48 Comments so far

1. Jake on November 28, 2005 10:45 am

   Being from California is a minus. But being a bricklayer more than offsets the sin of being Californian.

   There is a tremendous shortage of stone masons (I assume bricklayers can do that) so you will see a lot of smiling contractors when you come to Bozeman. You can probably name your own hours so it doesn’t interfere with your flyfishing.

2. Kim on November 28, 2005 5:45 pm

   I’m currently living in Bozeman (at the University, but I’ve been in the town for 3 years now).

   My main reason for enjoying Bozeman is the whole “small town” feel I tend to come across. Some people may argue, but living here while school is both in session and out during the summer, the people here are pretty darn friendly. There’s a lot of places to recreate around – hike, ski, camp, fish; and from what I’ve heard, the elementary schools are great and the community is good about supporting them. Alot of people come to Bozeman because of the expansion – a lot of houses are going up, so work is here. Bozeman also has a lot of great things to do, what for a family I’m not entirely sure.

   Alot of people come up here from California for the same reasons you are, and also because of scenery (case in point). Or because they wany a slower paced life. Things here still happen, but not at a frantic warp speed.

   I’m not too sure if you wanted anything specific, but if so; give me a holler. I hope this helped. :D

3. big mike on November 28, 2005 7:29 pm

   Bozeman is a nice combination of “college town” and “ski town.” My blog (bozeman-mt.blogspot.com) has lots of photos of the Bozeman area.

   I noticed very few brick houses in Bozeman. I don’t know why they are so scarce.

   Let me know by email if you want more info.

4. Randy on November 28, 2005 9:44 pm

   Kellid,

   Here is an interesting article which might address your concerns about Californians moving to Montana.
   http://www.newwest.net/index.php/city/article/4480/C8/L8

   BTW, if you do move to Montana, welcome!

5. Linda on February 10, 2006 11:45 am

   Ok,you better do a reality check before the move
   1. You will not find a job that pays half what you make in California. People with Master’s Degrees
   earn $12.00 hr. with no benefits;
   2. Probably, the job you had in CA doesn’t even exist here;
   3. Most people in Montana don’t like people from CA because they don’t want any change;
   4. True, there isn’t any big traffic problems in Montana but Montanians are horrible drivers;
   and,
   5. Face this fact: Montana is a beautiful place to starve to death.
   Still sound good? Go for it then.

6. kellid on February 10, 2006 4:45 pm

   I have to say that we are very lucky in that my husband is a highly skilled bricklayer and stonemason. THere is a very high demand for his
   skill in that area. He has a job waiting for him when we get there. He will make half as much but the house we are buying costs a third of what we have here. So I think we will be ok financially.
   Thank you so much for your input.
   P.S.
   California drivers aren’t the best either
   -K

7. sifu on March 5, 2006 3:43 pm

   My wife and I (and 4 kids) are thinking, or at least toying with the idea, of moving out to Montana. I have been a high school science teacher for the past 14 years, and my family and I are very tired of living in the Chicago area. Last summer, we took a two week RV vacation to Montana, and other places, and we fell in love with the central and eastern half of Montana. I have spent a lot of time in the desert and other open environments, via the USMC. Is there anyone out there who has some words of wisdom concerning a move to Montana?

8. ewitch on March 5, 2006 10:04 pm

   Montanans are horrible drivers? lollerskates

9. Jen on March 6, 2006 6:45 am

   Sifu – ignore ewitch, we’re only bad drivers because of people from California, who aren’t even sure if they can drive themselves down the street without stopping or going *really really* slow. You may want to try Western Montana before deciding what part to live in – actually, you should just move to Western Montana (who am I trying to kid?). I read that you spent time serving our nation (thank you by the way) and I’m trying to think of some sort of a way to correspond to you what W. Montana looks like fr. the training you may have received (w/o getting too Army on you). It’s not working…. but:

   1) mountains
   2) trees
   3) lakes

   So if you’ve received any mountain training, you might be able to get some sort of an idea about what it’s like here.

   http://www.kalispell.com and http://www.nps.gov/glac/

   Kalispell is a small town (I mean, a small city by Montana standards) but over 80,000 people come in and out of here every day. We’re building a new high school, so that may help you with getting a teaching job.

