Call me a bad Texan but I'm considering selling everything in a few years and moving to one of these states. Just wondering if anyone has lived there or does now and any advice you can throw my direction. Married, with two small boys 3&4 yrs we love the outdoors, Hunting, fishing etc and would like to live in a small town within 1 hr of a city with 20,000+ population. We are also both in the Health Care field, The Conservative views experienced in College Station would be ideal for me. Thanks for any input !!

[This message has been edited by AggielandPoultry (edited 11/5/2012 12:22a).]

Not in MT or ID but in SE Washington State in Walla Walla. Kind of sounds like you might like Dayton, WA which is a small town about 31 miles north east of Walla Walla. It has a population of about 2,500 compared to about 25,000 in Walla Walla and around 250,000 in the Tri-Cities, WA. The Tri-Cities are Richland, Kennewick and Pasco and are about 70 miles from Dayton. There are two hospitals in Walla Walla and three in the Tri-Cities.

Found a website that has some opinions about Dayton: http://www.city-data.com/forum/washington/12632-thinking-about-relocating-dayton-washington.html

I work with several people in Walla Walla who commute/van pool from Dayton. I live next door to Walla Walla in College Place, WA. I would definitely check where ever you want in both the summer and winter. Fifty miles around here makes quite a difference during those seasons; it's hot in the Tri-Cities and cooler in Walla Walla and Dayton in the summer. In the winter, it will be foggy here in Walla Walla and sunny in Dayton. I don't hunt or fish anymore but there are a lot of people around here who do. There is a small mountain range just east of Walla Walla and Dayton that runs north-south into Oregon known as the Blue Mountains. Lots of US Forest Service land, some BLM land and the outdoor recreation opportunities they present. There is a ski area outside of Dayton (Ski Bluewood) and my wife goes snowshoeing on Forest Service land just into Oregon in the winter. There are a lot of places for cross country skiing too. I've been up here since 1985, having left TX & College Station in 1975. I like it and would probably never move back to TX.

I live in Montana! I moved up here right after graduating and (sorry guys) have never looked back. I lived in Bozeman (about the same size as Bryan/CS) for a little while, then Billings (pop 100,000), and now live in Miles City (pop 8,000). If you are the outdoorsy type, there is plenty to do around here! If you're looking for a smaller town, I'd suggest start by looking at the Big Timber/Columbus area. They lie between Bozeman and Billings, so you'd have access to two of the biggest cities in the state, but still be in small towns. They're in the mountains, so you'll have lots of hunting/fishing/skiing opportunities around there. Also will be pretty conservative places, like most of the state. Missoula and Bozeman are probably the most liberal areas (the big college towns), but full of good people too. I'd also suggest looking at Lewistown, which is in the center of the state.

You really can't go wrong anywhere you go here! My one suggestion would be, if you've been in Texas all your life and never spent any time in the north during the winter, at least make a trip up here to make sure you don't despise the cold and snow. It was a pretty easy adjustment for me, but everyone ticks a little different!

Thank you both for your suggestions. Swan, I was wondering if you have ever visited Libby or Kalispell/Whitefish area? I have a friend that lives in the Sandpoint Idaho area that said if he ever moved that would be the area he moved to. Anyway, I have a few years ahead of me to save and then sell the farm, house etc. I will continue to research and then travel to the areas as I narrow my search down. Thanks again!

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and now live in Miles City

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That's where Gus died.

I lived in Bozeman for a summer. One of my favorite places.

Would love more info from anyone that is or had lived in Montana.

Anyone else ever spent much time in Montana or Idaho. Would love any info/advice!

I until just recently lived in Pendleton OR, which is about 50 miles from the aforementioned Walla Walla, WA. Lived in the region for about 10 years and lived in san Antonio, blanco (hill country) and Austin prior... Not sure exactly what you are looking for with being close to a city? and what kind of weather/ environment are you looking for (trees/forest or plains)? I'll start with the area I lived in and (pendleton/walla walla) and then expand from there.

Realistically that region is fairly similar to the south west Idaho area in many ways. Climate is very dry, most the area is fairly flat rolling hills of farm land, there is many many nearby mountain ranges, forests, rivers (huge and small) and some smaller lakes. There is some snow ski areas obviously, and lots of hunting (from bird/duck to elk). SE Washington/NE Oregon is a great area for outdoor activities, but lacking in any city environments... There is a (to be honest) pretty terrible "mall" in walla walla, next closest decent shopping area is Kennewick/richland/pasco WA (tricities) which is 60 miles west that has a bit of everything (originally based around the hanford nuclear plant). (walla walla has the somewhat infamous prison which employs a good percentage of the population there.

