2023 Best Places to Raise a Family in Idaho

• Neighborhood in Boise, ID

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  Rating 4.07 out of 5  71 reviews

Current Resident: Southeast Boise is the perfect community for all ages. There are several public parks and playgrounds for kids that are easy to walk to from almost every neighborhood. There is easy access to grocery stores, restaurants, and shopping. Boise State University is minutes away if someone is interested in events or college sports. The foothills, filled with miles of hiking trails, can be seen from almost every east-facing window. And there is no hustle and bustle of dealing with commuters; this is the ideal part of town.... Read 71 reviews

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• Population 9,141

• Neighborhood in Boise, ID

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  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Current Resident: Beautiful skyline from the train depot. Great restaurants. Home of the Boise State Bronco's.....enough said. :P... Read 2 reviews

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• Population 2,066

• Neighborhood in Boise, ID

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  Rating 4.2 out of 5  10 reviews

Current Resident: Safe, quiet, suburban place to raise a family. Hikes (Old Pen, Table Rock) easily accessible. Greenbelt and river also conveniently very close by. Public golf course in the area.... Read 10 reviews

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• Population 5,474

• Neighborhood in Boise, ID

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  Rating 3.67 out of 5  3 reviews

Niche User: This area is growing in arts and culture. Job opportunities seem to be growing for larger companies. There is a ton of outdoor recreation available. You can experience almost all of the modern conveniences, yet still be lost in the wilderness quite quickly if you want to be.... Read 3 reviews

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• Population 3,988

• Neighborhood in Boise, ID

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• Population 1,201

• Neighborhood in Boise, ID

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  Rating 3.5 out of 5  4 reviews

Niche User: There are plenty of outdoor activities and the general atmosphere is positive. I would choose to live here again.... Read 4 reviews

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• Population 3,562

• Town in Idaho

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  Rating 4.06 out of 5  186 reviews

Current Resident: It's such a quaint little town! Mainstreet is amazing. We have a maternity/kids consignment shop for moms and another consignment shop for adults that has the cutest stuff called Storm Cellar. The Saturday Market during summer is the best. The Co-op is also great to get local produce and other items. It also has a program for those on WIC and SNAP benefits, they always get 15% off their purchase to try to make everything more affordable. Some of the community isn't really taking coronavirus seriously but the businesses that are have been amazing and doing their best to keep everyone safe.... Read 186 reviews

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• Population 25,336

• Neighborhood in Boise, ID

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  Rating 3.36 out of 5  11 reviews

Niche User: Boise is a wonderful place to raise a family. I grew up here, and could not imagine living anywhere else. The greenbelt and foothills are amazing for outdoor adventures, and the people here are some of the friendliest you'll ever meet. The food is pretty awesome, and prices are pretty low.... Read 11 reviews

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• Population 4,615

• Neighborhood in Boise, ID

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• Population 1,426

• Suburb of Boise, ID

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  Rating 4.19 out of 5  62 reviews

Current Resident: Eagle is a great place to live. There has been a lot of growth recently, but so far the feel of the community has persisted. Eagle itself does not feature a lot of things to do, but it is close to the capital city of Idaho, Boise. There are lots of excellent outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, boating, and skiing.... Read 62 reviews

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• Population 29,665

• Neighborhood in Boise, ID

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  Rating 3.82 out of 5  34 reviews

Niche User: I love where I live because I am in walking distance of anything I need at any hour, close to family, work and school.... Read 34 reviews

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• Population 3,576

• City in Idaho

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  Rating 4.41 out of 5  572 reviews

Current Resident: I have lived in Boise, Idaho my entire life. I quite like it here, from the scenery year round to the bustling city life I have never had a big issue here. I love my personal accessibility to everything in town, nothing is too far a drive. I do wish the idea of better walking accessibility around town would really pick up. Driving gets harder and harder with a growing city, it will be nice to hopefully be more walking accessible soon too. Overall a wonderful place to grow up and live!... Read 572 reviews

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• Population 231,537

• Neighborhood in Boise, ID

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  Rating 3.81 out of 5  123 reviews

Current Resident: We bought a home here in February, 2018. So far we really like it. The area is growing like the rest of Boise area and beyond. The traffic is getting worse because of the growth. Like anything there will be growing pains. I am thankful to be here. My neighbors are wonderful too! We are not to far from many amenities, so we don't feel like we are missing out on anything living in Southwest Ada County. Happy and thankful to have the privilege to live here.... Read 123 reviews

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• Population 2,866

Current Resident: I used to live in a small town that didn't have any entertainment spots and only had two old runs down restaurants. I lived about 15 minutes away from a town called Idaho Falls/Ammon, where there was more to do and more places to eat. Fifteen minutes wasn't too bad of a drive, but sometimes when I'm driving home late from being in town, it seems like a longer ride. I also worked 30 minutes away from home. After moving into Ammon, it was nice to be in a more social and lively environment as well as being closer to work. It made things so much easier for me. At night time though, it can get busy and more reckless drivers come out. The niegborhood I live in does have some issues. Houses have been broken into, someones dog got shot, and trailers have been stoled but the neighbores are very nice and inviting when my family and I first moved in.... Read 63 reviews

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• Population 17,401

• Suburb of Boise, ID

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  Rating 4.27 out of 5  407 reviews

Current Resident: The schools and activities are high-quality. The city is very clean and professional, but there are too many people! I feel that Meridian can better accommodate the population surge seen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are options to increase public safety and the amount of housing, which will keep Meridian clean, attractive, and successful.... Read 407 reviews

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• Population 115,227

• Neighborhood in Boise, ID

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  Rating 4 out of 5  2 reviews

Niche User: The police are fairly active and visible in town.... Read 2 reviews

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• Population 2,715

• Town in Idaho

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  Rating 3.4 out of 5  5 reviews

Former Resident: Ketchum is an all around awesome place to visit or live in! I would say it is one of the best places to retire in the USA, with very low crime, free public bus system, and lots of places to get out and stay healthy. For young adults, I would advise not to live here as it is very expensive and there is not much nightlife. The people in this town are very friendly, and I feel safe everywhere I go. Again, crime is one of the lowest in the nation is party of the reason why about 50% of people living here are retirees. Overall, I love this town and always will.... Read 5 reviews

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• Population 3,448

• Town in Idaho

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  Rating 3.33 out of 5  3 reviews

Former Resident: It is I would say one of the best places to live in Idaho except for affordability. The people in this town are some of the most friendly in the state, they have great free bus coverage and all year round sports for such a small place. It is a very nice place to live in or visit. The only problem I would mention is the affordability. If you want a house in the center of town, it will definitely be over 1 mil. Nonetheless, you can find somewhat affordable homes in elkhorn south of the town. Also, there are affordable apartments in the town center than you can get for 250k+. Also, there is more diversity in the town that youn think there would be. Overall, great town with all around awesome services. I'd give a 9/10 for the town. Lastly, most of the citizens are over 50 years of age, which I do not really mind. The public school system is not good, the private schools are awesomd!... Read 3 reviews

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• Population 1,277

• Neighborhood in Boise, ID

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  Rating 3.83 out of 5  23 reviews

Niche User: I grew up in the neighborhood and mostly it's been older couples, but lately there have been more young families moving in. There were a couple of years where there were two rentals that had less than savory characters living there, but those have since been changed. There isn't a homeowners association, which I prefer, since it is an older neighborhood so there are no neighborhood activities or what not. The high school is one of the top in the nation but the elementary and junior high are on the lower end of the spectrum. Despite this, I love the neighborhood I grew up in.... Read 23 reviews

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• Population 10,145

• Neighborhood in Boise, ID

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  Rating 4.56 out of 5  18 reviews

Current Resident: I go to school at Boise State University and I've lived in the South Boise Village for almost 4 years. I love being close enough to campus to bike or walk. The neighborhood is very clean and pleasant. Our neighbors are awesome. My roommate and I take her dog for walks around the neighborhood all the time and like to walk to Manitou Park which is maybe 7 blocks from our house. It's got tennis courts, pickle ball courts, a basketball court, a playground, picnic table, restrooms, big trees for shade, and a large grass area that is dog friendly. We love going there between the hours of 3-6 because many other neighbors bring their dogs around that time. Its fun to meet other neighbors and dogs and watch them all play together. South Boise Village is a great neighborhood for anyone, families, elderly, college students, young couples, etc. It's a friendly and safe environment.... Read 18 reviews

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• Population 1,468

• Town in Idaho

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• Population 1,015

• Suburb in Idaho

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  Rating 4.67 out of 5  3 reviews

Current Resident: Dalton Gardens is a beautiful place. I love how large the properties are. I also love how green it is. The parks are nice and there are trees everywhere. This area is pretty well maintained. I do tend to notice we we are almost always doing construction, which is both a good and a bad thing. It means they are keeping things nice and adjusting to fit the needs of the growing area. ON the negative side, construction always takes so long.... Read 3 reviews

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• Population 2,492

• Neighborhood in Boise, ID

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  Rating 4.07 out of 5  46 reviews

Niche User: I've lived in Texas, Florida, Nevada, and California, and now Boise, and I can hands down say this is my favorite place out of all of the places I've lived. The city is just the right blend of big city and small town. I feel like, for the most part, people are friendlier, and there is always something to do! For outdoorsy people, Boise is perfect, we have many hiking trails, rivers, and lakes to go explore.... Read 46 reviews

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• Population 1,498

• Town in Idaho

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  Rating 3.9 out of 5  616 reviews

Current Resident: Rexburg is by far the best place I’ve ever lived. It’s a small college town where everyone is welcomed and taken in. It’s got a wonderful culture of down to earth friendly people. It’s very family friendly and safe. Even though it’s a college town there are no bars or crazy parties. The college part of town is fun and lively full of good food and plenty of activities. The college Brigham Young University Idaho is an incredible school with programs for just about any degree. They have an outstanding Biology, Nursing, Automotive, and education departments among many others. It’s not only a college town just out of the circle around the university are quiet suburbs for families. Rexburg is close to anything you could want to do outdoors; skiing, mountain biking, fishing, state and national parks, Jackson Hole, Yellowstone, etc. entertainment is close if your willing to explore! Rexburg will always hold a special place in my heart... Read 616 reviews

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• Population 33,684

• Suburb of Boise, ID

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  Rating 3.97 out of 5  37 reviews

Current Resident: I like Middleton, ID. It's a fairly quiet community where everyone knows everyone. It's quickly expanding and we are slowly gaining more people and places. Star is just next door and Star is a lovely place as well. Middleton is just off the freeway while still feeling more rural than most cities close to Boise. Having lived here since 5th grade, it's safe to say I love their schools, too!... Read 37 reviews

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• Population 9,091