Living Here

Moving to the Treasure Valley — or just untangling who handles what on your bill — usually starts with the same handful of providers. Idaho Power is the electric utility for all of Ada County and most of Canyon County; service is set up online and a deposit may apply for new accounts. Intermountain Gas handles natural gas for most of the Valley. Water and sewer vary by city: Veolia (formerly Suez/United Water) supplies most of Boise; Eagle, Meridian, Star, Nampa, Caldwell, Kuna, and the other cities each run their own water and sewer department through the city, or contract with a small private utility. Always start at your city's utility-billing page. Just arrived? Our Moving to the Treasure Valley guide walks through the DMV timeline, school districts, and the rest of the first-two-weeks paperwork.

For trash and recycling, jurisdictions contract with private haulers — Republic Services serves most of Ada County, while Hardin Sanitation and others operate in parts of Canyon. Curbside pickup and recycling rules vary by city; check your city's solid-waste page for accepted materials and the holiday schedule.

Broadband options are usually Sparklight (cable), Lumen/CenturyLink (DSL and fiber), and an expanding footprint of fiber from Ziply, Sparklight Fiber, and city-partner fiber projects in pockets of the Valley. Cellular coverage from T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T is strong in the metro; rural east Ada and the Owyhee front can have gaps. For housing, the Idaho Housing and Finance Association runs first-time homebuyer programs, and CATCH and Jesse Tree provide rental and homelessness-prevention assistance. The Idaho Humane Society and the West Valley Humane Society handle adoptions and licensing for pets.

The cleanest order to do this in: start electricity and natural gas first, ideally a few days before move-in. Idaho Power (electric) and Intermountain Gas (gas) both let you start service online; Idaho Power may ask for a deposit on new accounts. Next, set up water and sewer — in most of Boise that's Veolia, but in Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Eagle, Star, Kuna, and the smaller cities it runs through the city's own utility-billing department, which often bundles trash on the same bill. Then sort trash and recycling (see below) and internet. Keep your closing or lease paperwork handy — some providers want proof of occupancy.

Treasure Valley cities don't run their own garbage trucks — they contract with private haulers. Republic Services covers most of Ada County (Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Garden City), while Hardin Sanitation and others operate across parts of Canyon County. Your cart sizes, pickup day, and whether curbside recycling is included all depend on your city's contract, so the city solid-waste page is the source of truth. Recycling rules here have tightened in recent years — glass is often a separate drop-off rather than curbside, and "wishcycling" plastics that aren't accepted just contaminates the load. Check the accepted-materials list before you toss.

Internet availability is intensely address-specific. Cable (Sparklight) and DSL/fiber (Lumen/CenturyLink) cover most of the metro, and fiber is expanding fast via Ziply, Sparklight Fiber, and city-partner builds — but the only reliable way to know your real options is to enter your exact address on each provider's site. Housing costs have climbed sharply over the last decade; for help, the Idaho Housing and Finance Association runs first-time homebuyer and down-payment programs, while CATCH and Jesse Tree handle rental and eviction-prevention assistance. For pets, the Idaho Humane Society (Ada) and West Valley Humane Society (Canyon) handle adoptions, licensing, and animal control — dog licenses are required and renewed annually.

Just arrived? Our Moving to the Treasure Valley guide covers the DMV timeline, choosing a city, and the rest of the first-two-weeks paperwork.