Boise or Lewiston? (Nampa, Meridian, Eagle: appointed, sales, renters)
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Made a trip recently from Washington to Colorado. Drove through a good part of Idaho. One of our favorite parts of the trip was the beautiful country up around Lewiston and Grangeville areas. INCREDIBLE SCENERY!!!
Lewiston looks like an outdoor lovers paradise!! Mountains all around. A huge river which you can actually boat on! Go fishing, water skiing, camping. Outdoor recreation all over the place around there! A huuuge lake reservoir behind Dworshak Dam! Tons of places to boat and camp! Way bigger than Lucky Peak Reservoir by Boise. Lewiston itself didn't have any snow, which made getting around nice. Apparently, folks in that area call it the "banana belt" because the climate is fairly mild year round. The mountains around it were beautiful! And the rivers look AMAZING!
When we finally arrived in Boise to see what all the hype was about, we were highly disappointed as compared to other areas the state we saw. Very desert, dry windy looking place. Tons of traffic!! And when we looked at how much houses are there now, we about choked! For Boise? Why there? Where's all the so called close "outdoor recreation? It seemed like a long drive to get to the mountains around there. And doesn't look like you could put anything bigger than a float tube on the Boise river.
Could someone please explain the hype?? Because from what we saw (and we've lived in beautiful places in Colorado) Lewiston area looks to have much more to offer in regards to scenery and outdoor recreation. Without the traffic and high costs!
The biggest negative for me about Lewiston is the isolation. Not the distance to other towns, but rather that it's a 2-lane highway in every direction to anywhere of significance. I'm no stranger to distance. I spent many years in Montana - I know distance! But all the major towns in Montana are accessible via interstate. That's nice to have when weather isn't so nice. Other than that, I would be down for Lewiston. We looked extensively up there when we decided Boise isn't for us. The logistics just didn't work out. And Lewiston is gonna get more expensive than it's worth!
What smell? We didn't notice any smell in the Lewiston area (just mountain air). However, we did notice an atrocious, pungent smell in Meridian! Apparently there is a large sugar beet processing plant just west of there, in Nampa. I guess that smell drifts into Meridian and Boise. Noticed a lot of agriculture smells around the Boise area. Like cattle feedlots and dairies. It was very similar to the Pasco, WA area.
Again, could someone please tell what's the big draw to Boise area??? It certainly can't be the clean air, lack of traffic, close access to great outdoor recreation or the weather (it was actually warmer in Lewiston). OR affordable housing. There are a lot more scenic, prettier places in the country than Boise for the same prices, if not cheaper now. Especially since it seems housing prices are skyrocketing there! At the rate they are going , Boise prices will be as much as Seattle or California cities before long. (Along with the traffic)
Again, could someone please tell what's the big draw to Boise area??? It certainly can't be the clean air, lack of traffic, close access to great outdoor recreation or the weather (it was actually warmer in Lewiston).
It's near a major airport, it has a variety of stores and restaurants, less than an hour away from a ski site. Some people want a "proper" winter with cold weather. Some people don't want to be isolated.
While I don't live in Boise now, I do love southern Idaho's gardening season.
What smell? We didn't notice any smell in the Lewiston area (just mountain air). However, we did notice an atrocious, pungent smell in Meridian! Apparently there is a large sugar beet processing plant just west of there, in Nampa. I guess that smell drifts into Meridian and Boise. Noticed a lot of agriculture smells around the Boise area. Like cattle feedlots and dairies. It was very similar to the Pasco, WA area.
Lewiston has a big pulp paper mill that stinks when the mill is in operation. If you didn't smell it when you were there, it's probably due to the Covid quarantine, because the smell is notorious.
Lewiston isn't a very large town even if it is the largest in the region. Boise is the only true metro in the state, and is the only city that has all big-city amenities. If you live in Lewiston, you will have to drive to find some of those amenities in Spokane, over 100 miles and 2 1/2 hours away.
Lewiston also lies in the bottom of a canyon; some folks come to find living in a canyon to be confining.
If none of the above trouble you, then Lewiston is probably a more desirable place for you, but people differ and want different things from the city they want to live in.
Since there are so many trade-offs in life, choosing a city may be one more.
For sure, life in any city is a lot more than just the scenery that surrounds the town. Scenery is a real attractor, but once a person lives someplace for a little while, the scenery is just the scenery. It's taken for granted in no time at all.
People prefer the Treasure Valley (Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Etc.) over Lewiston because there is a lot to do here that is not available in more remote areas of Idaho. Although if you drive 10 miles North from Eagle you will loose cell phone signal so that is already "remote" by modern standards. The Boise Area has a lot of people and a lot of different activities and entertainment options, like A Zoo, An Art Museum, A (new) Historical Museum, the State Capital, A Whitewater Park, A paved greenbelt system (~26 miles long one way), Various festivals, concerts, live music events, a ski area with summer Mtn Bike ski lift shuttle access, and enough people to create a lively vibe (not counting Covid closures).
Some things to know before moving here:
- The City of Boise is a limited geographic area and has very high property taxes, the highest in the area at 1.35-1.55% of assessed value. Meridian and Eagle which offset Boise to the West are much less. Eagle and Meridian are 20-40% less property tax rate than the City of Boise so pay attention to what jurisdiction you are buying into.
- Idaho has a $100,000 Homestead Exemption from Property Tax, be sure to file for it ASAP. Be aware of the fact that this does not apply to 2nd homes or to rental property. You do NOT have to list the sales price of your house on the homestead exemption form, you should probably not disclose this information because they will otherwise tax you at a lower rate than the sales price. Prices are escalating rapidly here.
- Idaho has a State Income Tax and this tax applies to people even if they do not live in the State Full Time, be sure you understand the definition of Partial Year Resident otherwise you might *********rself over if you move early in the year and assume your income will not be taxed for Idaho State Income Tax (~7.4%).
- Please get an Idaho Drivers License and Idaho License Plates and an Idaho State Parks Pass when you move here, you will find it much cheaper than where you moved from. You will also find that your car insurance and homeowners insurance or renters insurance will probably drop significantly once you move here. Like 10-30% kind of drop.
So that's my opinion anyway, it depends a lot on your individual situation and what you want for yourself/spouse.
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