Loading data...

 

: 28,402 people live below poverty. Consider a goal of reducing the population in poverty by 25% — that would bring -- people out of poverty. In financial terms, this requires meeting a poverty gap of $ annually which Urban Opportunity Agenda strategies can meet through sustainable poverty reduction strategies.

: Like many cities, poverty in remains a challenge even as the national economy has recovered from the economic downturn. The Urban Opportunity Agenda shows that if designed well, approaches to urban efficiency and sustainability can also reduce poverty. We can simultaneously create jobs, lower the cost of living, and help low-income families achieve financial stability while creating more efficient cities for everyone. View map »

28,402
Population Below Poverty*
 
Poverty Rate*

*2018 American Community Survey 1-year Estimates

A View of Poverty in

Explore the interactive map below to see where concentrations of poverty exist in -- and how key factors like transit access and job opportunities may affect those living in poverty. The demographics detailing those who live below the poverty line make job access, equity, and opportunity extremely important to any set of anti-poverty strategies.

Transit Service

Boise City, Idaho

Poverty Rate (2017)

Percent of households living in poverty
  • 0%
  • 10%
  • 25%
  • 40%
  • 50%

Thematic Maps

Poverty Rate:
1970 1980 1990 2000 2012 2017
Transit Access to Entry Level Jobs
30-minute transit commute to jobs that require an associates degree or less
None

Points of Interest

Regional Job Centers for Entry Level Jobs
Regional Education and Training Centers

People Living in Poverty

Adults 18-65
17,173
Working adults
10,552
Enrolled in college
4,747
Adults with high school diploma or less
6,409
Adults with some college or associate degree
5,024
Adults with a bachelor college degree or higher
2,808

How does the poverty rate in compare to other cities?

The chart below shows the poverty rate and median household income of cities across the US with the size of each circle representing each city's population living below poverty. has -- of its population living below poverty which is .

Urban Opportunity Calculator

 

Poverty Reduction Goal: Consider a goal of reducing the population in poverty by 25% — that would bring -- people out of poverty. The Urban Opportunity Agenda quantifies the potential impact of a portfolio of strategies, which, taken together, could reduce the number of people living in poverty through a set of expense reductions, targeted job creation, and smarter public and private investments.

Reducing poverty by 25% would bring

80
people out of poverty.

Poverty Reduction Goal: 25% 25%

Poverty Reduction Strategies

Poverty Reduction Strategies

The portfolio of strategies below could generate $ towards closing a $ poverty gap needed to reduce the poverty rate in by %.

Choose a poverty reduction goal and customize the strategies to fine tune a plan that works for .

Job Access + Transportation

poverty reduction

Strategy: Improve access to jobs with increased transit, rideshare, employer shuttles, and more. In addition to benefiting low-income workers, expanding transit access benefits employers by widening the work pool, and making it easier and less costly to get to work helps families of all income levels.

customize strategy

Attract + Create Jobs

poverty reduction

Strategy: Channel future job growth in the region, specifically growth in well-paid entry level jobs, to areas where those jobs are more accessible to people in poverty.

customize strategy

Energy + Water Efficiency Jobs

poverty reduction

Strategy: Invest in making buildings more efficient while creating jobs. Many efforts of this type are underway in cities around the country, but scaling those efforts up and targeting the jobs toward people currrently living in poverty could create significant benefits.

customize strategy

Household Expense Reduction

poverty reduction

Strategy: Provide consumer information on smarter choices and investing in efficiency in energy, water, transportation, telecom, and food.

customize strategy

Infrastructure Investments

--

poverty reduction

Strategy: Create jobs for residents currently living in poverty when investing in local infrastructure.

customize strategy

Childcare Jobs

poverty reduction

Strategy: Create childcare entrepreneurship opportunities and provide jobs for people living in poverty. By expanding support systems for working families this strategy also enables more people to participate in the economy.

customize strategy

Food Security Jobs

--

poverty reduction

Strategy: Create jobs by supporting low-income food entrepreneurs and increasing local food self-sufficiency. This may include urban agriculture, shared kitchens combined with hands-on training, business development, and technical assistance.

customize strategy

Workforce Development

poverty reduction

Strategy: Expand sector-specific job training in industrial sectors with good growth prospects and engage employers in the design of workforce training.

customize strategy

Mining the Waste Stream

poverty reduction

Strategy: Create jobs by reducing and reusing the waste stream. Making use of the resources in the waste stream, including building materials, metals, recyclable plastics, and compostables is more job-intensive and sustainable than landfilling.

customize strategy

Affordable Infill Rental

poverty reduction

Strategy: Provide opportunities to add rental housing units in mature neighborhoods to reduce housing cost burden.

customize strategy

Urban Opportunity Agenda Summary Report

 

Location Snapshot

Population: 218,677 1

Median Income: $-- 1

Costs of Living

Rent: $-- 1
-- than the US average ($--)

Transportation: $-- 2
-- than the US average ($--)

Utilities: $-- 2
-- than the US average ($--)

--%
Poverty Rate 1

Population in Poverty: 28,402 1

Adults (18-65): 1

Working Adults: 1

Enrolled in college: 1

 

Poverty Reduction Goal: Consider a goal of reducing the population in poverty by 25% — that would bring -- people out of poverty. In financial terms, this requires closing an annual poverty gap of $, which Urban Opportunity Agenda strategies can meet through sustainable poverty reduction strategies. Reduce the city's population in poverty by %.
This would lower the poverty rate from --% to --% and bring people out of poverty.

