Boise, ID vs Star, ID

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricBoise, IDStar, ID
Population237,24214,745
Median Household Income$83,904$97,936
Median Rent$1,446/mo—
Median Home Value$484,800$564,300
Cost of Living (US = 100)9898
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income46.9%43.3%
Poverty Rate10.6%5.8%
Unemployment Rate3.2%3.3% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k289144*
Property Crime Rate /100k851326*
Median AQI4242
Good AQI Days /yr270270
Summer Highs88°F89°F
Winter Lows27°F24°F
Snowfall18 in/yr10 in/yr
Avg Commute18.9 min27.5 min
Hospitals6—
Avg Hospital Rating4.3 / 5—
Students per Teacher17.320.9
College Degree Rate47.5%34.9%
Foreign-Born %7.9%3.6%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+1.1%+84.6%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices Star (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.