Boise, ID vs Merced, 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

Merced

64.3

#1702 nationally

Boise leads in average commute (19.1 min vs 27 min). Boise leads in median household income ($82,500 vs $59,233). Boise leads in cost of living index (104 vs 121).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Boise, ID	Merced, CA
WhereAtHome Score	73.2 (#766)	64.3 (#1702)
Population	237,963	93,692
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$507,649	$397,570
Median Household Income	$82,500	$59,233
Average Commute	19.1 min	27 min
Walk Score	38	42
Crime Level	Low	21.5
School Rating	7.8	N/A
Cost of Living Index	104	121
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	R+10.3	R+4.4