As Boise booms, a city faces the curse of ‘Californication’

[SpongeG]

I never knew Boise had 700,000 I thought maybe 200,000 at most

As Boise booms, a city faces the curse of ‘Californication’

In the fast-growing Idaho city, residents grapple with challenges of growth and new arrivals

By Patrick Sisson Jan 22, 2019


Idaho, now the fastest-growing state in the nation, and Boise, a boomtown by many measures, have felt the strain from the city’s recent success. Shutterstock

When Cameron Crow, 29, contemplated a move back to his native Boise, Idaho, three years ago, his friends reacted with confusion. At the time, Crow was a data analyst working in San Francisco, the nation’s tech hub; why would he leave that for a small city in Idaho?

Crow said it took a single sentence for them to see the light: “You can easily own a home, have a 10-minute commute to work by bike, and drink $4 craft beers downtown.”

Three years after Crow returned home, becoming a Boise boomerang and starting his own analytics firm, he’s realized he’s in a much different city than the one he grew up in—and the one he pitched to friends. The picturesque metropolitan on the Boise River has boomed. New businesses—and, yes, breweries—have changed the core of a city that’s earned rave reviews for its livability and proximity to nature.

The Boise metro area (population 700,000) has also experienced the downsides of rapid growth. Idaho, now the fastest-growing state in the nation, and Boise, a boomtown by many measures, have felt the strain from the city’s recent success. Downtown is straining under traffic problems, and housing costs have skyrocketed. The state projects the region will add another 100,000 residents by 2025.

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https://www.curbed.com/2019/1/22/181...GhRHi66EghWN9o

[Boisebro]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I never knew Boise had 700,000 I thought maybe 200,000 at most

the article is a little misleading.

700k is the MSA number, though I've seen estimates a bit higher than that. the city itself is only about 230,000.

[Obadno]

The 1800's were about the growth of the Midwest, the 1900's were about the growth of the West Coast, the 2000's will be about the growth of whats in between.

[skyscraperpage17]

The main thing that will stunt Boise's growth is the lack of jobs and the fact it's virtually isolated from everything.

Low COL and scenery only goes so far when your career opportunities are limited.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

The main thing that will stunt Boise's growth is the lack of jobs and the fact it's virtually isolated from everything.

Low COL and scenery only goes so far when your career opportunities are limited.

If there wasn't job growth there wouldn't be the amount of growth currently occurring.

[skyscraperpage17]

Originally Posted by Obadno

If there wasn't job growth there wouldn't be the amount of growth currently occurring.

Not necessarily.

There are parts of the country growing rapidly that are simply retirement or bedroom communities, which tend to have poor economies.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

Not necessarily.

There are parts of the country growing rapidly that are simply retirement or bedroom communities, which tend to have poor economies.

That isnt the situation Boise is in.

[skyscraperpage17]

Originally Posted by Obadno

That isnt the situation Boise is in.

I'd be interested in seeing the actual numbers on that.

[Cottonwood]

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

I'd be interested in seeing the actual numbers on that.

https://www.idahopress.com/news/loca...f3b14f861.html

https://www.idahopress.com/news/stat...65e7b7e52.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/13/top-...-thriving.html

http://www.govtech.com/dc/Tech-Compa...Heres-Why.html

https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/04/...ilicon-valley/

Boise benefits from an influx of young professionals, said Bill Connors, CEO of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce. Sixty-seven percent of those moving to the area are under 40.

“They’re young technology workers who can’t afford to live in Seattle or the Bay Area, and they look around the Intermountain West and say they’ve heard Boise is hip and cool,” Connors told the Statesman. “That’s to the advantage of not only legacy technology companies but to all the startups and other companies in town.”

[skyscraperpage17]

Originally Posted by Cottonwood

https://www.idahopress.com/news/loca...f3b14f861.html

https://www.idahopress.com/news/stat...65e7b7e52.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/13/top-...-thriving.html

http://www.govtech.com/dc/Tech-Compa...Heres-Why.html

https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/04/...ilicon-valley/

Thanks. Those are solid job numbers for sure.

But I wonder how many of the transplants there are relocating for non-employment reasons. The Tech Industry and Silicon Valley is known for a lot of its labor force being able to work remotely, thus they don't actually have to settle in expensive CA. It's also a top destination for empty nesters who want to cash in their expensive homes in other parts of the country.

