes, why not Caldwell or Nampa? hdryder13, did you make the move? If so, where did you end up? Thanks