  1. 2018 American Community Survey 1-year Estimates
  2. 2017 Consumer Expenditure Survey
  3. Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC)
  4. IPUMS NHGIS, University of Minnesota
page 1
 

Closing the Poverty Gap: This portfolio of strategies will generate $-- towards closing a $-- poverty gap needed to reduce the poverty rate in --- by --%.

Urban Opportunity Strategies

Solutions to generate the -- needed to reduce poverty by 25%.

The poverty reduction strategies outlined below will close $-- of the $-- poverty gap on an annual basis needed to reach this city's % poverty reduction goal.

  • $-- Job Access + Transportation
  • $-- Workforce Development
  • $-- Attract + Create Jobs
  • $-- Food Security Jobs
  • $-- Childcare Jobs
  • $-- Energy + Water Efficiency Jobs
  • $-- Infrastructure Investments
  • $-- Mining the Waste Stream
  • $-- Household Expense Reduction
  • $-- Affordable Infill Rental
page 2
 

Urban Opportunity Agenda Strategies: Poverty reduction itself has the potential to be an economic engine. Instead of high poverty rates and rising household costs being a drag on the local economy, efficiencies and targeted investment can boost economic growth. By making targeted investments that help families spend less on the basics, civic leaders can reduce poverty while providing benefits to the entire community.

Job Access + Transportation

poverty reduction

Strategy: Improve access to jobs with increased transit, rideshare, employer shuttles, and more. In addition to benefiting low-income workers, expanding transit access benefits employers by widening the work pool, and making it easier and less costly to get to work helps families of all income levels.

How it could be done: A 5% increase in public transit access to jobs requiring an associate degree or less would result in newly accessible jobs. If 10% share of those newly accessible jobs would go to people living below poverty this strategy would reduce the poverty gap by $.

Workforce Development

poverty reduction

Strategy: Expand sector-specific job training in industrial sectors with good growth prospects and engage employers in the design of workforce training.

How it could be done: On average since 2015, the U.S. has averaged a 4% job openings rate with an estimated open jobs requiring an associate degree or less. If --% of those jobs were filled by working age population living below poverty, this strategy would reduce the poverty gap by $--.

Attract + Create Jobs

poverty reduction

Strategy: Channel future job growth in the region, specifically growth in well-paid entry level jobs, to areas where those jobs are more accessible to people in poverty.

How it could be done: If 3% of the projected regional job growth shifted to the city, and 25% of those total relocated jobs went to those living below poverty, this strategy would reduce the poverty gap by $.

Food Security Jobs

--

poverty reduction

Strategy: Create jobs by supporting low-income food entrepreneurs and increasing local food self-sufficiency. This may include urban agriculture, shared kitchens combined with hands-on training, business development, and technical assistance.

How it could be done: If 25% of the average household food expense shifted to local disadvantaged businesses, 10 food security jobs would be created. If 50% of those newly created food jobs went to people below poverty this strategy would reduce the poverty gap by $---.

page 3

Childcare Jobs

poverty reduction

Strategy: Create childcare entrepreneurship opportunities and provide jobs for people living in poverty. By expanding support systems for working families this strategy also enables more people to participate in the economy.

How it could be done: If 25% of the 1,833 children under 6 who live in poverty were placed in daycare with a 6:1 child to caregiver ratio, childcare jobs would be created. If --% of those newly created childcare jobs went to people below poverty, this strategy would reduce the poverty gap by $--.

Energy + Water Efficiency Jobs

poverty reduction

Strategy: Invest in making buildings more efficient while creating jobs. Many efforts of this type are underway in cities around the country, but scaling those efforts up and targeting the jobs toward people currrently living in poverty could create significant benefits.

How it could be done: Retrofitting 20% of homes and 20% of businesses for energy and water efficiency would result in new jobs. If 10% share of those jobs went to people living below poverty this strategy would reduce the poverty gap by $.

Infrastructure Investments

--

poverty reduction

Strategy: Create jobs for residents currently living in poverty when investing in local infrastructure.

How it could be done: If 50% of the capital budget was directed to local businesses, 10 infrastructure investment jobs would be created. If 50% of those newly created infrastructure jobs went to people below poverty this strategy would reduce the poverty gap by $---.

Mining the Waste Stream

poverty reduction

Strategy: Create jobs by reducing and reusing the waste stream. Making use of the resources in the waste stream, including building materials, metals, recyclable plastics, and compostables is more job-intensive and sustainable than landfilling.

How it could be done: If 40% of waste currently going to landfill were mined for resources, an additional new jobs could be created. If 75% share of those jobs went to people living below poverty this strategy would reduce the poverty gap by $.

Household Expense Reduction

poverty reduction

Strategy: Provide consumer information on smarter choices and investing in efficiency in energy, water, transportation, telecom, and food.

How it could be done: If households below poverty could reduce their spending on utilities by 20%, on transportation by 20%, and on food by 20% through ... [something more here], this strategy would reduce the poverty gap by $--.

Affordable Infill Rental

poverty reduction

Strategy: Provide opportunities to add rental housing units in mature neighborhoods to reduce housing cost burden.

How it could be done: 50% of low income households who rent are paying more than 30% of their income on rent. If 100 additional rental units that are affordable to rent-burdened households living below poverty, these households could reduce their housing expense by 20% and thereby reduce the poverty gap by $--.

page 4