Guidance on My Family’s Long Term Move

[Fever Buck]

Howdy y’all,

Background:

My wife and I live on the front range of Colorado but are originally from Georgia and we are not city people at all. My wife is more rural than I am and is in desperate need of owning a house with more than .1 acre (current house). We love being out west and will continue to live out here. We are looking at moving in the next few years and hope to finally settle down for good in whatever area we choose. We will be raising a young family. We would prefer to have access to :

- decent healthcare

- good year around access to outdoor activities (hunting, fishing, hiking, skiing, etc) (huge priority personally for me is the ability to have closer access to hunting)

- airport that we could fly to visit family in Colorado and Georgia

Need some pros/cons from y’all fine folks on some towns my family and I are considering. Also any other suggestions on areas I may not be considering is totally welcome.

The areas being considering (not in order of preference):

1) Area around Alpine and Afton WY - healthcare is a concern here as it seems that the only hospital in the area is in Jackson. I assume the hunting in this area is good but don’t have any personal experience and no state income tax is appealing. Tetons are also my wife’s favorite place she’s ever visited.

2) Coeur d’Alene - seems to have good amenities and beautiful water. Just have heard the hunting isn’t great in Northern ID. I’ve really enjoyed the few times I’ve been here.

3) Idaho Falls - never been but it seems to be more affordable than other areas considered but airport is pretty far away. Also have no idea about hunting access in this spot.

4) Bozeman - pretty dang expensive but good amenities. Good access to skiing and hiking, don’t know about hunting or fishing. I do worry about local angst against outsiders that move to Montana. I can deal with people being mean/rude to me but don’t want people to be ugly to my wife and kids.

5) Missoula - beautiful area but same worry about local angst.



Sorry for the long post but I’d love to have some perspective from people with similar hobbies that may be familiar with these areas or have other spots to consider.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Coeur d'Alene

 

[missjordan]

Missoula resident here- Bozeman and Missoula as you know have high cost of living. Healthcare is good but I’ve had difficulty in the past being able to get into good doctors without referrals because practices are closed. Or they’ll schedule you for exams 6 months out. That has been frustrating

Hunting around Missoula is ok. It’s better deer hunting than anything. Waterfowl hunting is close by. River is close or you can drive to the rez for waterfowl hunting. No sales tax either which is really my favorite. Property taxes for homeowners keep going up and up and up but i hear it’s the whole state. We have a serious homelessness issue in Missoula and i believe Bozeman does too. Missoula is a very liberal minded community

Missoula does have fantastic recreational activities. About 1 1/2 from the lake and there’s a lot of bodies of water to choose from. You can snowmobile, dirt bike, be in the mountains in general in 15 minutes. Missoula has lost its local flavor compared to what it was when i was growing up. Lots of corporate restaurants but there still is a fair amount of local places around too. It is a university town with a popular football team and everyone whoops it up for U of M football. Airport is not that far away either and has multiple carriers now that it used to.

If it was me I’d probably be more inclined to choose Idaho. It’s really hard to beat the CDA area in my opinion being right around several lakes. Idaho falls is nice too it’s more high desert and open spread. Either way I think you’ll end up traveling more than you think for hunting opportunities anyways than you give yourself credit for. Our elk area is 4-5 hours away and don’t blink an eye at driving that kind of distance. And lastly, there still is a fair amount of people that make the drive to Spokane to fly out because they’ve always been known for being the better value. If you are flying a lot this might be the most appealing.


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[Pony Soldier]

Couer d'Alene is expensive but there are smaller towns nearby. Unless you wish to bleed money you will likey have to look on the fringes.

 

[Packin_packout]

Alpine/afton area is priced like Boulder or SW side of longmont. You have to go to idaho falls to get anything more serious than simple casts. Have to know someone to get into a specialist in Jackson. Internet access is poor depending on your needs.

