The Boise boom: Study puts City of Trees at top of post-COVID stats (Eagle: crime rates, eviction)
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It is an impressive showing, though all the others on list are metros of at least 2 million and often far more. Many of Boise's advantages may come in part from being far smaller. Other smaller metros might also do well in such a comparison with larger metros.
It is an impressive showing, though all the others on list are metros of at least 2 million and often far more. Many of Boise's advantages may come in part from being far smaller. Other smaller metros might also do well in such a comparison with larger metros.
Maybe? Though not sure I buy it. This is another way of saying bigger cities are generally economically weaker on a per capita basis. That's not normally the expectation.
I'm not convinced that better deltas are somehow inherent to small and mid-sized metros. It's all relative. If mid-sized metros are doing better as a percentage than large metros that's a positive.
Regardless, many of the metrics are not changes over time. Boise scores high for ease of doing business, low office vacancy, low rates of homelessness, lowest property and violent crime rates, and lowest electricity cost.
This is all good news for Boise's economy, no need to discount it.
Two national economists that I track have both mentioned that Idaho and Utah were the first two states in the nation to have their economies performing above pre-pandemic levels. Look at the number of high rise cranes in downtown Boise and that tells a lot about how strong our local economy is. There are multiple high rise cranes in Garden City as well. I used to be surprised to see one in Garden City. Also, look at all the tilt up concrete commercial space that Alder Investments has been building along Franklin between Cloverdale and Eagle, they are full soon after completion, so they build more.
The growth is expected to continue with the expansion of the Boise Airport.
Micron has begun construction of their $15 BILLION (yes billion) expansion. That will spur their suppliers and vendors to boom along with them.
I expect to be on the top of that list for at least five more years.
Recovery from Covid? Idaho didn't do "covid". No mandatory masking, no government employees fired for not vaccinating, no firemen, police officers, school bus drivers were fired for not vaccinating, no mandatory closing of businesses, no eviction moratorium.
I sat on this side of the border and watched Spokane work hard to destroy their own economy. None of the crazy things they were doing happened here in Idaho. So yes, recovery is faster if you don't do everything in your power to destroy your economy in the first place,
Boise about at median in group for average city household income.
Good point! And your're correct, this is another strong economic indicator in Boise's favor. Combined with its affordability, this means more people of various income levels can thrive in Boise, as opposed to the extreme income inequality in many of the more expensive metros. From a business perspective, it means companies have lower employment costs while employees have a higher quality of life. A real win-win.
Boise has always punched above it's size. There was a time when this small city had one of the highest concentrations of Fortune 500 headquarters in the nation. We still have an impressive number of these companies in Boise. The Simplot Headquarters downtown is one of the largest private companies in the world.
Aside from that, Mayor McLean has been doing a great job.
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