   And Eastern Montana … there’s not really any big mountains but lots of rolling tumbleweeds. *winks*

10. Jen on March 6, 2006 6:51 am

    Linda – don’t give out some negative picture of Montana. We have lots of jobs here that are waiting to be field but if no one is willing to work then I guess people will starve to death. Except, the state has an answer for that as well: help the poor. I know an ex-con that qualifies for more state programs than my family ever wil and are we rich? Not even close.

    The best jobs here are construction because Western Montana is growing rapidly. People have to be hired to work to either construct or operate these jobs. In fact, Montana was actually growing during the recession that our nation faced after September 11th.

    You only starve to death, if you are too proud to actually go look for help. The state, as I said, is wiling to help any one.

    At least we’re not the Dakotas. Tsh.

11. Eddyb on March 29, 2006 6:24 am

    I am a sixth generation Montanan, and I had to leave Montana, and moved to Boise Idaho, as I see Many many montan Montanans have, basically the reason me and others have left is, the income does not even come close to letting you afford to live there, Californians can get by because if they have a home in California, they can sell it and easily buy a house for cash or at least have a huge down payment, this will keep the payments low, and easy to afford if you have a low paying job, but if you dont have that luxury, its hard to pay for a house on a 12 or 13 a hour job, so I moved, I couldnt afford a home, or get by, neither could my parents so we all packed up and left our beloved Montana, I make 3 times what I could make in Montana and the cost of living is still on par with Boise, as for social welfare programs, yes they are there, but it kind of sucks to use them to supliment your income all the time, so yes you do starve in Montana. I actually know people with PHD’s and Masters degrees that work at Pizza Hut and Wal-mart, My dad was making $13 with a BA in business.

12. kellid on April 4, 2006 11:41 am

    Hi Eddyb,
    So sorry to hear you are leaving. As much as I complain about CA I would probably stay if I could afford it, but we can’t even afford to live here any more. Every month we get furthur behind. So I guess it’s sort of a ripple effect. Yes we are very fortunate we bought our house in California and we just sold a couple of weeks ago with a good profit. I will admit we would not be able to do this move without that advantage. We are also very lucky my husband is a very seasoned mason and has an employer anxiously waiting for him…We love the state of Montana we have been visiting off and on for years and can’t wait to start our new life here and raise our kids away from the husle and bustle of th San Francisco Bay Area. First thing we are going to do is head to the DMV and get rid of those CA license plates.

13. Jen on April 4, 2006 12:39 pm

    Eddyb, then those people chose to work at Pizza Hut and Wal-Mart either because they didn’t want to actually look for their line of work or they were too stupid to actual pick an PHD and Masters’ degree where they could actually find a job. Plus what if those people who work at Pizza Hut and Wal-Mart with their PHD and Masters Degrees, actually *like it there* … is that possible even? Montana isn’t the richest state, I admit that, but I’ve seen the Idaho and to tell you the truth, Montana looks 10x better when you drive past divy communities.

14. Connie on May 16, 2006 8:29 am

    So I see you all have lots of opinions on people moving to Montana! :) Well, what are your
    thoughts on a person from Texas moving there? I grew up in Louisiana and moved to Fort Worth
    after graduating. I do really like Fort Worth (mainly because I am into horses) but I am not
    cut out for city living. I prefer to be around animals than people…sounds bad I know. I
    have a degree in Information Systems and currently work as an IT Auditor/Systems Analyst.
    I have 2 certifications as well…CISA and CISSP. I do like technolgy just not so much the
    corporate America environment… So are there any jobs up there for someone
    with my experience? What are you thoughts?? Thanks!! :)

15. David on May 16, 2006 9:01 am

    Connie, I’d wager that you will would have no trouble finding work in Montana — likely in one of the larger communities (Great Falls, Missoula, Helena, Bozeman, etc). Your skills are transferable to many industries and environments, and contrary to what many non-Montanans think, we’ve got plenty of tech/IT jobs here. It sounds to me as if you’re on the verge of making the move — and I honestly don’t think that you would regret it. Animals FAR outnumber people here — and there are horses everywhere!