 

[Fever Buck]

Missoula resident here- Bozeman and Missoula as you know have high cost of living. Healthcare is good but I’ve had difficulty in the past being able to get into good doctors without referrals because practices are closed. Or they’ll schedule you for exams 6 months out. That has been frustrating

Hunting around Missoula is ok. It’s better deer hunting than anything. Waterfowl hunting is close by. River is close or you can drive to the rez for waterfowl hunting. No sales tax either which is really my favorite. Property taxes for homeowners keep going up and up and up but i hear it’s the whole state. We have a serious homelessness issue in Missoula and i believe Bozeman does too. Missoula is a very liberal minded community

Missoula does have fantastic recreational activities. About 1 1/2 from the lake and there’s a lot of bodies of water to choose from. You can snowmobile, dirt bike, be in the mountains in general in 15 minutes. Missoula has lost its local flavor compared to what it was when i was growing up. Lots of corporate restaurants but there still is a fair amount of local places around too. It is a university town with a popular football team and everyone whoops it up for U of M football. Airport is not that far away either and has multiple carriers now that it used to.

If it was me I’d probably be more inclined to choose Idaho. It’s really hard to beat the CDA area in my opinion being right around several lakes. Idaho falls is nice too it’s more high desert and open spread. Either way I think you’ll end up traveling more than you think for hunting opportunities anyways than you give yourself credit for. Our elk area is 4-5 hours away and don’t blink an eye at driving that kind of distance. And lastly, there still is a fair amount of people that make the drive to Spokane to fly out because they’ve always been known for being the better value. If you are flying a lot this might be the most appealing.


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Thanks for the insight, it’s greatly appreciated. Absolutely loved visiting Missoula back when I was younger. Bummer it’s losing its character. We are definitely starting to hone in on the CDA area. Seems to have the best mix of things we are looking for. Thanks again.

 

[Fever Buck]

Alpine/afton area is priced like Boulder or SW side of longmont. You have to go to idaho falls to get anything more serious than simple casts. Have to know someone to get into a specialist in Jackson. Internet access is poor depending on your needs.

That’s a bummer. Pretty much rules that out for me until our kids are out of the house or they build some new medical facilities in the area. Thanks for the info.

 

[Fever Buck]

Couer d'Alene is expensive but there are smaller towns nearby. Unless you wish to bleed money you will likey have to look on the fringes.

Would you mind sharing what fringe areas might be a good place to look?

 

[IDLassie]

What do you mean Idaho Falls no airport? They have a nice airport to get anywhere and one of the better hospitals on the east side of Idaho.
Cheap? No! It's been found and getting run over big time.

 

[Fever Buck]

What do you mean Idaho Falls no airport? They have a nice airport to get anywhere and one of the better hospitals on the east side of Idaho.
Cheap? No! It's been found and getting run over big time.

Interesting, for some reason I thought there wasn’t an airport. That makes it a better choice for sure. And I never said cheap. I said more affordable, which it is compared to the other cities listed. No where is cheap anymore.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I would seriously consider the Hauser Lake area in Idaho. Close to Coeur d'Alene and Spokane but still fairly rural. Or maybe a tad north of there around Blanchard. Spokane has a pretty decent airport now that they expanded to be able to get 737's in and out.

 

[packgoatguy]

One thing you will need to consider is how far from town you are willing to live. If a 40 minute commute to the doctor or airport is doable, there are lots of areas in Idaho that open up. If you need to be 10 minutes away... not so much. Areas like Idaho Falls service a number of rural communities surrounding it. Smaller communities like Rigby, Ririe, Shelley, are popular for folks moving into the area, as they offer a small town feel, but are still within a half hour or so from the amenities that IF offers. It wasn't on your list, but Pocatello is situated similarly, has an airport, Healthcare, a college, etc. Likewise twin falls and the Treasure Valley have been popular destinations of late. For the Treasure Valley, prices are high in the main areas like Boise, Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton, Emmett, but if you are willing to commute an hour or so, there are cheaper communities like Payette, Weiser, Mountain Home, Marsing, etc.

