Nampa, Idaho at a Glance
Between Idaho’s biggest natural thoroughfare — the Snake River — and its busiest urban one — I-84 — lies a city best-known for its family-centric culture, its access to the great outdoors … and the fact that its name just happens to rhyme with Tampa. Nampa, Idaho, was once a sleepy suburb 20 minutes from the boomtown of Boise, but it has grown — rapidly — into one of the Treasure Valley’s most desirable metros. Since 2010, the population of Nampa has nearly doubled, and now 117,350 people call this Canyon County city home.
As one of the fastest-growing cities in the state, you may be wondering why everyone is rushing to live in this Idaho city you had — be honest —never heard of. Natural wonders like Lake Lowell and the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge give you immediate access to some of the most beautiful spots in the valley. Cultural sites like the Nampa Train Depot Museum give residents a connection to the city’s history as a railroad hub, while newer industries — like winemaking — have infused the region with new growth in well-established sectors like agriculture. The burgeoning food scene and Nampa Farmer’s Market makes it easy to love eating local, and the cultural attractions in Boise, Caldwell, and Meridian give you a taste of big-city life in the once-wild West.
With its diverse array of industries, from healthcare to manufacturing to information, Nampa is attracting workers looking for a change in their career, one that also comes with a change of scenery. Remote workers from the coasts have found the sprawling valley and snowy mountain ridges of the region to be the ideal counterpart to their thriving work life.
If you are looking for an adventurous, fresh start in a mid-size city in the Mountain West, learn more below about what living in Nampa is like. Our moving guide addresses the city vibe, the weather, the housing and job markets, and our favorite ways to relax in the heart of the Treasure Valley.
Why People Are Moving to Nampa
Affordable Housing (At Least for Now)
While the population boom around the Idaho state capital has been a boon to its economy and its culture, the line of Treasure Valley hopefuls could now stretch the length of the Snake River itself, and that desire to live here has driven real estate prices through the roof. But compared to spendy Boise and Meridian — the largest cities in the state — prices in Nampa haven’t (yet) become outrageous.
The median home value in Nampa is $332,500 — $30,000 more than the national average, but more than $120,000 below prices in either of Ada County’s hotspots. It seems like every day construction begins on a new housing development in the Treasure Valley, but in this competitive market, it’s renters — not owners — who are getting the short end of the 2×4. If you’re leasing rather than buying, you can expect a median gross rent of $1,340/month in Nampa – just $19 cheaper than in the state capital, and $200 more than you’ll spend in the neighboring Canyon County city of Caldwell. Meridian is the highest-priced market in the bunch — renters here shell out more than $1,700/month, on average.
But if you’re moving to Idaho from one of the coasts, these figures might sound like a bargain. Whether they feel that way will depend on how your salary adjusts in this lower-paying market. Nampa households bring home an average of $72,122/year, which is several thousand lower than the national average, $9,000 less than Boise households and $26,000 less than combined incomes in Meridian. That said, home ownership rates are high in Nampa — 71.4% — and poverty rates are low — 10.5% — so most residents appear able to make the dream of owning a home a reality.
Slower Pace, Friendly Vibes
If you’re used to crowded streets and subway cars or cramped kitchenettes and walk-ups, get ready for a roomy, roomie-free new existence. What Nampa lacks in museums and Michelin stars it easily makes up for in neighborly neighbors, sprawling greenspaces and small-city charm.
Annual gatherings like the Nampa Festival of the Arts draw big crowds to Lakeview Park for live music, great food stands and the best of handmade fare. Every Saturday from April–November, you can pick up local produce from vendors like Broken Spoke and Little Bit Farms at the Nampa Farmer’s Market, where everything is grown within 100 miles of the city. Craftspeople also attend, and you’ll find wholesome, hand-sewn bonnets from vendors like Little Brown Hen, and others selling, shall we say, more eclectic wares, like Kataya/Dark Moon, purveyor of bath salts, erotica and pastries. Now that’s the way to start the weekend!
