The ‘Boise Nice’ survey results are in  

In September, Idaho Business Review first reported on a new survey that was circulating around Boise. The Boise Nice Project was created to identify and preserve the variety of special things that makes working and living in Boise unique. The Boise Nice organization partnered with Boise State University and assembled a team and board to create a survey that allowed them to research and gain information that could be valuable for business and community leaders. 

The project in its entirety will span 10 years, giving the team ample opportunity to continue to research what makes Boise ‘nice’ as it continues to grow and evolve. The initial survey ran from September to December 2021. The first results are in now and being shared with businesses, residents and other leaders around the city.  

Michael Freeman, senior public relations and marketing manager for Boise Metro Chamber, said the results showed what most Idahoans knew already about Boise.  

“The Boise Nice survey results seem to show, both quantitatively and qualitatively, what I think most of us have always instinctively known — that Boise residents, workers and businesses are nice,” said Freeman. “The survey results include dozens of personal stories from Boiseans about everyday acts of kindness and compassion that they have personally witnessed on our streets and in our shops and neighborhoods. Those stories are what I think both prove the theory behind the survey and what makes this such a special place to live, work and play.” 

The survey was led by Boise Nice and Jack Marr, international business professor at Boise State’s College of Business and Economics. Marr is the lead researcher on the project. The team surveyed 637 individuals about their attitudes, motivations and suggestions toward being nice in Boise. The results revealed that most respondents found Boise to be extremely nice (58%), fairly nice (28%) or of average niceness (12%). For 62% of the responders, they shared that Boise is the first nicest city they have lived in, whereas 22% said that it was the second nicest city.  

Based on the widely used Prosocial Tendencies Measures survey, the results also confirmed that people in Boise are motivated by internal kindness rather than by external recognition for general acts of kindness. This indicates that there is a strong moral compass. Some of the unique acts of kindness shared on the survey of what people have seen others do in Boise include complimenting a stranger, picking up trash, helping people at the grocery store pay for their items and helping an elderly person across the street. Some of the respondents noted that being patient and respectful are some of the main ways the people of Boise can continue to improve the quality of ‘niceness’ in the city, where others encouraged people to be friendly to strangers, be empathetic to those around them and practice compassion.  

Marr said that one of the most interesting things the survey uncovered from the first round of responses was who the people were. 

“The majority of respondents weren’t born here, which mirrors the changing demographics of the Treasure Valley,” Marr said.  

Results showed that 80% of people were born outside of the state and had an average household of four people, which places a big emphasis on creating a nice environment for children to grow up in.  

Rourke O’Brien, president and co-founder of Boise Nice, said the survey results are available for anyone who is interested in Boise.  The raw data will live with Boise State University and is protected and anonymous according to the standards of the Boise State University Institutional review board. Results are easily accessible via the Boise Nice website.  

O’Brien and Marr are also looking into a way to create a social capture barometer that provides regular ongoing data — over a full calendar year, for example.  

“We haven’t yet figured out the best technological/point of access vehicle for this, but the idea would be to get a steadier stream of people’s perceptions about niceness across the year,” explained Marr. “This is a work in progress!”  

Looking ahead, Marr and the Boise Nice team will conduct comparative research and use those results to compare to other similar samples taken globally. Then, they can see where Boise fits in terms of motivation for niceness.  

“This is a process we will make progress on over the summer,” explained Marr.  

As they plan the next survey, they will continue working with organizations that were involved in the first study, including the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, Buy Idaho, Boise Regional Realtors and more.