Weather has pretty much all the seasons in that region. It's actually considered high desert. Like I said, its very dry... About 25" of rainfall *annually*... Falls and springs are great, summers are generally warm with about three weeks of hot 100-110 temps. Cools down in the evening fairly quickly and since there is almost no hummidity the heat really is not that bad. Winters have been pretty inconsistent, sometimes you are seeing cold weather and snow as early as October or as late as May. Generally speaking though it is not a consistent slam of bad weather for any extended amount of time. Worse winter I could remember had about 2 feet of snow that stayed for a solid 2-3 weeks... Usually you will get a bit here and there with decent breaks inbetween... Worse part in the winter imho is the gray overcast that can/will stick overhead for weeks at a time (no sun for a month can be a drag).

Next point is just general for living this far north expect long days in the summer & very short days in the winter. This was one of the most surprising differences that you don't think about/expect. Sunsets after 9pm in the summer, and as early as 4pm in the winter (added in with overcast and it can make for very dreary grinds).

political climate is a little conservative, but still going to generally be more liberal than Texas. Both WA and OR are ran by the obviously more populated and extremely liberal coastal sides of the state. There's plenty of country boy and farmer types in the area though... And most the older generation is similar to the good ole boy types.

Gonna expand in next post, don't want to lose this all since im posting from my phone.



[This message has been edited by cooperjkk (edited 11/27/2012 7:09a).]

[This message has been edited by cooperjkk (edited 11/27/2012 7:21a).]

Moving south east from my area goes into the Boise area, climate is probably much of the same, maybe drier actually... The trip across to boise is a pretty barren area with the exclusion of some of the mountain ranges you cross, or come near.

Close to boise region is something I would personally recommend ... Boise is a largish metro area with an airport and most the other big city stuff... that might be too big for you though. Immediate area is pretty flat, not much for trees, but it isn't far from some great areas. I have a friend that moved his family to meridian which is honestly a suburb of boise and base this mostly on my trips to visit him and what he has told me. Politically it is.more conservative and the state itself is ran more.conservative. I feel the region is a little more similar to Texas and a good example of this boise is the one area where football and sports seemed to be of higher interest unlike most of the rest of the region (which honestly only follows the sport during rivalry week). This matters more in that the entire community cares about the sport at all levels, and it becomes a common tie that everyone shares and is involved with... Something that has been a little lacking in the areas I have previously lived. I may be mistaken,but for some reason I remember boise being having a pretty significant medical background for something?

Next area I feel a little less comfortable about recommending (based on familiarity) is the northern Idaho area near Spokane WA... Couere De'laen (butchered that I'm sure) might be more of what people picture when they think of the region. Right on the edge of more trees, more mountains, more snow, more lakes... But still in the plains for the most part. This area is pretty close to mizzoula mt and I assume the further east you go from spokane the more conservative it gets (in a hurry). Obviously spokane has the big city stuff, but is honestly a pretty un-appealing city. You are not far from Washington State univ in pullman which is probably the most conservative school in the pac, which doesn't really say much. Small college town, fairly large state univ (16k-23k roughly).

Unfortunately I am not familiar enough with either area to really point out a specfic location for you to look at/consider... Also if I had a better idea of what you were specifically looking for i could prbably help more. Beyond those two regions I've been through mizzoula and toured most the region, but generally just drove by without getting much of a feel for the area.

Any questions? And if you would like me to post some pictures of the region/my travels let me know?

[This message has been edited by cooperjkk (edited 11/27/2012 7:26a).]

I've lived in ND for the past 4 years and have made a few trips west to ski big sky (which I will be skiing again next month on my way moving out to Cali) and red lodge. I would suggest staying away from eastern montana Western MT is really nice. My girlfriend is from Havre and just spent Thanksgiving over there. Small town of ~ 10,000 where everyone knows everyone. From what I understand, if you want to live in a conservative setting, you might want to avoid Missoula

[This message has been edited by Jock 07 (edited 11/27/2012 3:16p).]

Thank you all for the information!

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We are also both in the Health Care field

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Have you looked in Missoula? I didn't see it mentioned above (some long responses). You might try there because of the university... Really nice town.