Newcomers can get their town bearings at the Nampa Train Depot Museum & Interpretive Center, an 1868 building that puts you on a ride back in time to the city’s early railroad days. The Canyon County Historical Society also runs the nearby Indian Creek Museum, which is chock full of tchotchkes from the more recent past — Grammy’s rotary phone, her rotary eggbeaters and even her rotary drill achieve their rightful status as objets d’art, or at least objets d’awwwwww! But beware, amongst the pleasant clutter of soda fountain relics and vintage Mason jars sits a creaky carriageful of vintage dolls. One: You are correct that they are most definitely giving you side-eye, and two: you’ll never forget them — not ever.
Speaking of penetrating looks, at the Warhawk Air Museum, you can gaze into the eyes of the fearsome Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk, which stared down many enemy planes in the Pacific during WWII. Painted with a menacing brow and sharp, bared teeth, this plane is better known as the Sneak Attack, and it was even featured in the movie Pearl Harbor. Aviation and military buffs will want to do more than a fly-by of this impressive collection.
Our most favorite old-timey establishment in Nampa, though, houses no mothballed objects of yore. No, the RollerDrome is built for action. This city treasure has kept Nampa residents rollin’ since 1948, and we’re pretty sure the only thing that’s changed about this skating rink in the last 75 years are the light bulbs. Let’s hope the wheels keep turning at this Nampa original for another near-century of fun.
Outdoor Access
Nampa is an easy drive to some of the region’s hottest outdoor tickets — Yellowstone National Park is less than six hours away, Craters of the Moon National Monument is less than three, and the Owyhee Mountains are only two hours to the south.
But when you want to stay local, the spoils of the Boise National Forest and Sawtooth National Forest will give you millions of square miles to lose yourself in nature. (Follow those trails closely, or you will literally get lost.) A weekend of camping — or cabin-ing, for the tent-averse — will recalibrate your sense of awe to where it must be periodically reset: Mountain Time. The Snake River is a favorite of anglers, who do the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout a favor by pulling delicious rainbow trout from the water — they’re competing for resources, you see. We recommend nothing more than a little salt, pepper and campfire smoke for seasoning, but save room for some s’mores afterwards.
Just a few minutes from town, the sandy beach at Lake Lowell will tide you over until you can visit actual tidal waters — if that was a thing that moved you before you moved — but you’ll find an ocean of wonder right here in Nampa. This enormous body of water is a part of the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge, where migrating birds come to roost and black-tailed deer stalk the rugged terrain.
Dining, Shopping and Things to Do
Don’t let the zip code fool you — this suburban Boise district has plenty of city flavor with charming gift shops, vintage clothing stores and a newly opened pet boutique where Socks can snag a stylish vest for Nampa’s chilly winters. Downtown Nampa has a mix of low and highbrow fun, from Jeremy’s Downtown Arcade, where pinball reigns supreme, to elegant bistros like Brick 29 and craft burgeries like Holy Cow Idaho! in the historic district. Our favorite pitstop, though, is the Flying M Coffee Garage. This local roaster opened at the peak of the grunge movement and their caffeinated wisdom has now percolated down to the next generation — the original owners’ daughter is the proprietor of the new Nampa location. Expect excellent drips and scratch-made scones from this Seattle-inspired coffee-slinger.
The most intense action in Nampa, though, will always be at the Ford Idaho Center, when the Snake River Stampede fills the stadium with rowdy, rodeo-mania and rough-riding ruckus. From the bareback bronc riding to the mutton bustin’ and the barrel racing, it doesn’t take trained eyes to see this is, as advertised, the “wildest fastest show on earth.” In between rodeos, the center hosts equally feral games of the Idaho Horsemen — the NAL indoor football league — as well as blowout concerts and celebrations in the amphitheater, like the alcohol-free God and Country Festival and the decidedly less reverent acts of Weird Al Yankovic, where we imagine weird al-cohol will be consumed in respectable quantities.
Wine Country
The Treasure Valley is known for many things, but would you believe that winemaking is one of them? It’s true, the Snake River Valley AVA just happens to have an ideal terroir for Riesling, Syrah and Cabernet, making Nampa the stomping grounds for some of the most popular varietals. Of the 15+ vineyards in the area, the Kerry Hill Winery is one of our faves, not just because it’s a LIVE-certified operation that makes a mean Tempranillo, but this place can also really spin a yarn. Named for an irresistible breed of Irish sheep — a black-and-white flock that also calls this vineyard home — Kerry Hill hosts an annual sip & shear event, where you can sample a sparkling merlot rosé while the sheep get an invigorating new ‘do. At the sheep’s request, sippers cannot be shearers.
