I moved my family to Sandpoint when my children were toddlers and we both rented and purchased a home there. We lived in Sandpoint until they were in college. Almost 18 years. I will concede there's not much in the way of jobs, but that's expected in a small town of only 8-9,000 people. That's why most people who live there are those who have started their own business, work in the local businesses, or are retired. I have always found the people of Sandpoint to be warm and inviting, and they really go out of their way for others. Most of them are polite drivers too....you know, those people who wave you through or wave to you as they're passing by on the back roads? The sense of community is strong there. I will say that there was pretty much no crime when we originally moved there and have seen that go up in recent years. Drugs has definitely become a problem, but these problems seem much larger in a small town, by contrast. We do not regret raising our family in Sandpoint. In fact, we're really glad we made the move from Washington so many years ago. We made new life-long friendships, thrived in the beautiful landscape, but eventually the snow just got to be too much for us and our kids had moved away. Summers there are the best, but they are short compared to the sometimes brutal winters and icy roads.
R | Ridgefield, WA | Report Abuse

He's partly right; unless you have money, or an established business, it's difficult to fit in or feel a sense of community. I lived there 2 years and loved it, but the above statement reflects my experience. Coeur d'Alene, on the other hand, is more open to newcomers and has a wider range of population and local activities. It's also 5 or 6 times larger than Sandpoint and also and has a suburban population.
norman | Menifee, CA | Report Abuse