Boise ranked one of the best state capitals in US. Here’s where it ranks and who it beat
Honking horns, busy streets and a thriving downtown; this isn’t the Boise your parents grew up in. Idaho is the fastest-growing state in the nation, and as the state capital, Boise is feeling the impact of it more than most places.
Some may think that’s a bad thing. Others a good thing. Whatever way you swing, Boise’s status is rising nationwide, according to a new study from SmartAsset, a financial technology company.
The study ranked Boise as the fourth-best capital city in the United States to live in, an increase from its No. 7 rank in 2021.
The study compiled its rankings by rating all 50 state capitals on three key categories: employment and education, affordability, and leisure and safety. Each category was broken down into three or four metrics and scored out of 100; an overall score was then calculated by taking the average of the three categories.
Boise scored in the top half of states in all three categories, including second for employment and education, trailing only Pierre, South Dakota. Of the 50 cities in the study, Boise had the fifth-highest high school graduation rate (95.3%) and ninth-lowest unemployment rate (2.5%).
The City of Trees also had the 11th-highest five-year change in income (26.74%), culminating in a total score of 90.64 for employment and education. Data was gathered from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Community Survey five-year data and County Health Rankings.
Boise ranked 14th in affordability with a score of 60.40, calculated using income after housing costs, the down payment-to-income ratio and the estimated annual cost of living for an individual.
The city finally ranked 23rd in leisure and safety, which takes data from the 2020 County Business Patterns survey, American Community Survey and FBI data.
Here are the top 10 capitals that Boise is competing with, along with their overall score:
Pierre, South Dakota - 78.04
Madison, Wisconsin - 76.31
Lincoln, Nebraska - 72.05
Boise, Idaho - 69.46
Helena, Montana - 69.43
Concord, New Hampshire - 69.25
Montpelier, Vermont - 61.10
Jefferson City, Missouri - 60.34
Albany, New York - 59.95
Des Moines, Iowa - 59.02
