While the Magic Valley is a little bit of a distance from the capital of Idaho, many of us make weekend visits to Boise and will travel to the city multiple times throughout the year. While the drive may be a couple of hours or less, depending on how you drive, most residents of Idaho are proud of the city. When it comes to comparing capital cities, there are multiple layers to look at, but how does Boise compare to the rest of the capitals in the country? What is the best capital city in the United States, what is the worst, and where does Boise fall on the list?

The Best and Worst Capital Cities in the Country

Credit: knowlesgallery
Credit: knowlesgallery
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Many will argue that whatever state they come from is home to the best capital city, but WalletHub recently released a list of the best and worst capitals in the country to help solve the debate. They used certain categories to rank the capitals, such as affordability, economic well-being, quality of education and health, and quality of life. Using these criteria, it was determined that Austin, Texas is the best capital in the country, with Raleigh, North Carolina being second, and Madison, Wisconsin is third. The Worst capital city is Augusta, Maine, with Trenton, New Jersey being the second worst, and Hartford, Connecticut rounding out the bottom three.

Is Boise the Best Capital in the Country? 

Credit: Alden Skeie on Unsplash
Credit: Alden Skeie on Unsplash
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When it comes to the best capitals in the country, Idaho is home to one of them. Boise, barely missed the top three, coming in at four. Boise's biggest downfall is being ranked 23 in affordability, but is top ten in the other categories, coming in at 4 in economic well-being, 8 in quality in education and health, and 6 in quality of life. Boise has a few other good qualities, having the second lowest premature death rates in the country, only behind Austin. Boise also has the second lowest crime rate in the country, behind only Concord, New Hampshire. Interestingly, Salt Lake City has the second highest crime rate, with Little Rock, Arkansas having the highest. 

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While it may not be the best capital in the country, Boise is pretty gosh darn close. Outside of costs, which most of us know why it isn't ranked better on the list, it ranks excellent in all other categories. The city is beautiful, it offers a good quality of life, and isn't too small or too big. If you ever look into moving to one of the capital cities in the country, you may be best off staying in the Gem State and living in Boise. To see the full list broken down, make sure to click the link above.

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