It’s finally here! The video tour so many of you have been waiting for! What city is it? Let’s find out!
Okay, I’ve done city tours of Meridian, Kuna, Star…all the main cities in the Treasure Valley, and today (Finally!) the one you all keep asking for…Nampa, Idaho!
Let’s just get right to it –
I’ll help you see what the area looks like and help you learn all about Nampa schools, housing, recreation, shopping, things to do, and whatever else you may need to know to find out if Nampa, Idaho may be the place for you to live.
Let’s check it out!
Nampa is the 3rd largest city in Idaho. If you saw my Meridian video, I said the same thing about Meridian, but Meridian has actually grown into the number two spot, putting Nampa 3rd. Nampa comes in at just over 100,000 in population in the 2020 census, and it is growing rapidly. It’s the largest city in Canyon County. It pretty much runs into Caldwell, and it’s located 20 miles west of Boise heading down I-84, and about a 25-30 min drive from the Boise airport.
Nampa originated because of the railroad line, and it grew to be a thriving town based on the railroad and agriculture. Nampa is now becoming a favorite location for manufacturing and distribution companies with many new companies moving in, like with the massive Amazon distribution center, bringing much industry and jobs to the area.
Nampa is quite large with 32 square miles, so I’m going to break the areas up into North Nampa, which I consider North of Highway 84, Central Nampa, this central part here, and South Nampa, the area closer to Lake Lowell. We’re going to start in the North and move South. (Click here for more information on Nampa)
North Nampa is between Meridian to the East, Middleton to the North, and Caldwell to the north-west. North Nampa used to be mostly large agricultural fields, and it still is, but those fields are rapidly getting turned into housing developments, and you’ll see schools in the middle of cornfields, and subdivisions next to large crops. Let’s take a drive and see what it looks like.
There are older farm homes on large agricultural acreage here, custom homes on smaller acreage, apartments, many new home subdivisions, and subdivisions with homes built in the early 2000s. It really is quite a mix, and it will continue to be mixed housing as it expands.
North Nampa has more affordable housing, and often a similar home in North Nampa will be less than a home in South Nampa. North Nampa has quick freeway access and easy accessibility to the shopping at the Costco and Target areas. Homes in North Nampa in 2021 average from $350,000 up to a million for custom homes on acreage.
Okay I am going to take time right now to explain a rumor that Boise smells.
Boise does not smell and has no particular odor…but, that rumor originated because of North Nampa and, very specifically, because of The Amalgamated Sugar Beet Factory which has a very earthy, beet like smell when it is in production, and that smell tends to stay right around North Nampa. It’s not every day year round, and it can depend on which way the wind blows, but it is part of living in North Nampa. Sometimes the smell travels by wind to other areas, rarely, if ever, does it reach Boise, but when people worry about “ a smell” in Nampa, it’s the sugar beet plant!
Okay let’s head into Central Nampa. Central Nampa is the heart of downtown Nampa with a revitalized downtown which is home to restaurants, parks, historic areas, the Train Depot Museum, a farmer’s market, and year round events. It has close access to the highway and easy access to hospitals, shopping, and parks. Let’s check it out.
The homes in central Nampa range from multi-family to single family, with the majority of homes being older, smaller, historic bungalows on larger lots. Some are updated, some are not, and in 2021, the homes in this area can run anywhere from $250,000 for a fixer upper bungalow, to upwards of $800,000 for a remodeled large historic home.
And now for south Nampa, the area closer to Lake Lowell. It is much like the rest of Nampa with a mix of older homes, multi-family residences, large farms, and many new subdivisions. South Nampa is on the far South side of the edge of the valley. There are smaller towns beyond this, but they are very small. Let’s take a drive and check out South Nampa.
South Nampa is home to many subdivisions built in the 1990s and early 2000s. These homes will cost anywhere from $350k-$600k depending on size and location. South Nampa also has older homes on acreage, and these home prices vary widely depending on size and age of home and size of acreage. They can be anywhere from $450,000 to over a million dollars if the acreage is large and has potential for development.
There are many new developments in South Nampa, some with community pools and parks, and these homes, on standard lots, will cost anywhere from $450,000 up to $700,000 if the home and lot are large.