What You Should Also Know About Nampa
Limited Nightlife Activities
While there’s plenty to do in downtown Nampa, the Lower East Side of Manhattan it is not. You’ll have no trouble finding a place for a craft beer or a cocktail here, but swanky rooftops, Michelin-starred restaurants and trendsetting throngs of counter-culturists have not yet made their way to this outpost of the Mountain West. A strong religious contingent means that some major community events — like Independence Day celebrations — might be disappointingly boozeless, and you can expect even the speakeasies in town to dim the lights at midnight.
Weather and Air Quality
Idaho’s Treasure Valley can be a surprisingly hot and dry place for a region that most people associate with snow-capped mountains and stylishly bundled hikers, intrepidly scaling the most intimidating rocky peaks. But sandwiched between ranges, Nampa and the greater Boise area sit in a sunny, semi-arid valley, which sees extreme daytime highs and plummeting nighttime lows, accompanied by very little rain.
Average summertime highs will be in the 90s F for sure, but you can expect triple-digit temps as early as May. Thermometers have broken the 110 F mark three times in the last 12 years. After nightfall, though, the desert-like air can easily drop 50 degrees, so you won’t have to slog through the unending steam that other cities suffer in July and August.
Another important consideration about the Treasure Valley is the fact air in southeastern Idaho can be toxic — especially when wildfires are burning, including far away — or when a sudden winter cool front causes an inversion, trapping pollutants from cars, dust and other sources. Hardly anyone has a love of mask-wearing, but even the most PPE-averse will willfully suit up their faces in N95s to avoid breathing this nasty stuff. Be sure to follow all advisories, as the health risks of these events are all too real.
One of the climate benefits of living in Nampa, as opposed to other mountain towns in the West, is that winters here are comparably mild. The average winter lows are in the 20s F, and mercurial excursions into negative terrain are rare. Over the last 12 years, the lowest low was -11 F, and the Boise area only saw three below-zero minimums at all during that time. You can find plenty of snow in the mountains when you want it, but your driveway will likely only accumulate 20 inches or so a year. You’ll still want to have all the gear, though — the woolen long undies, the grippy cleats for icy sidewalks, and that striped puffer coat you’ve been eyeing online for weeks — but you won’t need to wear it every. single. day. like your Missoula friends do.
What’s to Consider When Planning Your Move to Nampa
Find a Trustworthy Mover
Ready to live in the Treasure Valley? If you’ve decided Nampa is your next move, you can trust the professional, long-distance movers at Mayflower to make your relocation a snap. Since 1927, we’ve helped millions of families relocate to cities across the U.S., and we’re proud to be America’s most-trusted mover. Follow these tips to research movers to find the one that will best serve your family’s needs.
Get a moving quote now for Nampa, Idaho.
Consider Moving Full Service
If even the idea of moving stresses you out, why not get a little professional help? Mayflower’s full-service moving packages can reduce the mayhem of moving.
If you’re making a cross-country move to Nampa, your personal moving coordinator at Mayflower can handle all the details, and we can add customized services tailored to your needs. Need to store your belongings? We can handle it. Wondering how to ship a car? We know. Packing and unpacking services are just the beginning of customized moves with Mayflower.
If you’re moving locally, Mayflower can help you move across town or across the state. Our interstate Idaho agents/movers can assist you with local moves independently under their own businesses and brands.
Get Moving Tips and Resources from the Experts
Let the pros guide you with Mayflower’s moving checklist and planner. We’ll break it all down, from making a moving calendar to determining which rooms to pack first. We even have tips on settling in, to make those first nights in your new home happier.
On our moving blog, you’ll find guides to cities and states across the U.S., so you can see what life might be like in other places. When you want the latest moving advice, check out Welcome HOME magazine, our exclusive digital guide to relocation.
Other Moving Tips and Guides
- Loading...