Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Seattle and Denver are more expensive. Boise is relatively backwater, so much cheaper. Salt Lake is somewhere in the middle.
I would cross public transit off the list though. All of them are driving cities despite the hater or two that will contradict me.
The only city in the US that's not a driver city I'd say is New York. Even the transit darlings like Portland, Seattle, Chicago etc really have pathetic transit systems by world standards. In America just having a transit system will get you to the top of the list!
I grew up in Idaho, but, as an adult have lived in SLC, Seattle, and now have come home to Boise for good. SLC Light rail and bus systems aren't bad. Seattle, similar. I've not used the Boise bus system, but it seems to cover mostly the downtown area. As for diversity, SLC is "mostly" white and is also mostly LDS. We are NOT Mormon and we lived there for 12 years and had a great experience. The diversity in Boise is greater, both ethnically and religiously. Seattle had the most diversity, ethnically speaking. Religiously speaking, there doesn't seem to be any one prominent religion in Seattle. As an aside, the cities of Boise and SLC are markedly cleaner than the streets of Seattle. I found that there are a LOT more outdoor activities to enjoy year round in Idaho and Utah, and you won't have to go far to enjoy everything from Snow skiing, to water skiing, to rock climbing and mountain biking. If you want to embrace our Idaho values, welcome home! If you want to change how we do things, please choose Denver or Seattle and leave us alone.
Just to clarify, Boise is not backwater. Unless Whole Foods sets up shop in backwater places. lol The politics of Idaho as a whole could be considered backwater - maybe that is what that person meant.
Anywho - of these cities Boise and Salt Lake could be said to be the most similar to each other. The biggest difference is that Salt Lake is markedly larger than the Boise Area.
Boise vs SLC
-Nice, clean neighborhoods with character and low crime
Most areas in Boise are safe and clean. Within the City of Boise you'll cozy neighborhoods with tree lined streets, parks, etc. Same in SLC. Get out into the suburbs and both places look like "Anywhere, USA."
-Diverse, demographically speaking (i.e. ethnicity/race, economic status)
Both places are very similar.
-Outdoor recreation options
I would give this to Boise simply because things are SOOO accessible. The Boise River flows right through the city...you can float it in the summer and fish it most of the time..AND eat the fish...AND you won't die. 45 minutes away is skiing. Bike and hiking trails are in and around the city.
-Decent public transit options
Salt Lake hands down. Buses, light rail, and commuter trains exist in SLC. Boise has terrible public transit. Anyone that tries to counter that can't be taken seriously. Bus service ends before 7PM and does not operate on Sundays. In many parts of Boise you could easily commute by bike.
-Decent cultural amenities (non-chain restaurants, entertainment, etc.)
Again, I'd say Boise and SLC are fairly similar. Downtown Boise is much more "mid-west" in feel. Very cozy with lots of restaurants, shops, bars, etc. I'd say Boise is more "hipster" so you get more breweries and that type of thing - a little more granola and Northwest vibe. Downtown SLC has the transit advantages and a large scale urban mall. Salt Lake may have a slight lead when it comes to entertainment just because of population. Boise gets most concerts and shows, but very large productions tend to skip Boise - so you'll have to drive to SLC or Portland (i.e. Madonna or whoever is super cool now). I'm always surprised how many legit indie groups come through Boise.
-Good public schools
Based on funding they're probably pretty similar. Really anyplace you need to check out each individual school district and beyond that each neighborhood school.
---
As far as Seattle goes it is hard to compare with Boise or SLC. It is a "big city" and neither Boise or Salt Lake really fit into that category. It is also much more expensive as you noted. I lived in Seattle for a short time and disliked it very much. However, you'll obviously have more entertainment, culture, and dining options.
I have not been to Denver. So I cannot include it.
