Review of Montana, Montana


Wanting to move and have questions
Star Rating - 10/13/2020
Hello! I’m looking for some input regarding relocating to MT. I’m currently living in SC, but grew up in CA. I am a stay at home mom and my husband works in banking. We have a family of 4 including 2 young children.

I’m interested in moving to MT for recreational activities, access to the vast wilderness & wildlife, getting back to more a western culture/values, equestrian sports, and getting in touch with my great grandfather’s history in the state.

Currently where we live in the south in our nice socioeconomic mixed neighborhood, we’re faced with nightly shootings, drive bys, armed robberies, murders, and car break-ins. So my biggest motivation is finding a town/neighborhood to move to that is safe for my family.

Although I’m highly interested in an area that provides the ability to hike, swim, hunt, and just be outdoors. As a kid in CA I was afforded the ability to explore the canyons and deserts around me and I’m really like to get my kids outside and freedom to free play in their immediate area that they don’t have here.

I also would love to know about schools. Which to avoid like the plague and whose got the most quality teachers and programs. Currently, even though we live in a nice neighborhood in a high crime city, Our children attend one of the highest rated award winning elementary schools in the state. I have a child that has a learning disability, so if anyone has recommendations for individual schools or districts, I am all ears.

We really would enjoy having a few acres of privacy with an older home and not a cookie cutter house in the newer developments I am seeing advertised all over real estate pages. Are there a particular areas that could be ideal to look to find a home?

I appreciate all feed back possible given :)


Alicia | Columbia, SC
Agree 246   Disagree 199  Thanks for Voting!   Report Abuse
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Eastern Montana is generally more conservative while western Montana leans liberal. The western portions of the state have a little bit milder climate that the east. Lots of snow but relatively little of the bitter winter temperatures the east is known for. Lot of recreation in all portions of the state. Even the east has many isolated mountain ranges with lots of recreational opportunities. Billings in the east is the largest city with about a 110K people, Great Falls in the middle with about 60K, Missoula in the west with about 75K people. These largest towns along with Kalispell, Helena, Bozeman will be the commercial centers for all of the smaller towns in the state for items you can't find locally. Generally, with a few exceptions, Montana is known as a "live and let live" place as long as you do not infringe on another rights.
kinzea | Miramonte, CA | Report Abuse

Helena and to a lesser extent Butte, you can live within walking/biking distance of several mountains to hike/bike. Missoula would be a distant 3rd unless you are in the exact right neighborhoods. Missoula has a trout stream right downtown. Bozeman, Butte, Helena all have blue ribbon fishing with 30 minutes drive. I'm a Helena native, so it gets my #1 vote. Butte #2 (cheaper housing, less traffic, but more crime). Bozeman/Billings tie for #3, Billings has more jobs, lower cost housing. Bozeman has more natural beauty, but expensive. Both have good airline connections. I personally like Great Falls - lower cost housing, but on the prairie. However only 60 minutes drive to hikes and fishing. Missoula is trying to be Bozeman, but is too gloomy and crowded - compared to Montana towns that is. Kalispell is in a great setting, but is also gloomy.
Tim | Helena Valley Southeast, MT | Report Abuse
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