16. Jen on May 16, 2006 12:17 pm

    Well there are a few IT companies up here in Flathead Valley (Kalispell, mainly) and a few more are on there way. And there are a lot of farms up here around Kalispell. Move to Kalispell, Connie. It’s calling you!

    http://www.kalispell.com

17. Connie on May 16, 2006 1:16 pm

    LOL! Yall are very nice. You know I almost got a job in Kalispell right after I graduated,
    but they were scared to hire a college grad so far away…I can’t blame them though. Yea I
    have had my eye on this area for 5+ years! I would love to live there. I can’t go anywhere
    for about 6 months, but I figure planning ahead is good. I know a lot of people have farms,
    but do they have any boarding stables for horses out there? Like somewhere I basically
    put my horse and they care for her etc and I pay them? The reason I ask is I can’t get my own
    property…as a single young woman I just can’t handle a small farm on my own. :( So I need
    to rent and find a place for horse too. Thanks for the input!! :)

18. David on May 16, 2006 2:25 pm

    Not to worry, Connie — there are boarding stables all over the place, wherever you go in Montana.

19. Jen on May 16, 2006 4:17 pm

    Oh we sure do. Quite nice ones as well and some farmers, they’ll host them for you as well.

20. Connie on May 17, 2006 6:21 pm

    Thanks for all the input! I will have some time at the beginning of September and I am going to probably come up and visit Missoula and Kalispell area…
    I wish I could get there this summer but I can’t. I may be blogging later to ask about good places to stay and things to do! Talk to y’all soon!! :)

21. Charlie on May 20, 2006 8:05 pm

    Montana has changed for sure. It’s not what it used to be. My wife was born and raised in Montana, and I was chased out of Colorado (where I was born and raised)due to the influx of (sorry if this is offensive) yes… Californians. People seem to move here to escape the problems of where they come from, but unfortunately in many instances they just end up bringing it here.

    I do have quite a few friends from California, but I am still guilty of cringing when I see a cali license plate. It’s hard not to judge people because of the actions of a few. Yes real estate is 3 or 4 times more expensive then it was 8 or 10 years ago, and the attitudes (especially in SW Montana) are increasingly materialistic compared to what they were.

    Most (good)people here don’t have anything against people who want to work for a living, no matter where they are from. Personally I get the most aggrivated by people who come to Montana and make a living buying and selling homes and land, when most of the natives have worked very hard to try to build a home for themselves and end up getting priced out by the transplants from other areas with a nest egg from the money they made selling their home in another state.

    It’s a complicated problem, but I think no matter where someone is from, SW Montana would be a lot nicer if people looking to make a quick buck would leave this part of the country alone.

22. Chuck on August 1, 2006 1:33 pm

    What about skipping Montana and moving to Alaska!
    We have the best view in southcentral Alaska for sale at $137,500.00 / 5 ac. plenty of room for Equestrians and all sand soils for thier little hooves. 2 lots available.
    We like Californians!

23. Brandy on September 10, 2006 11:53 am

    My husband and I are considering moving to Montana. What is the job market like for lawyers and elementary
    principals? I have always dreamed of living in Montana. We don’t care about how much money we make, as we are
    already living in an area with depressed wages. But are jobs available in these fields?

