Low Cost of Doing Business

The overall cost of doing business in Boise Valley is nearly a third lower than it is in California or Washington. This is due in part to low workers’ compensation insurance premiums, competitive natural gas prices, and low electricity costs, with hydropower as a base.

In addition, Boise Valley offers businesses a number of state and local incentives, and a skilled and available workforce of more than 280,000. Total population in the valley is more than 600,000.

Overall Business Costs

Economy.com ranks Idaho among the 10 states with the lowest overall costs of doing business. The Corporation for Enterprise Development rates Idaho No. 1 in manufacturing investment and 6th in long-term employment growth.

Per Capita Taxes

Idahos per capita tax burden is among the lowest in the West. Our tax revenues come from a balanced mix of personal income, sales, property and corporate taxes, providing a stable base to fund public services without unfairly burdening any sector. Plus, Idahos state and local government debt per capita is the lowest in the nation.

Workers' Comp Rates

Idaho employers with workers compensation insurance pay some of the lowest premiums in the country. And, if lower-than-normal rates create a surplus, policyholders save in the form of rate deviations or actual dividends.

Natural Gas Costs

Idaho can boast some of the lowest natural gas prices in the country. The Williams Pipeline, running through southern Idaho, connects with extensive gas fields in Canada, Mexico and the Western U.S. And, thanks to this supply, both commercial and residential natural gas users find Idaho rates very competitive.

Electricity Costs

Over half of Idahos electricity is produced with low-cost hydropower facilities. As part of the Bonneville Power Administrations northwest power distribution grid, industrial electric rates are lower than most major cities in the nation and about half that of many western cities.

Unemployment costs

Idahos unemployment insurance program adjusts annual employer rates more equitably. This new structure, adopted in 2005, makes the same percentage change, up or down, in the tax rate of every employer, regardless of the experience rating. This new tax mechanism also triggers lower tax rates than the previous system under similar economic conditions. Whats more, Idahos unemployment insurance fund is one of only 12 in the nation that has never had to borrow.