Expect to have to travel at least 2 hours to get into good elk hunting spots from most southern (eastern and western) Idaho communities that meet your criteria. There are plenty of guys living in the Boise area traveling 4 hours to hunt, and guys traveling from Idaho Falls traveling the same 4 hours to quality destinations. However, from both sides you could be hunting within an hours drive as well. If you want to be hunting out your back door, you likely will have to give up having a closeby airport or hospital.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

As you get older, you will need easy access to good healthcare. I know you mentioned it as being important on your list. I have friends who move from Northern San Diego county to Payson AZ. they found out in short order, Payson healthcare sucks. They love it there, but are always going down to Phoenix or up to Flagstaff, and have found Flagstaff to be iffy. Both have had health issues which could not be address in Payson. He is in late 70's she is mid 70's.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Colorado native here. Just some food for thought, and not trying to poke holes in any plans.
Have you factored in winter? Winter in Wyoming and northern Idaho can be brutal. Couer de lane is beautiful I was just up there fishing was awesome. Water was awesome. Not sure what winter looks like, but nothing like a front range Co winter I’m sure. Heck we barely have winters down here. If you are good with snow and Cold you should check out great falls. Pretty affordable, awesome hunting and fishing close by.

 

[DAOutfitters208]

I love Coeur d' Alene, but we moved here before the prices and interest rates shot up. I don't think we move here at the current prices, even in the outlying areas.
Hunting isn't bad, its pretty thick though. Fishing and winter activities are awesome. Lots of options for water recreation as well.

 

[Fever Buck]

I would seriously consider the Hauser Lake area in Idaho. Close to Coeur d'Alene and Spokane but still fairly rural. Or maybe a tad north of there around Blanchard. Spokane has a pretty decent airport now that they expanded to be able to get 737's in and out.

Thanks. Will check it out. Hope to get up there in the next year or so.

 

[Fever Buck]

I love Coeur d' Alene, but we moved here before the prices and interest rates shot up. I don't think we move here at the current prices, even in the outlying areas.
Hunting isn't bad, its pretty thick though. Fishing and winter activities are awesome. Lots of options for water recreation as well.

Yeah it’s a bummer how expensive everything has gotten but at some point I’ve gotta move. The housing market is a bit cheaper than where I’m at in Colorado so that’s nice.

 

[Fever Buck]

Colorado native here. Just some food for thought, and not trying to poke holes in any plans.
Have you factored in winter? Winter in Wyoming and northern Idaho can be brutal. Couer de lane is beautiful I was just up there fishing was awesome. Water was awesome. Not sure what winter looks like, but nothing like a front range Co winter I’m sure. Heck we barely have winters down here. If you are good with snow and Cold you should check out great falls. Pretty affordable, awesome hunting and fishing close by.

Thanks for the advice, no worries about poking holes. It’s a big move so definitely want people to get me thinking about everything. I’m actually good with a heavier winter. My wife and I have been pretty bummed by the lack of snow we get here on the FR. I’ll take a gander at Great Falls as well.

 

[Fever Buck]

As you get older, you will need easy access to good healthcare. I know you mentioned it as being important on your list. I have friends who move from Northern San Diego county to Payson AZ. they found out in short order, Payson healthcare sucks. They love it there, but are always going down to Phoenix or up to Flagstaff, and have found Flagstaff to be iffy. Both have had health issues which could not be address in Payson. He is in late 70's she is mid 70's.

Good to know. I’ll do some research on the spots we are looking at. Been very spoiled by the healthcare in Colorado.

 

[Fever Buck]

One thing you will need to consider is how far from town you are willing to live. If a 40 minute commute to the doctor or airport is doable, there are lots of areas in Idaho that open up. If you need to be 10 minutes away... not so much. Areas like Idaho Falls service a number of rural communities surrounding it. Smaller communities like Rigby, Ririe, Shelley, are popular for folks moving into the area, as they offer a small town feel, but are still within a half hour or so from the amenities that IF offers. It wasn't on your list, but Pocatello is situated similarly, has an airport, Healthcare, a college, etc. Likewise twin falls and the Treasure Valley have been popular destinations of late. For the Treasure Valley, prices are high in the main areas like Boise, Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton, Emmett, but if you are willing to commute an hour or so, there are cheaper communities like Payette, Weiser, Mountain Home, Marsing, etc.

Expect to have to travel at least 2 hours to get into good elk hunting spots from most southern (eastern and western) Idaho communities that meet your criteria. There are plenty of guys living in the Boise area traveling 4 hours to hunt, and guys traveling from Idaho Falls traveling the same 4 hours to quality destinations. However, from both sides you could be hunting within an hours drive as well. If you want to be hunting out your back door, you likely will have to give up having a closeby airport or hospital.

This is awesome info. Thanks so much.