01 · the cities
Boise
Boise is basically Denver before Denver got Denver-y: walkable downtown, foothills you can run into on your lunch break, and a river slicing right through the middle of town. The Basque Block downtown anchors the biggest Basque community in the U.S., which nobody sees coming. The vibe is 'we close our laptops and go outside,' and the trails make that very easy to do. Locals would prefer you didn't tell anyone.
full dispatch→Spokane
Spokane is eastern Washington's anchor city, very different from Seattle: drier, sunnier, with the Spokane River tumbling through downtown in actual waterfalls. Riverfront Park (built for the 1974 World's Fair) is the city's living room. Bing Crosby was born here. Mt. Spokane and Coeur d'Alene Lake are nearby. The Bloomsday run every May draws around 40,000 people. Affordable and outdoorsy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,794/mo
$1,520/mo
$274/mo less than Boise (18%)
Median home price
Median home price
$490k
$420k
$70k less than Boise
State income tax
State income tax
5.8%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,056/mo
$6,813/mo
Spokane has $757/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
166 days
164 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
27 days
6 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
24 days
34 days
days below 20°F per year
Boise has 21 more days above 95°F each year than Spokane. Spokane drops below 20°F on 10 more days per year than Boise.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
82 / 100
81 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
16 routes
10 routes
6 fewer direct routes than Boise
Metro size
Metro size
827k metro
600k metro
Boise and Spokane have similar event volume.
the verdict
2
Boise
categories won
5
Spokane
categories won
Spokane wins on money. Boise has the edge on lifestyle.
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