A
strong, diversified technology economy, educated work force,
entrepreneurial spirit and impressive quality of life set Treasure
Valley apart when it comes to business. The Treasure Valley
represents the Boise-Nampa MSA, including Ada, Boise, Canyon, Gem
and Owyhee counties.
Forbes magazine recently named Boise the second-best place in
the country for business and careers. For the past five years,
Boise has been ranked near the top in this
prestigious ranking.
A 2007 survey conducted by the
Virginia Tech University Department of Urban Affairs and Planning
identified Boise as one of the world's emerging knowledge
regions.
"Boise, Idaho, is
part of a growing community of so-called emerging high technology
regions. Even though Boise's high-tech economy is small when
compared to places like Silicon Valley or Seattle, the technology
community in the Treasure Valley is highly specialized and very
entrepreneurial. The region is home to leading high-technology
employers such as Hewlett-Packard and Micron Technology. These
firms contributed to the creation of a skilled labor pool and the
formation of many dynamic and entrepreneurial startups. "
- Heike Mayer,
Ph.D
Assistant Professor, Urban Affairs
and Planning Program, Virginia Tech-Alexandria Center
Boise SnapShot
Population within a 45-minute draw area: 632,000
Total Workforce: More than 280,000
- Worforce within a 45-minute draw area: 330,000
- Nearly 110,000 of the workforce are degreed workers.
Unemployment: 2.9%
Average Commute Time: 81.0 minutes
Average Age: 33.1 years
Elevation: 2,842 feet above sea level
Average Temperatures:
- January, 29.9° F
- August, 72.2° F
- Annual Average (Mean): 50.9° F
Average Annual Precipitation: 12.11 inches of rain, 20.9
inches of snow
Source: Idaho Department of Commerce & U.S. Census
Bureau. "Boise-Nampa MSA" includes Ada, Boise, Canyon, Gem,
and Owyhee counties.
Location and Geography
The Treasure Valley is located in
southwest Idaho 430 miles from the seaport terminal of Portland,
Oregon; 384 miles south of Spokane, Washington; and 360
miles northwest of Salt Lake City, Utah. Boise's location serves as
a conduit to provide highway, air and rail access to the Northwest,
allowing market access to 66 million consumers within a 750 mile
radius.
Known as the City of Trees (derived
from the French word "Les Bois"), Boise's early roots are centered
on the Oregon Trail days when the city served as a rest stop for
west-bound settlers. Serving as the state capital of Idaho, Boise
is the state's hub of commerce, industry and transportation.
Treasure Valley residents have access to endless mountains, rivers
and lakes. Just a few miles north of downtown are the Boise Front
Foothills that offer an elaborate trail system for hiking and
mountain biking. The Boise River, which runs through the middle of
the city, is a popular destination for swimming and rafting.
Skiing, snowmobiling, kayaking, and fly fishing are just a few more
outdoor recreational activities that can be enjoyed right outside
Boise's and the Treasure Valley's backyard.
Fast Facts
-
One of the "Top 10 Best Places to
Live" for 2009, U.S. News & World Report.
-
Wall Street Journal and Inc.
Magazine rate Boise as one of the best places in the US to live and
work.
-
Money Magazine rates the Treasure
Valley as one of the best places to live in the U.S.
-
National Geographic Adventure says
the Treasure Valley is one of the Top 31 Best Live & Plan
Towns.
-
The median priced home in Boise and
Ada County is $167,000 and nearby Canyon County $110,000.
(Intermountain Listing Service)
-
The airport serves about 3 million
passengers a year and is less than five miles from downtown
Boise.
-
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and
the Information Technolgoy & Innovation Foundation ranks Idaho
24th in the nation on its 2007 State New Economy Index and No. 1 in
the number of patents per 1,000 workers.
-
Idaho Northern & Pacific
Railraod (INPR) provides freight service over four branch lines in
southwestern Idaho and northeastern Oregon.
-
Boise and Nampa, Idaho, are ranked
as the most secure locations to live in the United States among
large metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or
greater. (Source: Third Annual Most Secure U.S. Places
to Live rankings from Farmers Insurance Group of Companies.)
-
According to the National Census
Bureau, Idaho is the third fastest growing state in the
nation.
Top Rankings
6th best U.S. city
for business - MarketWatch.com, December 2009
6th best city in
the country for pay-raises and "bucking the economic downtrend" -
Forbes magazine, July 2009
8th Midsized
"hotspot" for Young Professionals to Live and Work in the U.S. -
NextGenerationConsulting.com., June 2009
8th of the
Nation's Best Cities for Quality of Life - BizJournals.com, March
2009
5th Best Market
for Small businesses - Bizjournal.com, February 2009
4th of "10 Great
Places to Live, Work, and Play" - Kiplinger's, July 2008
4th out of
America's Top States For Business - CNBC, July 2008
Top 10 out of 100
Best Places to Live and Launch - CNNMoney.com, March 2008
7th in Top 10
Up-And-Coming Tech Cities - Forbes magazine, March 2008
2nd Best States
for Jobs - Carreerbuilder.com, February 2008
100 Best
Communities for Young People - America's Promise Alliance, January
2008
Business Climate
The regulatory environment in the
Boise Valley is pro-business. Headquartered here are
Albertsons a SUPERVALU Company, Idaho Power, Micron Technology,
Simplot, URS, Amalgameted Sugar Company, Boise Cascade LLC,
and WinCo Foods.
Weyerhaeuser has a large campus
and technical center in the valley and Hewlett-Packard, one of
the largest private employers in the area second to Micron, has a
large Boise campus specializing in printers and scanners.
Technology investment is increasingly
important to the city, which also is now home to high-tech
employers including Sybase and Microsoft, which reently
purchased locally-owned ProClarity. Boise has thriving
in-bound technical call centers like Qwest, T-Mobile and DirecTV,
all of which are major employers in the Boise call-center
industry.
Home of Boise State
Broncos
The Treasure Valley and Boise State
University are proud to be home to the 2007 and 2010 Fiesta Bowl
Champions the Boise State Broncos! The Treasure Valley
enthusiastically supports the Broncos, selling out every home game
at Bronco Stadium, a 30,000 seat football stadium known for its
blue AstroPlay field.
Other institutions of higher
learning:
The region has made a long-term
commitment to work-force training, recently creating a new
community college to serve the Treasure Valley region.
Boise Airport - more than just air
transportation.
Access. . .
Commerce . . .
Adventure. . .
Quality of Life .
. .
Boise Airport is your global
connection!
The City of Boise
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