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Slightly off-topic, but does anyone have ideas on why
there's such a disparity in crime rates between Boise and Spokane?
Comparing the two cities' City-Data crime index numbers,
Spokane's (503) is almost three times as high as Boise's (177).
Boise = the premier city in the state, so it's going to get propped up at every level. It has it easy.
Spokane is an after thought in the state. It gets the crumbs.
Spokane = lots of russians/Slavs and blue collar castoffs from the pnw
Boise = lots of Mormons and tech castoffs from the bigger western cities.
Last edited by dontbelievehim; 10-01-2022 at 08:34 PM..
Slightly off-topic, but does anyone have ideas on why
there's such a disparity in crime rates between Boise and Spokane?
Comparing the two cities' City-Data crime index numbers,
Spokane's (503) is almost three times as high as Boise's (177).
Spokane has been a much bigger city for longer. It had 2/3 of its present population in the 1950 census, IIRC. The abundance of nearby mines allowed it to become something of a manufacturing city --- with some major employers remaining in town as late as the early 2000s --- and I think the decline of that industry has contributed to the poverty rate.
There are parts of east and north Spokane that look a lot rougher than anywhere in Boise.
@mhays or other Washingtonians or Northwesterners, the only real question I have is how do Washingtonians relate Tacoma and Spokane? Which is considered the more influential city in state?
I'll bet you that Tacoma doesn't have signs for it, this far out:
Of course, maybe it would, if it didn't have the Pacific Northwest's largest city sitting nearby.
Spokane is the only very big city in that part of eastern Washington, so makes sense to me it'd be on a mileage sign that far away. And like you said as Tacoma is overshadowed by Seattle, why it won't show up as hundreds of miles away on any I-5 mileage sign.
This question may get a very different answer if it were asked in a different decade(or even in the 20th century sometime).
Based on overall influence in 2022 specifically, my list is as follows:
1. Boise
2. Spokane
3. Reno
4. Tacoma
I happen to live in Western Washington.
Of course, my opinion may differ than someone who lives outside the region. However, I do know Boise and Reno have been trending upwards for many years now; thanks in part to growing tech and manufacturing jobs(Micron, Tesla, etc). Both cities have become somewhat well-known for their universities as well, and Reno also has many casinos to its name.
Spokane, on the other hand, has had somewhat of a plateau in regards to its regional/national influence. While it may have hosted the World's Fair back in 1974(which gave us cool things like IMAX and Riverfront Park) and is also known for it's many Universities, proportionate growth has lacked well behind Boise and Reno. The only reason I ranked Spokane ahead of "The biggest little city in the world" (Reno) is because it doesn't live in the shadow of a much larger city. While geographically distant from Las Vegas it still has always seemed like a mini Vegas, from my perspective at least.
Now, as far as living in the shadows of other cities goes, Tacoma is very much the definition of that. Once upon a time, Tacoma and Seattle were rivals with one another, fighting for prominence as shipping hubs. Nowadays, you would hardly guess that. Although Tacoma is beginning to reinvigorate itself, particularly its downtown core, it has only become more a part of Seattle's shadow, and now Bellevue's. That being said, Steve Miller did go from Phoenix Arizona all the way to Tacoma, so that must be good for something.
Last edited by thebjornultimatum; 10-13-2022 at 08:38 PM..
Reason: spelling error
Spokane has been a much bigger city for longer. It had 2/3 of its present population in the 1950 census, IIRC. The abundance of nearby mines allowed it to become something of a manufacturing city --- with some major employers remaining in town as late as the early 2000s --- and I think the decline of that industry has contributed to the poverty rate.
There are parts of east and north Spokane that look a lot rougher than anywhere in Boise.
Spokane has some pretty trashy areas - meth has historically been a problem there. Having been to both Boise and Spokane, I absolutely am not surprised by the crime stats. Spokane has been investing a lot in their downtown and riverfront, but throughout the city you still see shabby areas like this. Not dangerous ghettos a la Oakland or Philly but definitely sketchy and much more high crime than anywhere in Boise:
Reno and Tacoma have been settings for TV shows (Reno's would be pretty iconic). Tacoma has a pickup truck. Boise has a (recently) prominent football team. Spokane nearly won a couple college basketball titles but people don't know they're in Spokane. The world's fair was a long time ago. Boise has the most notoriety in a mini-Austin kind of way (Western boomtown, tech, capital+university combo). Tacoma is in Seattle's shadow but also rides its coattails, like the airport name. Reno has a big tourism industry (often feeling pretty sad imo) but it's probably a regional crowd like Atlantic City.
That's just surface stuff. But again, it just depends what you're counting.
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