Boise City vs Meridian
Boise City, Idaho versus Meridian, Idaho: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Boise City and Meridian score about the same overall (56 vs 56 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Boise City | Meridian |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $76k | $93k |
| Cost of Living | $58k | $58k |
| Home Value | $402k | $426k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.66% | 0.56% |
| Income Tax | 5.80% | 5.80% |
| Sales Tax | 6.03% | 6.03% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.23% | 10.35% |
| Unemployment | 3.8% | 2.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 32°F | 32°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 76°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 11.5 in | 12.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 17.6 in | 9.7 in |
| Sunny Days | 268 days | 268 days |
| Summer Humidity | 43°F | 43°F |
| Comfortable Days | 65 days | 59 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 4.1 | 7.7 |
| Air Quality | 41 AQI | 40 AQI |
| School Quality | 43.1 | 19.9 |
| Violent Crime | 994/100k | 746/100k |
| Property Crime | 1213/100k | 641/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 234,192 | 119,872 |
| Median Age | 37.9 | 37.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.27 | 0.27 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.03 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 81.2% | 82.2% |
| Black (%) | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 9.1% | 9.0% |
| Asian (%) | 3.4% | 2.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.9% | 5.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 19 min | 22 min |
| Walkability | 15.2/20 | 11.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 3 mi | 10 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.0% | 94.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 22.84 | 39.63 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Boise City or Meridian more affordable?
- Meridian has the lower cost of living: its index is $58k, compared with Boise City's $58k and Meridian's $58k. Median rent is $1k in Boise City versus $2k in Meridian.
- Is Boise City or Meridian safer?
- Meridian has the lower violent crime rate. Boise City reports 994/100k and Meridian reports 746/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Boise City or Meridian?
- The median home value is $402k in Boise City and $426k in Meridian, so homes are more affordable in Boise City.