Longview-Kelso Boise City

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Longview-Kelso to Boise City is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 97.5 to 98.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $204/mo.

-$5,307
BLS median salary lower in Boise City
329 to 235
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.6:1 to 17.1:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$8,672
DOL infant care lower / yr in Boise City

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Neutral, depends on priorities
Cost Index: 97.5 → 98.4
Rent Delta: +$204/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + More affordable childcare

Cons of Moving

  • - $204/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - $5K lower median salary

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 97.5 to 98.4 (ratio 1.01), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $204/mo ($2,448/yr) from $1,451 in Longview-Kelso to $1,655 in Boise City.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Boise City sits #317 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Longview-Kelso is #118/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $5,307 lower ($72,685 → $67,378). Labor-market size: 34,650 tracked jobs at origin vs 377,880 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Idaho scores 58 (D, #30/51) vs Washington at 38 (F, #51/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Longview-Kelso
Boise City
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 97.5
RPP 98.4
Longview-Kelso
Rent (2BR)
$1,451/mo
$1,655/mo
Longview-Kelso
Wages
$72,685
$67,378
Longview-Kelso
Crime
329 per 100K
235 per 100K
Boise City
Schools
17.6:1
17.1:1
Boise City
Childcare
$15,987/yr
$7,315/yr
Boise City
Environment
2879 violations
2331 violations
Boise City

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Washington
38 F #51/51
Income tax
63
Property tax
63
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
18
Destination state · Idaho
58 D #30/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
76
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
24

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Longview-Kelso to see what you'd need to earn in Boise City to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Boise City
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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026