Also, wage growth still seems to lag the rapid rise in COL, which shouldn't be happening if the job market was as strong as the numbers suggested.

Basically, as a TL;DR, describing the situation in Boise as "Californication" is quite the exaggeration.

[CaliNative]

Idaho will never be California, but you will have lots of ex Californians moving there. The price of real estate, traffic, and other things is forcing people to move, even if they would rather not. Californians with modest homes selling for over a million dollars can bank most of the money and buy a house for less than one half as much in cheaper states. Fortunately for Idaho, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Oregon are closer so they get most of the refugees.

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

Thanks. Those are solid job numbers for sure.

But I wonder how many of the transplants there are relocating for non-employment reasons. The Tech Industry and Silicon Valley is known for a lot of its labor force being able to work remotely, thus they don't actually have to settle in expensive CA. It's also a top destination for empty nesters who want to cash in their expensive homes in other parts of the country.

Also, wage growth still seems to lag the rapid rise in COL, which shouldn't be happening if the job market was as strong as the numbers suggested.

Basically, as a TL;DR, describing the situation in Boise as "Californication" is quite the exaggeration.

All the "Californication" of other places is an exaggeration.
The % of California residents in those places is nothing, exept for Nevada or something.

Of course other states will have California people moving there as opposed to Utah or something. There's 40 million residents. It's why there's more ex NYC residents in other cities. There's just a larger pool to draw from.

[KB0679]

delete

[pdxtex]

i think once median home prices hit 400k, most californians look elsewhere. bay area tech money still thinks seattle is cheap. all thats about to end in about 5 years.....im packing up and moving to tulsa or somewhere along the i 35 corridor once ive saved up enough dough out here. keep on trucking!

[dubu]

Originally Posted by pdxtex

i think once median home prices hit 400k, most californians look elsewhere. bay area tech money still thinks seattle is cheap. all thats about to end in about 5 years.....im packing up and moving to tulsa or somewhere along the i 35 corridor once ive saved up enough dough out here. keep on trucking!

the only good thing about oregon is the nature, ive thought about moving. idaho ive always liked, the midwest is far but very nice too.

[M II A II R II K]

And with places becoming less habitable or subject to more climate chaos places like Idaho will become more popular.

[Crawford]

I don't understand how people can live in such an isolated area, but good for them. Takes pressure off the big West Coast population centers.

I have a friend who moved to Bozeman, MT and loves it. It's ultra-cold, barren surroundings, nothing for a day's drive except Yellowstone, no culture, town just looks rinky-dink and bland. And it's actually expensive, because of the Californians. There is no amount of money that would have me move there.

I know Boise is much bigger, but seems like it draws a similar demographic. Outdoorsy types and those that aren't into megacities (though you can't be outdoors for much of the year, and the landscape, to me is pretty monotonous).

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I have a friend who moved to Bozeman, MT and loves it. It's ultra-cold, barren surroundings, nothing for a day's drive except Yellowstone, no culture, town just looks rinky-dink and bland. And it's actually expensive, because of the Californians. There is no amount of money that would have me move there.

Top 10 reasons not to move to Bozeman

Some of this also applies to Boise. But Boise is the state capital. Politicians usually take care of themselves with at least some good dining and entertainment options. I mean, even Sacramento is becoming an attractive city (and IMHO Boise's climate and scenery are much better--I'd rather have real snowy winters and cool summers than Thule fog and Death Valley-style heat).

[Kenmore]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I don't understand how people can live in such an isolated area, but good for them. Takes pressure off the big West Coast population centers.

I have a friend who moved to Bozeman, MT and loves it. It's ultra-cold, barren surroundings, nothing for a day's drive except Yellowstone, no culture, town just looks rinky-dink and bland. And it's actually expensive, because of the Californians. There is no amount of money that would have me move there.

I know Boise is much bigger, but seems like it draws a similar demographic. Outdoorsy types and those that aren't into megacities (though you can't be outdoors for much of the year, and the landscape, to me is pretty monotonous).

managed to cram an astounding number of bad takes into one post, even for you

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by Kenmore

managed to cram an astounding number of bad takes into one post, even for you

Give him a break. "Bozeman has no restaurants specializing in Indian food, none specializing in Ethiopian or other varieties of African food, no Peruvian or Brazilian or Spanish cuisine, and so on." (from my link above). That alone is probably enough to turn him off. I mean it would me (gotta have Indian food). But like I said, the politicians in Boise have maybe done better.