24. Adam on November 3, 2006 2:53 pm

    Im from Bozeman and I’ve been racking by brains trying to figure out how I can stay and someday buy a house here. Outsiders with lots of money are moving in and driving up the prices. Im a business mgmt major and applied psy major and I’ll be lucky to get a 40-50K a year job. My other friends from here aren’t making even close to that. A small 1 bedroom cabin now goes for 265,000. Other houses that look like just your run of the mill small 2 bedroom are now running for 300,000 and up. Just 5 years ago before I started college they were half as much. I don’t know if I can keep up. Im scared I’ll be forced to move away, but I don’t want to because its home. The career pay for locals isnt keeping up with the increase in the price of realestate. The outsiders are buying huge mansion dream houses that don’t fit Bozeman’s small friendly feel. Some of my favorite hiking areas by Big sky are now being gated off. A famous waterfall now has “No Tresspassing” signs posted along the trail.(which we naturally kick over) Its like someone came in and bought out our backyard. There are special places where locals have been going for years to, for example, sit around a campfire, drink a beer and enjoy eachothers company that I niavely assumed belonged to everyone. It makes me scared to love Bozeman and the area the same way that I used to because tomarrow it may have a no tresspassing sign infront of it.
    A few years ago Montana didn’t have a speed limit, no open container law (just dont drive drunk) and at 18 you could go into any bar and mingle with people of all ages. Young people seemed wiser. There were so few people that they were still entrusted to look after themselves and do the right thing. They were free wild cowboys that just wanted the government to leave them to themselves. Huge crowds used to gather around bonfires to drink beer in the dead of winter up in Hyalite canyon. What once seemed to be part of the culture now gets shut down by the police. It wasn’t about the beer, but the almost magical friendly atmosphere that came with it. Things are a changing.

25. Danielle on January 25, 2007 4:17 am

    I’m thinking of moving to Bozeman to attend MSU to get a degree in graphic design. I noticed the town has some new companies in that field too. Do any of you have any comments and/or experiences related to MSU? Is the move a good idea for someone in their mid 20s?

26. Aaryn on February 23, 2007 12:52 pm

    So I just wanted to let anyone know that has plans of moving to Montana. You don’t make jack for money unless your a lawyer, doctor of contractor. So all you big city folks….Its hard to survive here due to the fact that you come and buy or houses like its chump change. Thanks a lot for that bye they way. Our minimum wage is $6.15 and that means nothing when our rent is at least $600 a month plus all the other bills an average American has. So if your considering it you big city folks….stay away! Your not helping us out in the least!

27. Stephie on May 3, 2007 10:33 am

    Hey, you want to move to Kalispell? Why not? Everybody else is! But it’ll be you and the other people from out of state here, and nobody else from Montana. So maybe you’ll get what you want and won’t have to listen to them anymore because they were driven out by out-of-staters who can afford to live here! Have fun!
    Traffic stinks here, too! Nobody accounted for the rapidly increasing population versus the amount of road space!
    Damn, I’m pissed I have to move.

28. SAMANTHA on May 10, 2007 12:37 pm

    I TOO AM INTERESTED IN MOVING TO MONTANA. WHAT JOBS ARE AVAILABLE FOR NURSES, AND WHAT REGIONS STILL HAVE AFFORDABLE HOMES FOR PURCHASE. ANY INPUT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED

29. David on May 10, 2007 1:35 pm

    Hi Samantha — the community of Great Falls is excellent — largest hospital in the state (Benefis), a very large clinic (Great Falls clinic) with several locations, quite a few nursing/retirement homes…and the cost of living and homes is very reasonable — especially compared to other large communities in Montana.

30. Matt Cole on May 24, 2007 12:27 am

    With the exception of Wyoming and North and South Dakota, Fuck all you out of state bitches
    that have destroyed Montana thinking you have some fuckin right to fuck my state up. You had a chance to do something with your state but chose to fuck it up, so piss off with your money, your wanna be rich bitch houses and fake ass bullshit smiles you pump in here. fuck off and die a slow painful death signed a true Montanan.

