Photo: Jyoni Shuler · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Boise City as a whole is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns
Boise City beats Idaho on 11 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Boise City. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Boise City
Boise City has three hospitals within its borders
3 hospitals and 2 community health centers are inside Boise City. St. Luke's Regional Medical Center is rated 5 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
COPD and heart disease are less common in Boise City
Boise City runs below Idaho on COPD (5.4% vs 6.6%), heart disease (5.2% vs 6.2%) and stroke (2.8% vs 3.3%). Conditions ↓
Boise City is an active town
Only 18.8% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 22.2% across Idaho. The town has 188 miles of trails across 109 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Idaho figure falls outside Boise City’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Boise City’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Boise City is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns, #11 of 59 in Idaho. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is diabetes (fewer adults with diabetes than 93% of towns); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 66%.
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Boise City’s median household income is $83,904; among the 10,462 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($63K–$105K), it’s healthier than 94%, about where its income would put it.
At 238,429 residents, Boise City is graded like any town, from one citywide estimate; its rank among the 395 U.S. cities over 100,000 is the fairer comparison.
Care in and near Boise City
3 hospitals and 2 community health centers in Boise City, plus the nearest just outside it.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Boise City; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Out of every 100 Boise City adults…
Boise City runs below ID on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Idaho
Share of adults, with the Idaho figure marked.
188 miles of trails across 109 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Boise City adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Idaho.
How Boise City adults are doing
About the same as Idaho on each measure.
3 in 10 Boise City adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
8% of Boise City adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.8% across Idaho.
Boise City and the towns around it
Boise City’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 4 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boise City | A | 29% | 8.7% | 10.6% | CDC place |
| Garden City | B+ | 29.8% | 11.2% | 11.3% | CDC place |
| Meridian | A | 28.8% | 8.4% | 10.3% | CDC place |
| Eagle | A | 28.2% | 9.9% | 9.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Boise City adults live with a disability (Idaho 34.7%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Boise City
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Boise City is better than Idaho on 11 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Idaho figure falls inside Boise City’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Boise City | ID | U.S. | vs ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.5%13.9–17.2 | 17.8% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.4%11.1–13.6 | 13.6% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.1%14.4–17.6 | 16.2% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 29%25.2–32.6 | 32.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 8.7%7.6–9.7 | 10.1% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 30.3%27.6–32.8 | 31.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 32.1%29.2–34.9 | 33.2% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 24.9%22.6–27 | 26.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.6%9.4–11.8 | 10.7% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.8%7.1–8.5 | 8.3% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.2%4.7–5.7 | 6.2% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.4%4.8–6 | 6.6% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.8%2.6–2.9 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.6%8–11.4 | 16.2% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.6%9.3–11.9 | 12% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 18.8%16.4–21.1 | 22.2% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 17.2%14.8–19.5 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.9%27.8–34.1 | 32.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.9%7.8–10 | 10.7% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.8%72.8–78.4 | 74.3% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69.7%67–72.1 | 66.6% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.3%79.3–82.9 | 81.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 67.8%64.5–70.5 | 70.5% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.6%63.2–69.9 | 61.8% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 73.5%68.2–78.5 | 69.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.8%22.9–28.5 | 23.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29%26–32.1 | 29.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.2%16–20.6 | 19.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.4%10.1–12.9 | 12.8% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.5%8.3–10.7 | 10.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.1%5.4–6.9 | 6.6% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.1%6.3–7.8 | 7.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8%7–9.1 | 8.8% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.4%29.5–35.2 | 34.7% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.2%10.9–13.5 | 14.5% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.3%13.7–16.7 | 16% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.1%7.3–9 | 9.3% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 4.2%3.8–4.5 | 4.9% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.7%6.9–8.4 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3%2.7–3.2 | 3.5% | 3.8% | Lower |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Idaho figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Boise City
Is Boise City a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Boise City is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns: A for health, #11 of 59 in Idaho. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 94%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Boise City?
CDC estimates 29% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.2% and 32.6%, against 32.1% across Idaho and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Boise City?
Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, 1.6 miles in a straight line from Boise City’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Boise City have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.8–10%), against 10.7% across Idaho.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Boise City more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Boise City.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Idaho figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.