Boise, Bend, Reno, or SLC (live, cost, state, better)
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My family and I currently reside in Dallas with five kids. We moved here from Portland, OR almost two years ago. Unfortunately, it really isn’t our cup of tea outdoors wise. The heat, bugs, and materialism here are a huge turn-off. My husband recently changed positions at his company, and thanks to Covid, we can now live anywhere, though home-base for the company is Oregon. While I’d love to run back to Oregon, cost of living and constant protests, have us considering other locations. Our top picks are Boise, Bend, Reno, and SLC. I’ve heard mixed things about Reno(although I’ve never gone there), and have visited all other locations for short stays. Top factors are outdoor opportunities, family friendly, and cost of living. Having an airport with at least regional direct flights is a bonus for us, my husband does travel a little bit for work. I expect outside of Boise, our buck won’t go as far as it does in Dallas for housing, but we understand that. I prefer small, pretty, and safe, while my husband likes busting cities with mountain nearby. Realistically, we’ll land in the burbs anywhere we go, though. We’re also open to other suggestions, but really want to narrow the list.
How much of a city feel do you prefer? That's the biggest separator between these places. SLC is a regional city in its own right, with a light rail system and major airport. Bend feels by far the smallest, with an active but small downtown, I think the tallest building is like 5 stories --- it's really all about the outdoor activities there, not the city amenities. Of the middle two, I think Reno feels more urban than Boise --- Boise's activity is mostly centered in the downtown with some in the North End neighborhood, while Reno has several interesting walkable districts with a lot of businesses outside the downtown (Midtown, E. 4th St, Victorian Square, the University of Nevada area).
Politics: kind of a wash. Reno is probably the most liberal: there are semi-regular protests (obviously nothing Portland-scale) by the "Believe" statue downtown, Nevada has two female senators, and I've been told that Reno had a thriving trans community way back in the '90s. The city clearly values art, with a lot of murals and public sculptures in the core neighborhoods. Nonetheless, it's still not California and you'll see the usual resentment on the local FB groups about Californians "ruining" Reno (by people who, of course, still patronize and enjoy the businesses the population growth brings).
Bend is probably the safest, followed by Boise. All of them should be fine if you take the normal precautions about living in a city, and especially safe if you're in the suburbs.
Bend probably has the most residents who live there because they want to be there and enjoy the lifestyle. Reno and Boise will have more who relocated there for the lower COL compared to West Coast cities (although there are still plenty of enthusiastic outdoorsy types). SLC will have a higher percentage of natives with multiple generations in the area than the other places, and also a more religious culture although I'm sure that's less so in certain parts of the metro. Boise's vibe seemed kind of boring and quiet to me.
Reno's and SLC's mountains are bigger and more prominent in the backdrop than the other places. SLC has the wow factor of two striking mountain ranges, while Reno obviously has Tahoe a bit less than an hour away.
SLC doesn't seem to be experiencing as much of a housing squeeze as the other places; Bend and Boise are seeing some of the fastest COL increases in the nation right now.
Holistically, I would say Bend is the worst of these choices for you, especially because of the mediocre airport (unless you want to drive 3 hours over the Cascades to Portland each time, including in the winter). Among the other three, really depends on what kind of city you want.
Last edited by TheTimidBlueBars; 02-04-2021 at 11:40 AM..
Thanks! I'm leaning towards SLC because of the bigger airport, but not necessarily for a city. Bend is a consideration, because while it lacks a major airport, it does fly to Portland, which is primarily where my husband needs to go for work about 6 times a year. We're actually more familiar with Bend out of the other cities I listed, and I'd agree with your assessments. Cost of Living is a big deterrent with Bend compared to the other cities. However, you forgot Mt. Bachelor is prime skiing for Oregon, and the Cascades do extend to the region with the said mountain and the Sisters. I like the blend of high dessert and mountains that are offered in all locations, it seems. We especially love mountains! My husband is a moderate, fiscal conservative, liberal on social issues. I'm similar, though lean slightly more right on some social issues. Having a large family, I'd say Reno doesn't sound as appealing, given the overly progressive city vibe you described. Not opposed to female senators, etc., but not really interested in more protests. We had that in Portland, and mostly avoided it by sticking to the burbs.