31. choas on September 23, 2007 4:40 pm

    Okay, so I have some good friends from all sorts of states who live in montana and fit in just fine…are even more “montanan” than some of the “natives” here is the thing. Go ahead, move here, but be a part of here. You moved here for a reason, protect it, support it, dont keep trying to change it to feed those wants and needs you picked up from “there”. People are invading other states as well, it is a constant cycle, because it is easier to watch the changes to someone else’s hometown than your own. America as a whole are being a bunch of cowards, pushed around by corporate america, and pop-culture trash. We keep buying into it to make our own selfish profits than when we destroy an area of it’s charm and culture we move on to a so-called “unspoiled frontier” what happens when all the beautiful fields are replaced by subdivisions, and strip malls? where are we going to stop and say ENOUGH! I guess Alaska is the next stop considering we have nearly commericialized and destroyed the rest of the lower 48, not to mention Hawaii. You are all a bunch of sell-outs! -sincerely-5th generation Montanan

32. Charlie on December 20, 2007 6:22 pm

    Good post choas. Couldn’t agree more.

    P.S. Keep Montana beautiful, ship a Californian back to California.

    -C-

33. Kelli Smith on December 21, 2007 10:32 am

    Well,
    I just wanted to congratulate all you Montanans that so vehemently protect your home state of Montana from people who were not born here.
    I unfortunately had no choice when I ended up in the womb of a mother married to a husband in the Navy. I did not get to choose
    what and where I would grow up.
    Fate dealt you a great hand.
    I have been here for a year and a half and love every minute of it, I have been able to share this beautiful state with my children. They fish and talk about going hunting with Dad when they are older. My husband is helping build the new elementary school, we didn’t buy a fancy new house in a fancy new subdivision. We live very modestly. We take our kids on amazing adventures and hopefully don’t leave too much of a mark on this amazing landscape. We appreciate every minute of living here.
    One day maybe our grandkids will be able to say they are Montanan natives. And if they do that is great, but one thing we will always teach them is not to judge a book by it’s cover. People are great and people are awful everywhere you go. But we will always teach them that America is a great country that belongs to all of us and how lucky we are to live where so many different kinds of people can live together in such a huge country and not be in a constant state of civil war or turmoil. Maybe you should think about all the people in the world who get killed just because they aren’t of the same political belief or religion as their neighbor.
    Or is that what you want for America
    KelliD

34. ralph on July 26, 2008 9:25 am

    Kelli, my entire family transplanted to Bozeman from san diego ,ca 16 yrs ago. got local jobs, and contribute to the community. the winters are long but that’s why the population grows at a less frantic rate than you are used to. Bozeman is the nicest place I have ever lived in. I am a owner-operator (over the road trucking) my wife is a teachers aid at Bozeman high school, my daughter is the manager at a local pharmacy ( graduated from c
    ollege in Missoula ) and my son works driving for a local milk co.
    Don’t get discouraged by the rantings of the local hate mongers. change is inevitable, we watched San Diego get taken over by true foreigners , at least most of the people moving to Montana speak fluent English! WELCOM TO MONTANA!!! Ralph

35. Dorothy on August 27, 2008 11:12 am

    I want a change for my family,we live in Alabama.Its all weve ever knew but it is getting over populated,our wild life is almost gone all of our small towns are almost all of them are cities now,and we dont get paid very much money here either .so the income wouldnt hurt us that much.I am a waitress at a local diner here,and my husband does construction.We have been looking at Montanas website and we are very interested ,but we dont know anyone there,places for rent and we dont want to live in a city we want to be close to a small town. email me back at dfiles005@yahoo.com

36. Cammy on August 29, 2008 8:50 am

    Oooh..nice crack on Eastern Montana, Jen. Spoken from a person who obviously has never been there or got to know some of the nicest folks in that end of the State. We don’t need mountains. We’re quite happy with our rolling plains, our badlands, and our huge ass Fort Peck Lake which has more to offer than trout.
    Personally, I find that the western part of the state also houses a whole lot of ruder people. Maybe it’s because of the transplants. I don’t know and I don’t care. If those are the type of people that your scenic mountains attract, more power to that end of the state.

    As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I wouldn’t live in Kalispell for all the tea in China. I’d say all the resorts and buildings that didn’t used to be there 20-30 years ago but are now there, have definitely spoiled that beauty.

