Eagle, located at the base of the foothills, feels like a world apart from downtown Boise, located just a few miles away.

Eagle has around 22,000 residents, most of whom live in subdivisions like Brookwood, where I live.

Eagle’s city government has wisely chosen to control the quality of growth by (mostly) avoiding cookie-cutter subdivisions and those decisions are reflected in the quality of housing available in Eagle.

Even McDonald’s was required to build a building that blended with the local architecture.

Lots tend to be larger in many Eagle subdivisions, and most neighborhoods offer community parks, walking paths, and small lakes throughout beautifully-planned communities with ample common areas.

The average selling price for a single-family home in Eagle is currently around $500,000, but you can easily spend more if you opt for a larger custom home.

Eagle boasts a low crime rate, traffic is pretty light, and the schools are excellent.

Perhaps most unique is the small-town feel with a quaint old downtown that reflects the town’s farming heritage.

Most of Eagle’s growth has occurred within the past few years (when I arrived in 2000, Eagle had only 11,000 residents).

Eagle has been discovered, though, and developers have submitted plans for new planned communities that could result in significant additional growth.

For more information, check out the Eagle Idaho Chamber of Commerce website.