Americans are beginning to take a better look at how to find a better work-life balance and are moving away from the outdated ideals of the American Dream. Gone are the days of the traditional format of a 9-5 work day, working in a cubicle and living outside ones means. More people are looking for ways that they can still have a steady career (even if that means working from home) but are vesting more interest into also maintaining a healthy lifestyle outside their jobs. A healthy lifestyle meaning less time commuting, more time with family and friends and enjoying the great outdoors. Idaho cities are prime to look towards as a leading example. With low costs of living across the state, big tech companies moving in and the availability of wilderness areas- people are flocking from coast to coast towards the panhandle state. Join Movoto in exploring what Idaho cities have to offer and how they match up to other cities in the nation.
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Recently listed as one of the top ten best rated college towns in 2014 and place to live for singles in 2016 on livability.com, Moscow is one of the Idaho cities that is gaining recognition like never before. The birthplace of NRS rafting company, they set the bar for what a perfect work-life balance could look like. The employees at NRS enjoy little to no commute with offices on Main street, are guaranteed days on the river each year and have access to the plethora of outdoor gear that NRS produces. Moscow has an average household income of about $31,000, with an unemployment rate of 5% and a projected job growth rate of 37.3% over the next ten years. The area is largely populated by students that spend their time enjoying the nearby Snake River, Elk Creek Falls and Hells Gate State Park. The surrounding area is heavily forested which may appeal to some who prefer the cabin life. Keep in mind, if you are working towards a better work-life balance, that the further out of town you are will result in a further commute. The average drive to work is going to run you about 14 minutes in Moscow according to bestplaces.net, compared to other places in the nation where they can spend up to an hour a day each way in the car.
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Here is a Idaho city that most don't consider the work-life balance to be properly weighed but it depends on how you look at it. The area is known for it's farming and feedlots of the area. For a farmer (or a person that is looking to become one), the commute is typically nonexistent due to usually living within close proximity of the land they work. Though the town is offset from the local foothills and mountains there is numerous other activities to take part in such as-Shoshone Falls, Bruneau Sand Dunes and Miracle Hot Springs all nearby. A 4.0% unemployment rate? $100,500 median home price? Average commute is less than 20 minutes. The cost of living in Jerome is 17.4% lower than anywhere else in the United States. The farmers have gotten this balance figured out.
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Their city slogan "small town, big life" should say it all. This tiny mountain town of 2,710 people is one of the Idaho cities where its population only worked an average of 36.9 hours a week in 2015, according to zippia.com. The newsletter dispersed by the City of Ketchum holds their city of high value and even has a highlighted section entitled "Why We Are So Lucky to Live Here" that publishes new content each month. With working less than 40 hours a week and an average commute time of less than 9 minutes, what is one to do with themselves? The area is surrounded by mountains and rivers in every direction and the joys of theater, shopping and concerts are a six minute drive away in nearby Sun Valley, ID. The average home is half the cost in Ketchum in comparison to the nearby resort town, and thus the appeal for anyone less than a millionaire.
Twin Falls might take the cake on the work-life balance city of Idaho debate. A major city of Idaho where the average person works 36.2 hours a week. The commuting time average being around 15 minutes, it is 10 minutes less than the nation's average. Not only does it have the amenities that comes with having a population of 44,000 people, but it is also affordable to live in this town with a median population age of 32. The median house price is sitting at $141,000 while the average household income is $41,500 per year. The Sawtooth National Recreation area is within an hour's drive for the lover of the outdoors and for those with families will happy to learn they have a great school system in Twin Falls as well.
