Boise, ID vs Walnut, 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

Walnut

63.3

#1785 nationally

Boise leads in cost of living index (104 vs 197). Boise leads in average commute (19.1 min vs 35.1 min). Walnut leads in median household income ($130,444 vs $82,500).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Boise, ID	Walnut, CA
WhereAtHome Score	73.2 (#766)	63.3 (#1785)
Population	237,963	27,104
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$507,649	$1,188,533
Median Household Income	$82,500	$130,444
Average Commute	19.1 min	35.1 min
Walk Score	38	32
Crime Level	Low	3.5
School Rating	7.8	N/A
Cost of Living Index	104	197
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	R+10.3	D+32.9