Work, price of residing and politics driving individuals to maneuver to smaller cities, like Boise

Where would you move if you could only go For a growing number of Americans, the answer is Boise, Idaho.

“I don’t think Idaho ever crossed my mind when I was younger,” said Will Mortensen. “I thought of Idaho as they only have a lot of potatoes up there.”

Will and his wife Sarah say Boise gave them and their three children what Southern California couldn’t.

“You don’t need an alarm clock to wake you up,” Sarah said, looking back at her large windows that led to a back yard with mountains in the distance.

The Mortensens moved to Boise before the pandemic in 2019 when Will’s company let him work remotely.

“I’m definitely less afraid and less stressed, I can tell,” said Will.

They now live in a house that they say would cost twice as much if they lived outside of Los Angeles in Orange County, California.

“To bring this country here, a lot of families in California couldn’t get that,” Sarah said.

You can find stories like this in many of the sub-areas that pop up in the Boise area.

According to two of the giant moving companies, Atlas and United Van Lines, the number of people moving to Idaho has been higher than any other state for the past two years.

Real estate agent Barbara Dopp says 2020 was her best year she ever sold houses.

“Most of our calls are from California and Washington, some from Oregon,” said Barbara.

According to Zillow, the value of the Boise real estate market has grown more than anywhere else in America in the past decade, more than tripling.

“Real estate in the last few years, the best way to describe it is intense,” said Barbara.

Idaho may offer an escape from the cost and congestion of the more populous areas, but she says there’s another reason people come to the Boise metropolitan area – politics.

“The biggest cities that people leave are more liberal, and Boise are pretty conservative. Idaho is a pretty conservative state in general, ”said Barbara.

Anthony and Judy David aren’t afraid to say they disagree with the politics that have made them at home for most of their lives.

“I don’t want to get political, but that’s really the main reason. We’re just sick of California, ”said Anthony.

They moved to Idaho in 2019 to a house with a garage big enough for their RV.

“Southern California, we were born and raised there. There are things that we absolutely love about this place, ”said Anthony.

There are many reasons why people move. For Will and Sarah Mortensen, the reason was the freedom many people now have in this pandemic.

“If you work remotely, you might as well be living where you want to live,” Will said.

For Boise, it’s a calling that seems to get louder and louder, whatever draws tens of thousands of people here.

“I realize this is no longer a hidden gem. The secret is out and this place is blooming and booming, ”said Will.