Of the ones on the list, I'd go with Boise. It's one of my favorite small metros. It has great outdoor activities, nice economy, great 4-season climate, lots of sun, and is noticeably more affordable than the others. If you want to stay out West, I'd even throw in Colorado Springs in the mix. Great area as well. Good luck!
Of the ones on the list, I'd go with Boise. It's one of my favorite small metros. It has great outdoor activities, nice economy, great 4-season climate, lots of sun, and is noticeably more affordable than the others. If you want to stay out West, I'd even throw in Colorado Springs in the mix. Great area as well. Good luck!
I love CO springs, but since my mother is moving with us, it’s out. She won’t go anywhere above 5,000ft elevation.
Boise has a great airport with and several non stop flights to other cities in the country. https://www.iflyboise.com/
The city also fits your desires and should be urban enough for your husband. It's a bustling and progressive city with access to more mountains than you could explore in a lifetime including having the wildest alpine wilderness areas in the nation in it's back yard. Boise and Bend are by far the most pristine of the four cities you are looking into.
Have you looked at the statistics for each city on city-data.com?
Salt Lake City is really in a whole 'nuther class than the other three, with the size of the city as well as the metro area. This will be reflected in crime statistics and other negative metrics. That said, it also comes with the amenities of larger metro areas.
SLC also suffers from air pollution in the winter, and Boise can too, though not as bad. Boise, Reno and sometimes Bend suffers from days of wildfire smoke in the summer if California or Oregon are experiencing large fires that year.
Reno airport is also pretty good, not as many nonstops as SLC of course, but because it is a gambling and tourist destination it has more flights than it would otherwise.
Taxes are another thing. Utah's is highest. Nevada is the only one that has no state income tax but it's total tax burden is higher than Idaho and about the same as Oregon when taking into account sales taxes and other taxes. Idaho has an income tax but it doesn't tax certain retirement incomes, and sales tax and other taxes are lower, so it's total burden is considered the lowest of the four.
School quality is of course situational based on city and county, I know Nevada's spending formula could sure be better than it is IMO.
All four allow you to live in mostly temperate weather with little snow in the valley, but near mountains for recreation. Reno, Bend and Boise can all be pretty hot in the summer. SLC is a bit more moderate. Bend may be the coldest average in the wintertime? All have dry climates compared to Dallas lol. I don't know if you ski, but if you do, SLC and Reno are next door to world class resorts.
Unfortunately real estate costs are spiking in Bend, Reno area and Boise area. I'm not sure about the Salt Lake Valley.
I believe that Utah has the largest average family size of any state in America. So if being in a place that is used to large families, and is presumably set up to cater to them, is important to you, then I'd pick Salt Lake City.
Slc is the most progressive out of the bunch. Bend is 2nd, reno is third, and boise fourth.
Ppl in boise love talking about how progressive they are, but it isn't really rooted in reality. Being progressive for idaho isn't saying much.
Slc people rarely brag about their city, so that's why people don't realize how progressive of a city SLC is
Slc has its issues, but id pick it over all the cities here. Great airport, great skiing, great national park access - slc wins this, imo. Biggest complaint is the weather, but it's not that far behind reno/boise.
Another city to check out is moscow idaho. Great access to Spokane, montana, northen idaho, and you can make weekend trips to seattle. I think I'd pick moscow over boise, personally.
Last edited by dontbelievehim; 02-12-2021 at 12:04 AM..
I love CO springs, but since my mother is moving with us, it’s out. She won’t go anywhere above 5,000ft elevation.
Reno's at 4,500 ft and surrounding foothills are 5,000 and up soooooo....
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