As for the politics, that region is somewhere in between Seattle and College Station.

Remember that there's a BIG difference in visiting during peak tourism season and living there... As a native northwesterner, if I could choose, I'd go with:

Missoula
Bozeman
Helena
Coeur d'Alene

I'd avoid:

Billings
Great Falls
Boise...and the rest of Idaho, unless you're the type who feels at home in Arkansas. Sun Valley is gorgeous, but it's a resort town like a smaller version of Vail, CO or Jackson, WY where the common folk are treated as 2nd class.

JMO...

As a proud Texian, I too would move to Montana in a heartbeat if the opportunity arose. Spent a lot of time in Bozeman. Great town, but the Californians are driving up the price of living.

Moved to northern Utah last March after spending the previous 55 years in Texas. Moved for the climate and outdoor activities. Much more conservative than Texas politically and culturally. It's been a big adjustment but has been a great move for us. Weather is great, people are great, hunting and fishing are great. My wife and I also work in the healthcare field. Feel free to pm if you have questions or want to visit.

"if you aren't a liberal at 20, you have no heart; if you aren't a conservative at 40, you have no brain."
-Winston Churchill

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Moved to northern Utah last March after spending the previous 55 years in Texas. Moved for the climate and outdoor activities. Much more conservative than Texas politically and culturally. It's been a big adjustment but has been a great move for us. Weather is great, people are great,






hunting and fishing are great. My wife and I also work in the healthcare field. Feel free to pm if you have questions or want to visit.

"if you aren't a liberal at 20, you have no heart; if you aren't a conservative at 40, you have no brain."
-Winston Churchill

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Where in Utah? We just moved to north Ogden last year after 5 years in Houston and am not missing it other than Aggie football of course. I can see snowbirding to bcs for fall/spring when we get closer to retirement and spend summers back here in ros kids/ northwest. To original poster, I have family up in Hayden lake /cooerder lane Idaho area and would not hesitate moving my family there in a heartbeat

[This message has been edited by jsc8116 (edited 12/9/2012 10:36p).]

Just north of Sandpoint, there are towns that minorities literally can't stop in. Cd'A/Standpoint/Pend Oreille is cool, lots of parks and big lakes, and Schweitzer ski resort, but there are parts of the panhandle that are full of hillbillies straight out of Deliverance. In Spokane, you can smell the meth cookin' when the wind is blowing from the east.

jsc8116

Logan. We're practically neighbors!

Pierce County Ag said:

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Just north of Sandpoint, there are towns that minorities literally can't stop in. Cd'A/Standpoint/Pend Oreille is cool, lots of parks and big lakes, and Schweitzer ski resort, but there are parts of the panhandle that are full of hillbillies straight out of Deliverance. In Spokane, you can smell the meth cookin' when the wind is blowing from the east.

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Sounds like the great N.W has some potential.. As for meth can't be much worse that East Tx already is.

The meth is pretty bad up here. Really bad actually, and it goes in cycles. Depends on whether or not DAs are willing to actually send people to prison, or if they suspend sentences. But thats a matter for a different day.

Most of the meth problem is east of Billings. I'm pretty much smack dab between Billings and Bismarck on the interstate.

Pierce County Ag said:

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Quote:

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We are also both in the Health Care field

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Have you looked in Missoula? I didn't see it mentioned above (some long responses). You might try there because of the university... Really nice town.

As for the politics, that region is somewhere in between Seattle and College Station.

Remember that there's a BIG difference in visiting during peak tourism season and living there... As a native northwesterner, if I could choose, I'd go with:

Missoula
Bozeman THESE ARE VERY LIBERAL CITIES
Helena
Coeur d'Alene

I'd avoid:

Billings THESE ARE PRETTY CONSERVATIVE CITITES (Billings also has a
Great Falls health field, as its the largest city in the state)
Boise...and the rest of Idaho, unless you're the type who feels at home in Arkansas. Sun Valley is gorgeous, but it's a resort town like a smaller version of Vail, CO or Jackson, WY where the common folk are treated as 2nd class.

JMO...

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Pierce County Ag said:

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Quote:

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We are also both in the Health Care field

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Have you looked in Missoula? I didn't see it mentioned above (some long responses). You might try there because of the university... Really nice town.

As for the politics, that region is somewhere in between Seattle and College Station.

