Economics

	Kuna	Idaho	USA
Median Family Income (2011 dollars)	$56,979	$48,160	$52,954
Per capita income (2011 dollars)	$20,715	$22,938	$27,067
Median single family home cost	$162,300	$157,900	$175,100

Unemployment

	Kuna	Idaho	USA
2011	9.10%	10.40%	9.10%

Taxes: http://tax.idaho.gov/answers_Sales_tax.htm
State sales tax rate: 6.0%
State income tax rate: progressive tax range from 1.6% to 7.8% based on taxable income
Ada County property tax rate: http://www.adaweb.net/Assessor.aspx

Property tax rates for Kuna Idaho real estate vary please contact the Ada County assessor’s office for any questions at 208-287-7200. City property taxes are assessed through the county tax system.

Cost of Living Index 2011

	Kuna	Boise
Overall	99	104
Food	106	106
Utilities	100	100
Miscellaneous	100	100
	US Average = 100 for all indicators

Summary: The greatest index difference is found in housing costs. Kuna is composed of a higher percentage of blue-collar and farm-labor population base which reflects in more modest housing on average. Kuna does have top end homes but primarily out in the county on small acreages that are not reflecting into the survey. Historically Kuna was mostly farm labor based that supported the primary industry of farming around the community. Boise has a larger diverse population and housing base.

Data source: http://www.bestplaces.net/col/

Demographics

County: Ada

Location: Kuna is located on the southwest end of Ada County and is about 15 miles southwest of Boise. Indian Creek passes through Kuna on its way to the Boise River. Kuna has views of the Boise Mountain Range to the northeast and the Owyhee Mountain range to the southwest. Kuna is north of the Snake River Canyon area where the National Birds of Prey Wildlife preserve is located. Boise is the capital of the state of Idaho and the economic hub for the region. Kuna is part of the Boise Metro area that now has the greatest concentration of people between Salt Lake City Utah and Portland Oregon at about 588,000.

Elevation: 2,694 ft. (821 m.), on average, above sea level

Time Zone: Mountain Standard Time, MST, (observes Daylight Savings Time)

Phone Area Code: 208

Zip Code: 83634

Local Map: Click Here

Population of Kuna: 12,785 as of 2007 within city limits, a 236% increase since 2000

Year 2011 Facts:

	Kuna	Idaho	USA
Population	7,884	1,571,616	307,829,557
Male/female:	49.85%/50.15%	50.31%/49.69%	49.31%/50.69%
Median age:	29.7	34.7	36.6
Avg family	3.03	2.65	2.58
Own homes	79.65%	62.64%	59.9%
Rent homes	14.75%	25.47%	29.73%
Vacant homes	5.60%	11.89%	10.37%
%White	90.69%	88.38%	72.4%
%Black	.55%	0.81%	12.6%
%Native	1.05%	1.46%	0.9%
%Asian	.55%	1.11%	4.8%
%Islander			0.2%
%Other	7.16%	8.25%	6.2%
%Hispanic	9.31%	10.49%	12.5%

Schools & Higher Education

Kuna Schools: http://www.kunaschools.org/home/home.php

1. Kuna School District: 208-922-1000
2. Kuna High School: 208-955-0203
3. Initial Point Alternative High School: 208-472-9721
4. Kuna Middle School: 208-922-1030
5. Crimson Point Elementary School: 208-955-0230
6. Hubbard Elementary School: 208-922-1007
7. Teed Elementary School: 208-922-1005
8. Indian Creek Elementary School: 208-922-1009
9. Reed Elementary School: 208-955-0275
10. Ross Elementary School: 208-922-1011
11. Falcon Ridge Public Charter School: 208-922-9228

Links

Compare ISAT scores for all Idaho Schools: http://www.greatschools.net/test/landing.page?state=ID&tid=76

Compare NAEP scores for Idaho Schools versus national: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/states/

Education Nation Scorecard for Schools: http://nbcscorecard.greatschools.org/?s_cid=20100928weeklysend

Compare State and Community Report Card: http://www.sde.idaho.gov/ipd/reportcard/SchoolReportCard.asp

Cost per student, grades 1-12, and teacher/student ratio comparison to US average.

	Kuna	USA
$per student	$3,088	$5,678
teacher ratio	1 to 22	1 to 15
%High school grad	92.90%	84.72%
%4 year college grad	14.80%	17.42%

Higher Education

None within Kuna City limits. However, in the greater Boise Area are these Colleges and Universities:

1. Boise State University: 208-426-1000
2. College of Western Idaho–Nampa: 208-562-3000
3. Apollo College: 877-205-1458
4. ITT Technical Institute-Boise: 208-322-8844
5. Milan Institute-Boise: 208-672-9500
6. Scot Lewis Schools-Boise: 208-375-0190
7. Brown Mackie College-Boise: 208-321-8800
8. Stevens-Henager College-Boise: 208-345-0700
9. BoiseBibleCollege: 208-376-7731

Local History

Kuna is located on the Snake River basin plain that crosses, from east to west, the south end of the State of Idaho. Kuna is in the middle area of the valley at an average elevation of about 2,694 feet above sea level with the only natural waterway being Indian Creek that passes through the community from its path from the mountains to the east to the Boise River to the north. This is considered a high desert area with most of the moisture occurring and collecting in the surrounding mountains and then being transferred into the valley by creeks, streams and rivers. These waterways provide the irrigation water used by farmers across the whole south end of the state. Kuna is in the general area of the old Oregon Trail.

