Recently, a study by Wallethub revealed the best-run cities in the country and believe it or not, Idaho made the top of the list. Now we are all well aware that Boise has been making headlines and lists all over the place. However, it’s not Boise! Surprising, we know. Nampa was actually named the best-run city in the country and although that may come as a surprise to you, it’s actually not all that surprising. Keep scrolling to find out exactly how Nampa made the number one spot on this list.
According to WalletHub's report on the "Best- & Worst-Run Cities in America", Nampa is the best when it comes to city management and having the public's interest always at heart. It topped the list at number one, followed by Provo, Utah and our very own Boise.
Let's be honest. Nampa doesn't get the recognition it deserves a lot of the time. Despite the fact that it's the third largest city in Idaho, it constantly gets overlooked as Boise's "little sibling". However, Nampa residents seem to be quite happy with their city and it's easy to see why .
In order to determine the best and worst-run cities in the country. the study takes into consideration factors such as financial stability, education, health, safety, economy, and infrastructure to put together a score for "Quality of City Services". Then they divide that score by the "Total Budget per Capita" to come up with the ranking for each city.
You can read all about the methodology behind the study here. However, it's easy to step back and just think about what makes Nampa a great place to live. For one, it feels like a small farm town with just a splash of city in it. It's the best of both worlds.
It may be a city of nearly 90,000 people, but there's plenty of natural beauty around town that's just waiting to be explored. For example, the majestic Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge and Lake Lowell are located just outside of town.
Not to mention the fact that Nampa and the surrounding region boasts a blossoming wine scene. With beautiful vineyards such as Sawtooth Winery, St. Chapelle, and Indian Creek, this is an up-and-coming paradise for wine enthusiasts.
Nampa isn't exactly a tourist destination, but it should be! There's a lot of hidden gems just waiting to be uncovered in this lovely community. One of our favorite Nampa destinations is the Warhawk Air Museum—a must visit for airplane and history lovers.
When it comes to growth, Boise has been in the national spotlight. However, places like Nampa are growing just as much and for good reason. After all, wouldn't you want to live in the best-run city in the country?
