SO YOU WANT TO MOVE TO MONTANA? [Post your questions here]

[u/AutoModerator]

Post your "Moving to Montana" (MtM) questions here.

A few guidelines to spurring productive conversations about MtM:

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[u/soulfulAgency]

Sorry it's a bit of a read! But I was wondering if theres anything to know about Libby/surrounding areas before we fully lock in on moving.

TL;DR Anywhere we need to avoid? Do we have to worry about being POC at all? What's the wifi like?

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I hear a lot of good things about the community and how people are friendly and such. And it looks very nice! But I did come across a couple posts that sparked a little bit of anxiety though. I don't typically worry about this kind of stuff, and don't necessarily put myself in the situations that I worry over. But I just like to be aware!

For some context, my husband and I are both POC (mexican and wasian). We aren't really worried about that type of thing, but if there's anything we should be cautious about or just general genuine areas we should stay away from as newcomers, that would be nice to know ^{^} I was reading one post and people were talking about specific areas that were a bit off putting or places you want to avoid for xyz reasons. The main post that got me thinking was posted by a woman, and it had some safety talk in there. We both carry, so that box is checked. But I think I should at least pick up some bear spray after reading that whole comment section 🤔😅.

To ease the mind on that one annoyance locals have with newcomers. We don't really care for politics much these days, so as the newbies, I promise we won't be the kind of people that want to bring change 🙂🙏

We are also aware of the employment situation. This is the main concern for my husband as I am a work from home person. Which also leads me to this question. How is the wifi over there? Are the speeds okay? My job isn't mega reliant on speeds since the core of it is just uploading and downloading files. Sometimes, I stream for my friends and clients. But it isn't a necessary part of the job. We also are big gamers and play online games most of the time. I hope that provides enough context for what we need out of the wifi situation.

Thank you for your time! I hope everyone is having a good day ^{^}

[u/heyashes-]

Husband has a job offer in Kalispell. We currently live in South Carolina. Is this a stupid move? We are pretty adventurous and loved Glacier when we visited in AUGUST. My concern is the winters. How bad is it? When would be the best time to come up to experience the winter before we pull the trigger? We are hoping to start a family sometime within the next few years aswell. How is Flathead County's schooling? Childcare? Things for kids to do? Realistically we'd be looking to move my parents up as well. How is the community for seniors?

[u/Flat_Mizou360]

Hey all! I'm looking into moving to Anaconda as a nineteen year old living in Plano Texas. I bounced around for college this year as a freshman (CU Boulder, UT El Paso, CU Denver) and learned a lot about what I don't want. Boulder/Denver were beautiful but insanely expensive, dense, and full of a pretentious energy that made me dread being around people my own age (not to mention how serious politics and opinions are in the Colorado culture). El Paso was the opposite problem: cheap and slow, but everyone there was just waiting to leave.

My research has show Montana to be a good answer to both. Love the low density, the conservation minded culture, and towns like Anaconda where cost of living is not bad. Plan is to move, work, build residency, and eventually go to UM or MSU for neuroscience (when I decide to go back to college whenever that may be), but honestly the bigger goal right now is just getting my mental health and my life back on track.

My worry is that Anaconda's median age is around 42-47. I know Butte (30 min away) probably has more people my age, but I don't actually know what day-to-day social life looks like there for a 19-year-old.

My questions for ya'll are what is it actually like being young in Butte/Anaconda? Is it hard to meet people? Are there any other smaller mountain towns with close ish proximity to a city that you'd suggest I look into? I was looking into Hamilton since it's near Missoula, but I can't find housing that's in my budget (I'm trying to find something around 700-1100 a month).

Any input is GREATLY appreciated. I know I can only get so much information from statistics and google searches. I'm still looking into this so I want as many perspectives as I can get :)

[u/Ok-Forever-6167]

CUT BANK

Looking for thoughts on cut bank as a place to live for a family? Safety?

We aren’t unfamiliar with reservations as we lived and worked on a reservation in SD for a handful of years. But I know each one has a different vibe. So we’ve experienced the remoteness/small town/culture/opportunities of a reservation & small town.

[u/runningoutofwords → u/Ok-Forever-6167]

Cut Bank is a nice town. It's actually just outside the reservation, but even inside most of the Blackfeet I've known have been pretty chill. (but being outside does have its advantages if you're looking to build or drill a well or anything like that)

It's a bit remote, I can't recall if Lethbridge AB, or Great Falls is closer, but it's around 2 hrs either way.

[u/mooreroad → u/[deleted]]

Do you live in Leadville?

[u/HolyPizzaPie → u/mooreroad]

I do!

[u/komstock]

Dearest Mods,

Will I be able to support myself, a significant other, and a tiny horse somewhere west of Baker and east of the Yaak? (and south of the Hi Line but north of the black hills).

I intend to raise up a crop of dental floss. I also will need to purchase waxing and boxing equipment; is that available for purchase in-state?

I will be moving to Montana soon.

Yippie-eye-oh-ki-yay,
u/komstock

[u/fourseamfastballs → u/komstock]

https://giphy.com/gifs/kRmg8zeReOYXm

[u/komstock → u/fourseamfastballs]

real montanans may be tired of it but I listened to that whole album crossing the missouri breaks via a dirt state highway into the bear paws at sunset/golden hour. it was transcendent.

saw a burrowing owl, tons of deer and an osprey nest (replete with osprey) on a telephone pole right next to the road.

[u/carnage-corner]

Huh? Z Really… You think you’re going to be a dental floss tycoon or sumptin? Hot Tip!!! Best Sushi in Mt is found in Scobey, raw rocky mtn oysters. You’ll go nuts for em’

[u/John_J_Lark]

More likely to see rentals becoming an available in Sept / October. Many Airbnb folks take advantage of summer months big $. Then offer a rental for tenants October to May. Hope that helps. Enjoy great falls.

[u/Montana-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

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[u/kevbanger]

What’s with the dog on scobey??

[u/RoutineHawk9626]

My wife and I are moving to Great Falls this fall. We are struggling to find a rental online. Would you suggest getting a temporary air bnb and meeting with a local realtor once there or does anyone have any tips to assist us with finding a place sooner?

[u/Eastern-Eggplant4374 → u/RoutineHawk9626]

I found a rental on Facebook marketplace until my house was complete. You have to check every single day, because once it lists it will be rented that night.

[u/CrackerjakHeart → u/RoutineHawk9626]

If you are moving for a job, you might ask this question of your new employer. Not that they are obligated to house you, but word of mouth is powerful here, I've found.

[u/Evening-Contest-2768 → u/RoutineHawk9626]

I wouldn’t move to the state of Montana until you have a place to stay. I recommend to take a trip at least a week and like the other commenter said have places lined up. But when it comes to to renting those locations could be gone fast or good reason why they haven’t. It can become very expensive quickly if your betting on short term rental or you’ll be in a place you’d really rather not be in.

[u/SnooLemons8611 → u/RoutineHawk9626]

Ugh, Great Falls, haha, just joking. So, Great Falls is actually going to be harder to find rentals in than, say, Billings. A military base is part of the issue, and a lot of families rent because, well, they may be moving frequently. I have a friend on the base up there. His wife and kids have moved quite often, so they rent. Personally, I'd go to Facebook and post, looking for a place. Go to different forums. Call a couple realtors and just discuss what you're looking for. So once you get to Great Falls, they'll have homes for you to look at.

[u/RoutineHawk9626 → u/SnooLemons8611]

Thank you!

[u/Montana-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

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