What it's like to live in Nampa
Nampa is a mid-size city in Idaho with unemployment below the national average and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Nampa deals with larger class sizes than the national average, cold winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Nampa compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Nampa
Based on Nampa's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,840
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $56,800 a year
- 48% of Nampa renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$74,160
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $37,080
- Homes cost 5.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,420/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,420 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $370,800. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $370,800 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 16% below US
3.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.6%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
310 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 675/100k · Nampa Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 24°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 35% below US
23% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 23%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
33 public schools inside the boundary
There are 33 public schools inside the boundary and 9 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument (98 miles away).
Bottom line
Nampa's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and a population that has grown fast since 2020; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit. A year of median rent ($1,420/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Nampa
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