As a sidebar...another thing to consider is you can get a bit of "Island Fever" in Boise. This may not matter to you. It is one of the most geographically isolated metros in the Lower 48. The next biggest city is Salt Lake and that is a 5-6 hour drive. The next "urban" city is Portland, and that is a 7-8 hour drive in good conditions. So, let's say a weekend trip out of town to another city...this generally involves air travel. Since Boise is the smallest city on your list, it not surprisingly has the least air travel options. That said, it isn't that limited. Non-stop flights exist to all major West Coast cities, Western hubs, and a couple hubs in the Midwest and Texas. East Coast and Intercontinental travel generally requires at least one stop.
Great point about feeling isolated. That definitely not something I'm used to living on the East Coast. 7-8 hours away from a major urban/population center is pretty far. That's the same distance between where I live now and New York City, but I'd pass through Richmond, DC, Baltimore, and Philly before I got there. I think I would have to take some time to adjust to that sort of lifestyle - but if the rest of it fits I'm sure I'd be okay. I enjoy the isolation, but have only experienced it in small doses.
Just my opinion from visiting and studying these cities for relocation myself:
-Nice, clean neighborhoods with character and low crime - Boise
-Diverse, demographically speaking (i.e. ethnicity/race, economic status) - None, really. Boise is about 90% white, SLC 75% and Denver and Seattle are just under 70%. The suburbs being whiter than the cities themselves, by and large although in Boise some of the suburbs are reversed from the normal trend. In SLC, Boise, and Denver the largest minority group will be Hispanics. In Seattle, Asians.
-Outdoor recreation options - They are all pretty great and have different variety. It kind of depends on what your primary activity is.
-Decent public transit options - Seattle > Denver > SLC > Boise. Which is also how they rank in population size, so not surprising.
-Decent cultural amenities (non-chain restaurants, entertainment, etc.) - I'd give this to Seattle, but you can find mom-and-pop character in many places in the other metros.
-Good public schools - No clue, although I want to say that WA schools are ranked pretty highly, but it's been a long time since I looked and compared that metric so I could be wrong.
What field are your careers/job opportunities in? IMO, the biggest differences between these cities is cost of living and weather and maybe some taxes or other laws. Utah and Idaho are very Republican, Washington trends very Democratic (their current legislative mix has a lot of Republicans, but west coast Republicans would be Democrats in many other states) and Colorado is a mix.
Denver is about 50% Non-Hispanic White. (Can't get census bureau page to load right now.) Denver has excellent public transportation; you can even get to Eldora Ski Area on the bus. DPS schools are OK, some suburban districts are great.
Been doing some more reading, and, all things being equal, we rank the cities this way:
1. Seattle
2. Denver
3. Salt Lake City
4. Boise
Honestly though, that could change. Seattle and Denver go back and forth for #1 and SLC and Boise are practically tied for 3rd.
I would put Boise ahead of SLC. Used to live in SLC and I'm not the only one who feels SLC/Utah has a strange vibe to it.
On another note, SLC is just as isolated as Boise. Denver is isolated too. There are hundreds of miles between all of these cities. When I lived in SLC there were many roadtrips made to Boise lol. Now that I'm in Boise, SLC is a place I wouldn't waste miles and gas on to visit as it really doesn't offer more than Boise, it just has more suburbs and malls and also some of the filthiest air in the USA. If there is a larger city to visit outside of Boise, Portland is the obvious choice and the drive can be made in a long afternoon and is a scenic drive between the two cities.
I would put Boise ahead of SLC. Used to live in SLC and I'm not the only one who feels SLC/Utah has a strange vibe to it.
On another note, SLC is just as isolated as Boise. Denver is isolated too. There are hundreds of miles between all of these cities. When I lived in SLC there were many roadtrips made to Boise lol. Now that I'm in Boise, SLC is a place I wouldn't waste miles and gas on to visit as it really doesn't offer more than Boise, it just has more suburbs and malls and also some of the filthiest air in the USA. If there is a larger city to visit outside of Boise, Portland is the obvious choice and the drive can be made in a long afternoon and is a scenic drive between the two cities.
Interesting take on SLC vs. Boise. Like said, they are basically tied for me.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
In America just having a transit system will get you to the top of the list!