In 1881 the Oregon Short Line Railroad started building its line westward across Idaho. As early as 1882, the railroad established a construction camp at the intersection of the railway right of way and an existing stage station (horse drawn stagecoach station) southwest of Boise. The site was originally known as "Fifteen Mile Station" because it was fifteen miles southwest of Boise and approximately twenty miles from the Snake River. When the line went into operation in 1882, the station was named Kuna. The best historical references to the origin of the name came from a memoir of Walgamott's adventures in the late 1800s in southern Idaho. The story is told that it comes from a Shoshone Indian word meaning "green leaf, good to smoke." The green leaf probably came from the banks of the only flowing water in the location, now known as Indian Creek.

A settlement grew up around the station and flourished unit 1887 when a branch railroad line was built directly from Nampa to Boise essentially bypassing Kuna. After the reroute, the Kuna site was abandoned except for being a railroad siding location. It wasn't until about 1906, when the US Reclamation Service completed the New York Canal system, that irrigation water was available to the Kuna area and made commercial farming viable for the first time. The anticipation of water sparked land acquisition as early as 1905.

The first population count, as a distinct community, dates to 1910 when 150 people were reported to be living there. There has been continuous growth since that time and the population now stands at about 12,000. This history places Kuna at the very beginning of Idaho's settlement period that began as early as 1811 off the end of the Lewis and Clark expedition where fur trappers first came into the area. Today Kuna is known as the "Gateway City to the Birds of Prey National Habitat Area" and is the forefront of the "Western Heritage Byways Project." The habitat area is about 20 miles south of Kuna in and around the Snake River canyon lands. Kuna is the last service center or community before going toward the high desert wilderness location that protects and promotes bird habitat.

Kuna is part of the greater Boise economic region of Southwest Idaho, referred to as the "Treasure Valley" due to its agriculturally based wealth, made possible by irrigation and mild climate. Boise is the economic and political hub of this region being the capital of the state, the largest city in the state and the primary location of non- agriculturally based jobs for the region. Kuna is located about 15 miles southwest of Boise with a primary economic base of agriculture still. It has become a satellite or bedroom community location for the Boise market. This change came mainly through the introduction of clean industries, such as Hewlett Packard and Micron Technologies, in the last 20 years. Boise and the surrounding areas have also become a hub for transportation and storage, higher education, communication call centers, medical services and most other major demographic factors that allow clean and sustained growth.

Kuna is located in Ada County. It is the second smallest city in the county at about 12,000 in population as of 2008. The population of Kuna doubled in the last 10 years, primarily due to non-agricultural related regional growth as noted with most of the new growth being based on residential development. Kuna is most closely located and related to Meridian located about 10 miles north. Ada County has the largest concentration of people in the state. Kuna is beginning to establish itself as a full service community due to the increase in population though most major purchases, services and higher education etc., are still located outside the community. The community's small-town feel but convenient location has made it an attractive spot for families and others. Top end small acreage properties, developing outside the community, have begun to put Kuna on the "place to live" residential map in a five county area that supports the Boise market.

Whatever your reasons for coming to Kuna, it can be considered a good choice and one of the positive puzzle pieces that make up the "Treasure Valley" whose real treasure has always been its people. This site is your one source for finding homes for sale in Kuna Idaho.

Still unsure about where you want to move? Keep reading about Kuna Idaho or check out other city pages to find the area of the Treasure Valley that best fits your needs. This site also has up to date information from the Boise MLS on available homes in the area so you can find the perfect home.

Climate

Kuna is part of a river valley that runs across southern Idaho at a relatively low elevation. This is a high desert area of low precipitation in the valleys and high rates of sunshine. Most snow fall occurs in the surrounding mountain ranges from November to February which fills the rivers, creeks and streams that run to the valley in the spring time as it melts. The valley does get some snow but on average it is light and infrequent.

Kuna's climate is warm during summer when day time temperatures tend to be in the 80's and 90's and cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 30's. The cold months are November through February and the warmest months July and August. Temperature shifts from day to night can be extreme primarily during the hottest summer days that cool off after sunset. This is a full four season location with a comparatively mild climate proven ideal for farming, recreation and just living. The annual average precipitation at Kuna is 8.21 inches. Rainfall is distributed evenly throughout the year but on average is wetter during the spring and fall seasons. September is usually the wettest month on average at 1.58 inches.

Local Media

There over twenty AM and FM radio stations located in the Boise Valley that reaches Kuna that includes multiple NPR stations.

This area has full access to traditional, cable, dish and online TV stations with Boise being regional communication hub for most TV and radio outlets. Fiber optic lines are being extended to residential areas to provide the highest speed data transfers available.

Airports

The largest airport, the Boise Regional airport, is about 15 miles northeast and is the regional hub for air travel. There are 3 private airports listed for Kuna, Idaho.

Boise: Website »

Green Acres Airport: Website »
Larkin Airport: Website »
Black's Airfield: Website »