When people want a custom home on an acre or two, in a quiet place away from it all but not too far from town, South Nampa is often the location of choice. The custom homes on acreage here are more affordable than custom homes on acreage that are located way on the other side of the valley in Eagle, so it is a highly sought after area to build a home where you can have a shop, an RV garage, or animals. Many of these homes are close to Lake Lowell and have views of the mountains or lake. Even though they are more affordable than the area closer to Boise or Eagle, they will still run you anywhere from $800k to up to $2 million. Most of South Nampa is made up of two lane farm roads with stop signs, and the traffic heading from the new subdivision north towards town and shopping can get very congested at high traffic times.
Okay let’s talk about Nampa in general like, what are things to do if you live in Nampa?
The city of Nampa has a great parks and rec system with 27 parks and new parks on the way. These parks are scattered all throughout the area and include parks like Lakeview Park with a pool, bike trail, and a beautiful rose garden just to name a few perks…and while I was visiting Lakeview park to make this video, I got to see some of the airshow from the Warhawk Air Museum, which is also in Nampa, and is pretty neat.
Other great parks include Lion’s Park with swimming and tennis, and Midway Park with a splash pad and pickleball. There are a couple of dog parks, and there is Wilson pathway, a 3 mile long path for walking, biking, and running, and there is also Wilson’s pond for fishing, walking, and birdwatching.
For summer fun, Lake Lowell is a highlight of the area with fishing, nature paths, picnics, boating, beaches, and it’s just really peaceful and calming out there being surrounded by the farm fields and nice homes on acreage.
For winter fun, head on up to Bogus Basin ski resort for all kinds of activities- you can check out a video about that here, and the resort is about an hour to an hour and 20 minutes from Nampa.
Nampa also has a Rec Center, which offers 5 indoor swimming pools and 2 outdoor pools and all kinds of classes and activities for all ages.
If you like to golf, Nampa’s got you covered with Redhawk in the South, and Centennial and Ridgedrest in the North. Redhawk is a beautiful course close to Lake Lowell and offers great views of the valley and Owyhee Mountains to the south.
Speaking of the Owyhee Mountains, if you like desert recreation, then Nampa is only about an hour away from great desert camping, hiking, fishing, ATV-ing, and all kinds of fun. If you want to check out a hike to a waterfall about an hour from Nampa, check out this video here to Jump Creek.
If relaxing and having a glass of local wine is more your thing, then you’ll be glad to know that Nampa is on the edge of the Idaho wine country, which I talk all about in my video on Caldwell, so you can get more information on that here, but there are about 13 wineries in the area for you to explore.
If you’re ready to go back to concerts or a large show, Nampa has the Ford Center, which is actually the main venue for large performances for the whole valley, and home of the Snake River Stampede, a top twelve professional rodeo.
For a performance that is a little more refined, you can check out the performances at the Nampa Civic center to see the shows by the Music Theater of Idaho and go watch the Nutcracker Ballet.
And what about schools?
Nampa is home to the Nampa School District and Vallivue School District, which it shares with Caldwell. There are 8 public high schools between both districts, 9 middle schools between both, and 20 elementary schools between both districts. As far as I can tell, there are about 9 charter schools in the area, and a few great private schools as well.
For higher education, Nampa is home to the College of Western Idaho community college on the North side of Nampa, and home to Northwest Nazarene University in Central Nampa. NNU is also home to many great performances, like the Boise Philharmonic, Millennial Choirs and Orchestra, and Cantus Youth Choirs.
And where will you shop if you live in Nampa?
The bulk of the shopping is in central to south Nampa, with Costco, Target, and things you would expect to find around those areas. There is shopping around the Karcher Mall area, and there are grocery stores scattered throughout the area, but concentrated in the central areas.
While Nampa has everything you’ll need for a daily basis, you’ll still head to Meridian from time to time to hit up the major shopping on Eagle road at the Village, or near the mall area in Boise.
Oh, and as of now, there is no Trader Joe’s in Nampa, and not too many health food stores in the area, so you’ll be heading to Eagle Road in Meridian for that.
We can’t forget about health care. Nampa has a large St. Luke’s hospital and medical center, the large St. Alphonsus medical center, West Valley Medical Center, Saltzer Health, many urgent cares, and doctors for most anything you need. The hospitals are located in mosty the central and north areas of Nampa, And, as anywhere else in the valley, if you need very specialized care, most of that is treated at either St. Luke’s or St. Als in Boise.
Nampa is a solid community with good people, more affordable housing than Boise, and has something to offer to almost anyone.
So where would you live in Nampa?
Closer to the lake for a little more peace and open space?
Closer to downtown to be able to walk to shops and restaurants?
Or on the northside to have a bit of an easier commute and be closer to amenities in Meridian?
