Boise, ID vs Brea, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Boise

73.2

#766 nationally

Brea

64.3

#1700 nationally

Boise leads in cost of living index (104 vs 178). Boise leads in average commute (19.1 min vs 31.1 min). Brea leads in median household income ($120,226 vs $82,500).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Boise, ID	Brea, CA
WhereAtHome Score	73.2 (#766)	64.3 (#1700)
Population	237,963	48,479
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$507,649	$1,134,146
Median Household Income	$82,500	$120,226
Average Commute	19.1 min	31.1 min
Walk Score	38	50
Crime Level	Low	5.8
School Rating	7.8	N/A
Cost of Living Index	104	178
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	R+10.3	D+2.6