Metro Environmental Index · ID

Boise City

What federal data says about air, drinking water, flood, wildfire and earthquake risk across 5 counties. Edition MEI-2026, data as of December 2025, methodology v1.6.

37of 100

Overall index

Scores 37 of 100

One number from 0 to 100 across the domains below. A higher score means lower measured environmental risk. On this measure it sits #67 of 97 among scored metros. It describes the whole metro, not any one home, and it is not a verdict on whether to live here.

The five domains

Air quality

How often air monitors in the metro's counties record levels above EPA's health-based standards.

Higher than 3% of the 97 scored metros on this measure (higher means lower measured risk)
Higher than 3% of smaller metros on this measure

Source: EPA AirData (annual AQI by CBSA; annual concentrations by monitor) (EPA), 2026-07-13.

Drinking water

Health-based violations by the metro's public water systems, against EPA's federal limits. This is system-wide, not what comes out of your tap.

Higher than 51% of the 97 scored metros on this measure (higher means lower measured risk)
Higher than 56% of smaller metros on this measure

Source: EPA SDWIS (ECHO SDWA bulk: systems, violations, lead 90th percentile) (EPA), 2026-10-14; EPA UCMR 5 (PFAS) (EPA), 2026-10-14.

Flood risk

FEMA's National Risk Index flood measures for the metro's counties.

Higher than 91% of the 97 scored metros on this measure (higher means lower measured risk)
Higher than 84% of smaller metros on this measure

Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) (FEMA), 2025-12-16.

Wildfire risk

FEMA's National Risk Index wildfire measures for the metro's counties.

Higher than 19% of the 97 scored metros on this measure (higher means lower measured risk)
Higher than 21% of smaller metros on this measure

Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) (FEMA), 2025-12-16.

Earthquake & ground hazards

FEMA's National Risk Index measures for earthquake, landslide and volcanic activity.

Higher than 14% of the 97 scored metros on this measure (higher means lower measured risk)
Higher than 7% of smaller metros on this measure

Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) (FEMA), 2025-12-16.

Scores run 0 to 100, higher meaning lower risk. A domain with too little source data shows a dash. We never estimate one.

Coverage and confidence

How much source data we had for this metro: medium. Source coverage: 85% of the metro's population has usable data in the least-covered domain.

A metro score is a starting point

Your address can differ from the metro average

Pipe age, elevation and wildfire exposure can differ a lot within one metro. Enter a ZIP in Boise City for the same checks at the home level. We only ask for the ZIP.

Where these numbers come from

Compiled by HomeDoc from EPA air and drinking-water data and FEMA’s National Risk Index, scored the same way for every metro and refreshed once a year. Percentiles compare this metro with the other scored metros, and with metros of similar size.

EPA AirData (annual AQI by CBSA; annual concentrations by monitor), 2026-07-13
EPA SDWIS (ECHO SDWA bulk: systems, violations, lead 90th percentile), 2026-10-14
EPA UCMR 5 (PFAS), 2026-10-14
FEMA National Risk Index (NRI), 2025-12-16

All 100 metros