Boise City receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Salt Lake City-Murray
Boise City
Opportunity
80 · Top 10%
vs79 · Top 11%
Growth
71 · Top 16%
vs82 · Top 5%
Climate
49 · Bottom 2%
vs59 · Bottom 20%
Physical resilience
55 · Bottom 47%
vs76 · Top 23%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 21%
vs69 · Bottom 16%
Access
71 · Bottom 32%
vs76 · Bottom 39%
Economic stability
98 · Top 1%
vs88 · Top 7%
Measured values
| Metric | Salt Lake City-Murray | Boise City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,275,870 | 811,115 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $98,083 | $85,987 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,702 | $43,624 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 164/sq mi | 69/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $515,400 | $468,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,583 | $1,487 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.0% | 72.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.0% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.4% | 37.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.0% | 9.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 7,755 | 9,410 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.1 | 11.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 20.1% | -3.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 97°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 6.4" | 6.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 53 mi | 39 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.6 min | 24.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.9 | 37.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Salt Lake City-Murray
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Boise City
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Salt Lake City-Murray
71
Your Score
69
Area Score
Boise City
76
Your Score
75
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Salt Lake City-Murray, UT Metro Area · Boise City, ID Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology