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- 12,936Population
About Garden City
Garden City is a city in Ada County. About 12,936 people lived here in 2024, by Census estimate. It sits at about 2,600 feet, 6 miles northwest of Boise in a straight line.
Places listed for this area include Northwest Science Museum Vision Center and Idaho Aquarium.
Moving to Garden City
Start with homes, jobs and local services in and around Garden City.
Cost of living
This is the Boise City metro price level, which covers Garden City. A basket that costs $100 in the U.S. costs $98.39 here, under the U.S. average by 1.6%.
Open the calculator- Homes on the mapSearch homes for sale near town
- Compare communitiesCompare the 3 new home communities in Garden City side by side
- Jobs11 open jobs in Garden City
- Public schools2 public schools
- DMV and utilitiesCounty offices, and gas service only where a utility names this town
- Local services22 local businesses
- Moving to Idaho checklistDriver's license, vehicle registration, voter registration and more, from official Idaho sources
Public schools in Garden City
All 2District, enrollment, and students per teacher from the federal 2024-25 directory. No ratings.
- Anser Charter School
Anser Of Idaho Inc. · PK-8
573 students · 16.9 students per teacher
- Future Public School
Future Public School Inc. · K-6
376 students · 20.9 students per teacher
Services for Garden City
All servicesDMV counters are the county offices. A gas utility appears only when its public list names Garden City.
- Boise · Vehicles
8655 W. Franklin Rd. Boise, ID 83709
· Mon. - Fri. 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Boise · Licenses and vehicles
190 East Front Boise, ID 83702-5960 #107
· Mon. - Fri. 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Meridian · Vehicles
1769 N. Lakes Ave Ste 100 Meridian, ID 83646
· Mon. - Fri. 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Garden City · Licenses and vehicles
9115 Chinden, Ste 103 Garden City, ID 83714 PO Box 140019
· Mon. - Fri. 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Star · Vehicles
10769 W. State Street Star, ID 83669
· Mon. - Fri. 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Boise · Driver's licenses
400 N Benjamin Ln Boise, ID 83704
· Mon. - Fri. 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Star · Driver's licenses
10769 W State St Star, ID 83669
· Mon. - Fri. 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Meridian · Driver's licenses
736 S. Progress Ave. Meridian, ID 83642
· Mon, Tues, Thur, Fri 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Intermountain Gas · natural gas, on the company's town list. A main is not guaranteed at every address.
Crime rate
656violent crimes per 100,000 people
Highest reportedGarden City has the highest rate of the 21 Idaho cities that reported a 2024 figure to the FBI.
Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2024. Cities that did not publish a rate are left out.
Allergy ratings in Garden City
What a typical year looks like: Low, Moderate or High for each pollen season, plus wildfire smoke. Typical, general guidance. It is not medical advice. Pollen and smoke change with the weather every year, and what bothers you depends on what you are allergic to. See an allergist for testing.
Spring trees
March to June
Moderate
Rating: Moderate, on a scale of Low, Moderate, High, Very High. Peaks in AprilEarly-summer grass
Late May to July
High
Rating: High, on a scale of Low, Moderate, High, Very High. Late May to early July, highest the first two weeks of JuneFall weeds and sagebrush
August to October
High
Rating: High, on a scale of Low, Moderate, High, Very High. Weeds from mid-August, sagebrush heaviest mid-September to mid-OctoberWildfire smoke
Mostly July to September
High
Rating: High, on a scale of Low, Moderate, High. 12.6 days a year with air quality over 100. Worst year 35 (2024).
Counted nearby. Pollen ratings come from the Boise station in the Treasure Valley, 4 miles away.
How these ratings are worked out
Pollen is rated on the National Allergy Bureau bands for the grains of pollen in a cubic meter of air. Trees: Low under 15, Moderate 15 to 89, High 90 to 1,499. Weeds: Low under 10, Moderate 10 to 49, High 50 to 499. Grass: Low under 5, Moderate 5 to 19, High 20 to 199. The band is the one reached on the busiest quarter of counted days. A rating is typical, not a forecast: one wet or windy year can move it.
Spring trees, Moderate. Boise NAB station, 62 counted days in 2017 to 2021: on the busiest quarter of days the tree count was 74 grains per cubic meter or more, which the NAB bands call Moderate. On the busiest tenth of days it was 104 or more. That is a short record, so treat it as a rough guide. The Allergy Group's own Boise counts agree: 25 to 30 tree pollen on a daily sample starts mild to moderate symptoms, and cottonwood and juniper reach high counts in April in dry springs.
Early-summer grass, High. The Allergy Group (Boise) reports grass counts over 100 on its 24-hour sampler in early June, and 30 is enough to bother people who react to grass. NAB calls 20 to 199 High. The NAB grass bands: Low under 5, Moderate 5 to 19, High 20 to 199, Very High 200 or more grains per cubic meter.
Fall weeds and sagebrush, High. Boise NAB station, 37 counted days in 2017 to 2019: on the busiest quarter of days the weed count was 54 grains per cubic meter or more, which the NAB bands call High. On the busiest tenth of days it was 73 or more. That is a short record, so treat it as a rough guide. The Allergy Group's own Boise counts agree: chenopod (tumbleweed, kochia, Russian thistle) peaks at 30 to 60 in late summer, and sagebrush runs 400 to 500 on a good day from mid-September to mid-October.
Wildfire smoke, High. The average number of days a year the EPA's air quality index passed 100 ("unhealthy for sensitive groups" or worse), 2021-2025. Under 3 days is Low, 3 to 9 Moderate, 10 or more High. That grouping is ours, not the EPA's. Ada County has its own EPA air monitor. The count includes any cause, but across Idaho's monitors 86% of those days fell in July to September and 94% were fine particles (PM2.5), which is what wildfire smoke is made of (570 county-days, 2021-2025).
Year to year. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranked Boise 95th of 100 U.S. metros for pollen in its 2025 report and 1st in its 2026 report, after a wet winter and a long grass season. Expect a typical rating to miss some years.
Not rated. Mold: no published mold spore counts for Idaho towns are in the data used, so there is no mold rating. House dust, pets and food allergies are outside this rating.
Sources
- National Allergy Bureau daily pollen counts, CDC release 2003 to 2024 (Boise, Twin Falls, Coeur d'Alene stations)
- NAB pollen level bands (grains per cubic meter)
- The Allergy Group, Boise: Southwest Idaho pollen seasons (clinic counts since 1971)
- EPA AirData: annual AQI by county
- Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 2026 Allergy Capitals report
Today
Pollen data through 2003-2024, smoke data 2021-2025. Checked 2026-10-03.
Map of Garden City
Parks, new home communities, homes for sale and stays listed in town. Select a pin to open it.
- Garden City
- Park
- Communities
- Homes
Parks in Garden City
38 named parks on OpenStreetMap.
- Briarhill Park
- Castle Hills Park
- Catalpa Park
- Comba Park
- Combes Park
- DeMeyer Park
- Fairmont Park
- Florence Park
- Hewett Park
- Hillside Park
- HP Courtyard
- Lady Bird Park
- Magnolia Park
- Mariposa Park
- Milwaukee Park
- Molenaar Park
- Mountain View Park
- Mystic Cove Park
- Nottingham Park
- Owens Park
- Pine Grove Park
- Pine Tree Park
- Primrose Park
- Redwood Park
Show all 38 parks
- River Pointe Park
- Riverfront Park
- Riverside Park
- Skyline Park
- State of Idaho Campus Courtyard
- State of Idaho East Park
- Stewart Gulch Park
- Sunset Park
- Timber Creek Park
- Veterans Memorial Park
- Westmoreland Park
- Willow Lane Athletic Complex
- Willow Lane Park
- Winstead Park
Parks, trails and things to do
All of IdahoPlaces in and around Garden City, nearest first: everything tied to Garden City plus anything within 15 miles of town.
Things to do (nearest 18 of 37)
Lakes
- Lucky Peak Lakelake · near Boise14 mi
Viewpoints
- Table Rock Viewpointviewpoint · near Boise7.3 mi
Ski areas
- Bogus Basinski area · near Horseshoe Bend12 mi
Museums
- 3.2 mi
- Boise Art Museummuseum · near Boise4.5 mi
- Jim Hall Foothills Learning Centermuseum · near Boise4.5 mi
- Idaho Black History Museummuseum · near Boise4.6 mi
- Discovery Center of Idahomuseum · near Boise4.8 mi
Historic sites
- John Haines Househistoric site · near Boise4.2 mi
- Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorialhistoric site · near Boise4.4 mi
- Hospitality Of Nez Perce Statuehistoric site · near Boise4.4 mi
- Oregon Trail Obelisk: Developing Roadshistoric site · near Boise4.5 mi
- John A. O'Farrell Cabinhistoric site · near Boise4.6 mi
Attractions
- Idaho Aquariumattraction3.2 mi
- Zoo Boiseattraction · near Boise4.7 mi
- Boise City Natatoriumattraction · near Boise6.1 mi
- Camille Beckman Factoryattraction · near Eagle7.0 mi
- Roaring Springs Waterparkattraction · near Meridian7.4 mi
Parks (nearest 12 of 239)
- Eagle Island State Parkstate park · near Eagle6.6 mi
- Lucky Peak State Parkstate park · near Boise14 mi
- 0.3 mi
- 0.6 mi
- 0.7 mi
- 0.9 mi
- 0.9 mi
- 1.1 mi
- Hyatt Hidden Lakes Reservenature reserve1.1 mi
- 1.2 mi
- 1.3 mi
- 1.4 mi
Trails (nearest 12 of 247)
- 0.5 mi
- Wylie Ln Greenbelt Connection0.6 mi long1.3 mi
- #56 Full Sail1.2 mi long · intermediate bike trail2.4 mi
- 36th Street Chute0.8 mi long2.5 mi
- Valley View Trail0.3 mi long2.5 mi
- #55 West Climb0.3 mi long · easy bike trail2.5 mi
- Seamans Gulch Access Trail0.4 mi long2.6 mi
- #54 Robert Smylie0.9 mi long · intermediate bike trail2.6 mi
- Seamans Gulch Trail1.6 mi long · intermediate bike trail2.7 mi
- #53 Buena Vista1.7 mi long · intermediate bike trail2.7 mi
- Wild Phlox Trail0.8 mi long · intermediate bike trail2.9 mi
- Orchard St Hill, Irving St / Greenbelt1.7 mi long · near Boise3.0 mi
Distances are straight-line miles. From state and federal agency pages, the USGS place names list and OpenStreetMap contributors. Checked October 2, 2026. Check the official page for hours, fees and closures before you go.
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Moving checklist: setting up a home in Garden City
Shop room by room for the new place. Discounts show only when a store has a real sale.
Jobs in Garden City
All jobsCompanies hiring
- ACCO Engineered Systems2
- Engineering Excellence2
- Diamond Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical1
- Fred Meyer1
- Michels Pacific Energy1
- Primary Health Medical Group1
- Starbucks1
- U-Haul1
9 companies have open jobs here.
Latest jobs
- Brake/Tire SpecialistU-Haul · Full-Time
- JEWELRY/SALES SPECIALIST - SeasonalFred Meyer · Part-Time
- HVAC Start Up/Commissioning ForepersonACCO Engineered Systems · Full-Time
- HVAC Start Up/Commissioning TechnicianACCO Engineered Systems · Full-Time
- Commercial HVAC Installer IIEngineering Excellence · Full-Time$22–$42
- Commercial HVAC Service Technician IIIEngineering Excellence · Full-Time$25–$55
Latest news in Garden City
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Answer a few short questions. You get a shortlist of towns, homes for sale, jobs and things to do, built from what is listed on Treasure Idaho.
Homes for sale in Garden City
All homesNew home communities in Garden City
Builders around Garden City
- Cedar and Sage HomesAda CountyBuilds in Garden City
- Core Building Co.Single Family DetachedBuilds in Garden City
- Brighton HomesSingle Family DetachedBuilds in Garden City
- 1215 DesignCustom Homes · Single Family DetachedWorks in Ada County
- 2 North HomesAda CountyWorks in Ada County
- Alturas HomesSingle Family DetachedWorks in Ada County
Stays near Garden City
- Beachfront Sagle RetreatHome · sleeps 10Boise · 3.1 mi away

- Crimson HouseHome · sleeps 18 · 4 bdBoise · 3.1 mi away

- Crystal Bay HomeHome · sleeps 11Boise · 3.2 mi away

- Falls Charming HomeHome · sleeps 10Boise · 3.2 mi away

- Hackberry Hills EstateHome · sleeps 6Boise · 3.2 mi away

- Hearth LodgeLodge · sleeps 8Boise · 3.2 mi away

Local businesses
- Barrigas Mexican RestaurantRestaurants · Mexican3447 West Chinden Boulevard
- Black MoonRestaurants · Pizza3709 West Chinden Boulevard
- Caffe Luciano’sRestaurants · Italian3588 North Prospect Way
- Big K BBQRestaurants · Barbecue3409 West Chinden Boulevard
- KrungthaiRestaurants · Thai7107 West State Street
- NanzayaRestaurants · Japanese4628 West State Street