37. Ted Candy on October 29, 2009 6:42 pm

    WARNING WARNING!!!!! Stay away from Libby Montana.DO NOT….DO NOT MOVE TO LIBBY.LIBBY IS NOT…IS NOT…SAFE TO ANYTHING THAT BREATHES. The air is full of Tremolite asbestos and the town IS A DEATH TOWN.No children.If 65 and older,fine.Great place to die but no place to kill your entire family.Why Libby is sold as safe???? You can ask that question.I have for over 10 years now.And the people continue to be killed.And so do the lies selling Libby as safe. Bozeman/Kalispell/Missoula/Virginia City is nice.Libby has been poisoned and so are the people…and children.

38. Mallorie on January 24, 2010 2:53 pm

    Sure if you want your kids to grow up to be alcoholics, druggies, or just straight up losers. Once I graduated I got the HELL out of that state. It ruined my life and destroyed my childhood. Do NOT recommend it for anyone who loves their family and wants what is best for them. I moved to Colorado the second I got married and got pregnant. I would never want my son to grow up in the same area with the same people that I grew up with.

39. Keller on March 11, 2010 4:41 am

    I have often thought of leaving Alaska for MT but have done some research and have found much of what has been said here. My wages would be cut in less than half,(and I take 5 mos off a year here) housing is more crowded, costly and the probably of finding gainful, lasting employment with a decent benefits package seems slim. I did recieve an offer with the USGS but for what they wanted to pay I just couldn’t make it work. However your situation may differ so good luck.

40. Joe Backwood on July 21, 2010 11:32 am

    I have lived in Alaska for 30 plus years. The sad part about labeling californians as the problem to high taxation where ever they relocate is this. They were not californians before they moved to CA. Blame Californians for moving in is code for I hate rich white folk. If Montana, Washington Wyoming are looking for one word to blame to simplify the change call it rich folk. Californians from Compton, South Central and East LA are not buying summer homes and jacking up taxes where ever they find the next get-away. So once a person understands its rich folk who just happened to also own a beach house in Cali that change small town USA, just maybe the small town city councils will quit selling out their quiet little towns. Blame the tax hungry mayors waving in the parade.

41. Joe Backwood on July 21, 2010 11:41 am

    Sorry but I have grown so tired of this Cali-bashing BS. Never forget, California residents (the real ones of 1940) probably sent more young soldiers to die for this country than any other. When people look down their nose at a state, they also dump on some good folk that are from great Californian stock.

42. circosan on October 5, 2010 8:54 am

    Interesting blog. I agree wholly with Joe Backwood’s comment. State-bashing is an ignorant, narrow-minded perspective. Bad apples don’t make the entire orchard bad. There are bad apples everywhere, in Every state. There is beauty & the ugly in every state, country, etc. Focus on the beauty; if you focus on only the ugly, you will find ugly everywhere you go.

43. Ashleigh on November 16, 2010 8:18 pm

    Hey everyone!
    I have seen so much information about moving to Montana and it has all been very conflicting information about cost of living, job opportunities, friendliness of the community, etc., and was wondering if you guys could help me out and/or offer any advice.
    I am a 27 year old female and a young professional. I am a Social Worker with a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and Associate’s in Psychology and Substance Abuse Treatment. My female cousin, a 40 year old professional as well, has a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and over 8 years of Collection/Skip Tracing experience. We would like to relocate out of Michigan within the year due to the severely rapid decline in our economy, lack of jobs, and one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. So far are eyes are on Kalispell, Whitefish, and the Flathead Valley in general.
    We were both born and raised in Michigan and are use to the cold winters and snow. My cousin was also in the Air Force and has lived all over the United States. In January of 2009, I decided to go after a dream and move to Alaska. I lived in Fairbanks for 15 months. I absolutely love everything about Alaska, except for the cost of living lol. I am a hard worker and do not mind working 2 jobs to make sure I am pulling my own weight in the community and enjoying life. I like to buy locally when I have the opportunity to in order to support local farmers and the community members.
    I love wildlife even though I am not a hunter, but I am not against hunting either. I love the mountains and the serenity of being surrounded by them. I do not agree with Realtors and developers coming in and ruining God’s beautiful natural wonders or people who disrespect the land by littering, being careless, and/or polluting the lakes, air, and soil! I can adapt to the weather pretty easily being from Michigan and living in Alaska.
    I guess a few of the specific questions I have so far are:
    1. Will my cousin and I be able to find decent jobs in Flathead Valley?
    2. Is the competition for jobs high?
    3. How about finding rental homes/apartments?
    4. What is the main religion in the area?
    5. How are “outsider” treated?
    6. Is there any additional advice or hints you might offer 2 young, hard working, professionals, that would like to bask in the beauty of Montana and enjoy the outdoors?
    7. What is the weather like year-round? Are there 4 distinct seasons? What are the average temperatures in summer and winter? What about sunny day vs. overcast days
    Any information about the community, religion, culture, jobs, housing, attractions, and weather would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

