Recommend possible areas to live in Idaho

[maximus83]

Yep agree it's not the optimal time to be moving price-wise, when there's a flood of political refugees as well as equity-rich folks looking to buy/build fancy houses near the skiing areas. Drives up all the price levels. However price is relative: the value of our current home in our area is about the same as some equivalently sized new houses in some of the areas we've been looking at (one is Middleton). So for us, still a better deal than staying here with the boot of Washington authoritarians on our necks. Wish we could convince the kids to leave too, they're not leftists but they still feel attached to friends/jobs/etc and don't want to go yet. Probably the thing that'll finally convince them is when their kids start school, they'll want to raise them as conservative freedom-loving Christians, but they'll see how bad the indoctrination is and either switch to private schools, home school, or leave the state.

[CoryCop25]

We have a house and property in Mackay, Custer County. This is Southeastern Idaho and it's about an hour and a half (depends how you drive) from Idaho Falls. Good values and California has not invaded this area yet. Home prices are very reasonable, unlike Boise.

[dmd08]

We have a house and property in Mackay, Custer County. This is Southeastern Idaho and it's about an hour and a half (depends how you drive) from Idaho Falls. Good values and California has not invaded this area yet. Home prices are very reasonable, unlike Boise.

Mackay is cool. Great jumping off point to Copper Basin and the Pahsimeroi. Idaho is great.

[CoryCop25]

Own property in the Copper Basin. Beautiful is an understatement. Been going there since I was 8.

[maximus83]

We have a house and property in Mackay, Custer County. This is Southeastern Idaho and it's about an hour and a half (depends how you drive) from Idaho Falls. Good values and California has not invaded this area yet. Home prices are very reasonable, unlike Boise.

You weren't kidding. Some beautiful areas up there and nice listings.

[CoryCop25]

Yes.
I know it is a bit further East than you want but it checks all your other boxes.
There is a medical center in town and there's a small hospital in Arco which is about 30 minutes away. Most emergencies get a helicopter to Idaho Falls. Winters are long and cold but the rest of the year is beautiful. They get about 100 days of above freezing temperatures and that's not bad at 5600 feet above sea level.
No snakes either because of the elevation. Once you get down to the Pahsimoroi Valley and into Salmon, you get rattlers.
People are nice, they look you in the eye and say hwody. There's a real mix of people from rich ranchers to poor irrigation workers, but everyone's just plain nice.

[VIP3R 237]

I live in Logan Ut but I can see southeast Idaho from my back porch haha, and a lot of my coworkers commute from Franklin county. I love this area, you’re 2 hours from either IF or Slc and as CoryCop was saying, people are just nice out here. The views are stunning, can’t beat the hunting and fishing, but yeah winters last a good 6 months, but the weather from spring to fall it’s downright heaven

[Pressingonward]

Hmm...wife and I are starting to talk options to escape WA as well. Watching threads like this with interest...

[nate89]

I live in Logan Ut but I can see southeast Idaho from my back porch haha, and a lot of my coworkers commute from Franklin county. I love this area, you’re 2 hours from either IF or Slc and as CoryCop was saying, people are just nice out here. The views are stunning, can’t beat the hunting and fishing, but yeah winters last a good 6 months, but the weather from spring to fall it’s downright heaven

Funny thing me, my wife, and daughter just moved from the Logan, Utah area to the Boise, Idaho area for work (about two months ago). Home prices here are insane, very similar to Utah where we left. We are currently renting in Kuna, which is about 30 minutes Southwest of Boise without traffic. It is much more rural than Boise, a bit of a drive to the standard shopping places (winco, cosco, etc.), but we chose it over another option in downtown Boise just to avoid living in the bigger city. We really enjoy the area, people are very nice, the area is great for taking walks and day trips to hiking locations and the like. We are still just barely scratching the surface of what to do here, but if you like the outdoors, I don't think you could do better. I know of one decent public range about 20 minutes away, but I have only driven past, never actually shot there. If you like shooting competitions, they have everything from USPSA to shotgun shooting. Parma and Nampa both have solid practical shooting clubs, and ranges with plenty of bays to use.

The one downside is cost of housing. I have read several reports of Boise being the highest increase in housing costs in the entire country. It might not be #1, but it is close. Several coworkers have mentioned their values doubling in not many years. I sure hope things level out eventually, because we would really like to buy/build a home here, but it is just not possible in the current market. There is a lot of development though, so hopefully supply/demand comes a bit more in balance in the next few years.

[utahjeepr]

Anywhere that ain't Dubois.

Just kidding, I just did a job there this winter. Not as nice as some places I've been in Idaho. I've hunted Elk north of McCall, love that area.