Remember that there's a BIG difference in visiting during peak tourism season and living there... As a native northwesterner, if I could choose, I'd go with:

Missoula
Bozeman
Helena
Coeur d'Alene

I'd avoid:

Billings
Great Falls
Boise...and the rest of Idaho, unless you're the type who feels at home in Arkansas. Sun Valley is gorgeous, but it's a resort town like a smaller version of Vail, CO or Jackson, WY where the common folk are treated as 2nd class.

JMO...

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And:

Quote:

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Just north of Sandpoint, there are towns that minorities literally can't stop in. Cd'A/Standpoint/Pend Oreille is cool, lots of parks and big lakes, and Schweitzer ski resort, but there are parts of the panhandle that are full of hillbillies straight out of Deliverance. In Spokane, you can smell the meth cookin' when the wind is blowing from the east.

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I just saw this thread. I've lived in the NW (Boise area for the past 28 years) so I will chime in for what it is worth.

First of all as several have mentioned both Missoula and Bozeman are really nice places to live. Bozeman has become so popular some people refer to it as the New Boulder. And real estate prices have shot up accordingly. If you can afford to live there it would be awesome though.

Spokane/Northern Idaho: Folks in the area and even as far away as Seattle refer to Spokane as "SpoCompton." A bit of an exaggeration for sure but I have been there a few times and it is not that appealing of a city. It is a big health care center for the inland NW though. Northern Idaho is a beautiful area that has been infested with weirdos. Some are home grown and some have moved there. Think of the most BSC tin foil hat wearing politics board poster and imagine an area populated with that attitude. There are normal people there as well, but lets just say that the state legislators that are elected from that area are always good for laughs during the legislative session.

Boise area/rest of Idaho. Pierce County Ag is wrong about the Boise area but spot on about rural Idaho. The Boise metro area is about 600K +. There is a decent sized high tech industry there as well as two major hospitals. Few to no hillbillies. It is a very vibrant small metro area with a cool downtown area that you can actually walk around at night and not get mugged...unlike SpoCompton. If you are looking for a smaller town, Boise may be too big for you though.

AggielandPoultry, good luck on your decision, there is a lot of good advice on this thread that I won't add to as the posters know those areas better than I do. I will attest that the NW U.S. is a great place to live with a wide variety of topography, climate, both physical and political and full of mostly good people. I love Texas, but I could never live there after living here.

EDIT: I realized that I am probably a bit jaded about the Spokane/Northern Idaho area. Both areas are fine it is really what you make of it. And while I can joke about the crime rate of Spokane, I am sure it is probably much lower than the crime rate in Houston or Dallas. In terms of N. Idaho, there are some political extremists, but like is typically the case, a lot of folks including myself paint that area with a very broad brush. It is a beautiful area and like anywhere you can find nice decent people there also.

AggielandPoultry said:

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Thank you both for your suggestions. Swan, I was wondering if you have ever visited Libby or Kalispell/Whitefish area? I have a friend that lives in the Sandpoint Idaho area that said if he ever moved that would be the area he moved to. Anyway, I have a few years ahead of me to save and then sell the farm, house etc. I will continue to research and then travel to the areas as I narrow my search down. Thanks again!

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I have a friend that retired (OK semi-retired) a couple of years ago and moved to Whitefish, MT from Seattle. He does some consulting on the side to make some money. He loves the area. I have only visited there a few times but never have lived there. It is a very beautiful area. If you can live there I think you would like it based on your criteria.

I don't know your economic status but one thing about the small towns up in this area of the country is that a lot of times there are not very many jobs and certainly not many good paying jobs. So it is either "bring your own money", live in a medium or larger sized city that has some economic opportunity, or adjust your standard of living downward. You mention that you are in health care, that might help as any town of any size has some health care jobs.

EDIT: To add that the Libby area, while very beautiful is also a Superfund site due to asbestos mining in the area. So you might want to look into how that is going before considering Libby.

IDAGG said:

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I don't know your economic status but one thing about the small towns up in this area of the country is that a lot of times there are not very many jobs and certainly not many good paying jobs. So it is either "bring your own money", live in a medium or larger sized city that has some economic opportunity, or adjust your standard of living downward. You mention that you are in health care, that might help as any town of any size has some health care jobs.

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This is very true. Bozeman, Butte (to an extent), Helena, Missoula, Kalispell/Whitefish will all be VERY expensive to live in. The cost of housing in those areas is extremely high, and the cost of living is far greater than that of Texas. This is how I always phrase it- I pay almost $5 for a gallon of milk. 80/20 ground beef is near $6/lb.