44. Stephen M. Ledbetter on March 29, 2011 1:23 pm

    To anyone living in Kalispell, Montana. For 20 years now my dream has been to move to Kalispell and become a part of the community. I have never been there or even in Montana, but I’ve researched the area and it’s for me. I’m married, male and 53 years old. I have a masters degree in teaching and currently teach in special education with kids with emotional and behavioral disorders. I am a Christian and a southern gospel singing tenor. I am Baptist by faith. I am simply trying to fulfill my dream of living there and retiring there before it is to late in my life. I see the prices of homes there and can’t believe what I see. Is there a single family home there anywhere for around $75,000? My family would be an asset to your community as we are just plain folks who love the quiet life and cold weather. We currently live in Southern Illinois and if I have to stay here much longer I will become depressed. Can you help me?

    Sincerely,

    Stephen Ledbetter
    (618) 252-2277

45. siren on April 25, 2011 10:44 am

    why o why would anyone want to uproot their family and abandon their job for a beautiful place to STARVE??? we dont have a job market, there are not enough jobs to go arround, and no matter where you go there you are, it will only get worse for anyone moving to a state that dislikes washington, oregon and california… do your selves and families a favor and STAY IN YOUR STATE! its a good vacation spot, not a place to live!!

46. Kathleen Hawkins on May 20, 2011 10:51 pm

    Dear Stephen,

    I see quite a few jobs advertised for helping with kids who have social, emotional, or behavioral problems. You sound well-qualified. Also, there are many churches here, quite a few Baptist churches, and many very lovely people. Not a lot of minorities, mostly white folks. There is a wide gap between the very rich and the poor/disadvantaged, but there is a middle class and I think you would fit in. You may not find a home in a decent neighborhood for $75,000 anymore, but housing prices are still good here if you come from somewhere else and have some money to spend. For those of us who came with nothing but high hopes, wages are extremely low and it’s very tough to get by. I’m one of those working-class former Californians who can barely afford my little rental, but I love the peace and quiet here and the amazing beauty of the landscape. Winters are long and we have many, many overcast and cloudy days. So if that depresses you (as it does me) beware! This place is a boom town in the summer and that’s when everything seems wonderful (jobs, etc.) but many of the jobs are seasonal and then the winter is long and cold and it’s hard to make money unless you have a good professional job. You sound like an excellent candidate for this area (Flathead Valley). Check us out!

47. Ed on August 17, 2011 10:14 am

    My wife and I are closing in on Social Security (if its still there) and we are thinking of leaving Haiti/Jamacia/Cuba, I mean Florida to move to Montana. She has years experience in the hotel industry and I in car/truck parts sales/junk yard management. Just need to get out of S Florida and this heat. 35 years is long enough!

48. john on December 31, 2011 12:35 pm

    reading this stuff makes me sick i have lived in northern cali. all my life in the snow and the cold i dont think you should judge people by where they are from we are all from the USA!!!! I love my country, my lord, and the mountains. soon i want to be montana