When you talk to people that have never been to Boise, it's pretty funny to hear what they think life is like in the Treasure Valley. Here are some misconceptions about life in Boise that those who live here know aren't true.

Sack-of-potatoes
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#1 - It's all potatoes!
While Idaho is definitely famous for potatoes, computer chips are actually Idaho's top export. Food and agriculture, like potatoes, actually comes in third behind mining products like silver. I don't even think I've seen a potato farm. However, I'm not sure that I'd know if I passed one either.

snow2
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#2 - It snows a lot!
We have some great skiing within 20 miles of us at Bogus Basin. It does snow there quite a bit, but Boise itself doesn't really see that much snow. On average, Boise gets 17.5 inches of snow each year. The rest of the country averages 27.8 inches. To put it into perspective, other cities in the Mountain Time Zone like Denver get 60.2 inches of snow, and Salt Lake City receives 62.7 inches per year.

Wintertime. Winter background with thermometer in the snow on frosty day.
ThinkStock
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#3 - It's really cold there!
I guess this is kind of subjective, right? The average high in January is 39, with an average low of 22. In July, the average high is 93, with a low of 58. To compare, Denver's average high is 49 in January, with a low of 20. In July, the average high is 92, with a low of 60. Salt Lake City is nearly identical.

Boise-Downtown
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#4 - It's a boring place to live if you're not married with kids!
This is just not true. There is a great downtown scene with bars and clubs, and there are lots of opportunities for young professionals. It was recently named the best place to live for Millennials by Forbes.

What other misconceptions about living in Boise do you hear?

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