Billings will be quite a bit cheaper, and actually has quite a bit going for it in the health field (3 hospitals, and 2 of them are HUGE complexes). Great Falls is also cheaper to live in, but will put you farther into western Montana (about 1-2 hours north of Helena, and a few hours from Glacier). It also has the Air Force Base, so there is always a decent economy there. While neither of these places are the prettiest parts of Montana, they are far more economical and practical for someone falling in the middle class to live in, while allowing for easy access to all the things people think of when they think "Montana".

Both are within 2 hours of skiing, lakes are nearby, national parks are fairly easy to access, Billings is the cheapest to fly out of in the state, BLM and BMA areas area always nearby for hunting, and both have a river running through them (Billings has the Yellowstone, Great Falls has the Missouri).

As previously state, Lewistown is a great place to look. Smaller town, but falls pretty much right in the middle of the state. I dont know about their housing costs, but their cost of living will be elevated from Billings and Great Falls.

While most small towns here always have a need for health care professionals, I would not recommend it. the turnover rate is astronomical, and the facilities are poorly run.

I live in Glendive. I would not suggest living here.

NM

Bump.

Anyone every lived in Helena?

I can give general info on the state, but not specific to Helena.

I can say that while it is the state capital, it is not what most people would really call a city. It's pretty small.

histag10 said:

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I can give general info on the state, but not specific to Helena.

I can say that while it is the state capital, it is not what most people would really call a city. It's pretty small.

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That's what I understand. Sounds pretty similar to my hometown. Have an interview up there in a little over a week.

rather be fishing said:

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histag10 said:

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I can give general info on the state, but not specific to Helena.

I can say that while it is the state capital, it is not what most people would really call a city. It's pretty small.

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That's what I understand. Sounds pretty similar to my hometown. Have an interview up there in a little over a week.

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Well, if nothing else, enjoy it. That area is beautiful. Are you flying into Helena?

Yes.

We spend a lot of time in Whitefish and love it. I have met other Ags and Texans there. Good people and a great town.

I'm moving outside of Missoula the first of May. I will be the General Manager of the Blue Damsel Lodge on Rock Creek near Clinton. I would like to hear from any Aggies in SW Montana.

histag10 said:

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I live in Glendive. I would not suggest living here.

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Histag, I roadtripped through MT last summer and drove right by your town. In the eastern part of the state, made stops in both Hysham and Wibaux. Ate at this brewery in Wibaux; can't remember the name, but the food was great.

Had previously spent a few days in Kalispell. Definitely enjoyed the western part of the state, but also thought the eastern part of the state was uniquely charming (probably because I didn't run across any meth heads).

After passing through the badlands and visiting Elkhorn Ranch, ND got boring real fast. Thoroughly enjoyed my visit to MT. Probably wouldn't revisit ND unless it was for the badlands.

BlueDeviledAg said:

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histag10 said:

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I live in Glendive. I would not suggest living here.

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Histag, I roadtripped through MT last summer and drove right by your town. In the eastern part of the state, made stops in both Hysham and Wibaux. Ate at this brewery in Wibaux; can't remember the name, but the food was great.

Had previously spent a few days in Kalispell. Definitely enjoyed the western part of the state, but also thought the eastern part of the state was uniquely charming (probably because I didn't run across any meth heads).

After passing through the badlands and visiting Elkhorn Ranch, ND got boring real fast. Thoroughly enjoyed my visit to MT. Probably wouldn't revisit ND unless it was for the badlands.

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Beavercreek Brewery. The food is pretty decent, and the beer isnt bad at all. There is a new brewery in Glendive as well (Cross Country Brewing).

If you ever are in that part again and enjoy antiques/odd stores, there is a little antique store maybe 10 miles from Hysham down some backroad. We randomly found it while driving around.

So, to make your trip to ND seem even worse, the badlands are in South Dakota, not North Dakota.

Though Roosevelt NP is a really pretty area in ND, and Medora is a really neat little town.


Edit to add that I no longer live in Montana. We moved back to Texas in September. College Station to be exact.

87Flyfisher said:

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I'm moving outside of Missoula the first of May. I will be the General Manager of the Blue Damsel Lodge on Rock Creek near Clinton. I would like to hear from any Aggies in SW Montana.

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There is a SW Montana A&M Club. Here is the club's page : https://www.aggienetwork.com/club-page/swemt/