Moving to Montana

[cofen380]

I have lived in Helena, Butte, Dillon, and Conrad. What would you like to know about any of those or the surrounding areas. Are you looking hunting/fishing/ outdoor things? Each of those areas have different animals/ rivers/ lakes that make them special.

Definitely looking for more big game hunting like elk and mule deer than I am fishing. The outdoor culture for hunting/fishing and hiking is certainly a big part of wanting to move. I just didn't want to this to turn into one of those "hey everybody tell me where the best hunting in Montana is" kind of posts if you get what I'm saying.

Conrad was a pretty cool little town, I just don't know that we could make it work with how far away it is from teaching and speech therapy jobs that pay decent. Dillon might be a similar situation for us as well. I've started to consider Anaconda, though, as it's only thirty minutes from Butte.

As far as Butte goes, we don't have any kids, but there's the possibility of having children while we're there. Would you have any hesitations raising a family in Butte? How would you compare the culture of Helena and Butte?

As a hunter, did you have long drives to access public land for fishing and hunting in those towns?

Last question, do you have much experience with the public school system in Montana. If so, what was your experience?

Thanks so much.

 

[Pony Soldier]

My kids went to school in Butte and my grandkids are going to school in Butte. A very family oriented town - just indipendant minds. Not likely to fall into anyones dictated orders. Many families are multiple generations with strong ties to their ethnic origins. Truely international history and flavor. It can take a while to adjust to who to ask to about things. Anaconda is similar. A lot of interaction between the two towns.

Mt Tech has had a work hard and play hard type attitude. Don't know so much now since I retired. I went to MSU ,U of M as well as Mt Tech and others. Tech was the better in Montana but they seem to be having Admin problems now.

 

[cofen380]

My kids went to school in Butte and my grandkids are going to school in Butte. A very family oriented town - just indipendant minds. Not likely to fall into anyones dictated orders. Many families are multiple generations with strong ties to their ethnic origins. Truely international history and flavor. It can take a while to adjust to who to ask to about things. Anaconda is similar. A lot of interaction between the two towns.

Mt Tech has had a work hard and play hard type attitude. Don't know so much now since I retired. I went to MSU ,U of M as well as Mt Tech and others. Tech was the better in Montana but they seem to be having Admin problems now.

That all makes sense to me. How you've described Butte is pretty similar to what I've heard other people say. While living in Butte or Helena, were roads during the winter much of an issue for you or your family?

 

[HuntingJudge]

Definitely looking for more big game hunting like elk and mule deer than I am fishing. The outdoor culture for hunting/fishing and hiking is certainly a big part of wanting to move. I just didn't want to this to turn into one of those "hey everybody tell me where the best hunting in Montana is" kind of posts if you get what I'm saying.

Conrad was a pretty cool little town, I just don't know that we could make it work with how far away it is from teaching and speech therapy jobs that pay decent. Dillon might be a similar situation for us as well. I've started to consider Anaconda, though, as it's only thirty minutes from Butte.

As far as Butte goes, we don't have any kids, but there's the possibility of having children while we're there. Would you have any hesitations raising a family in Butte? How would you compare the culture of Helena and Butte?

As a hunter, did you have long drives to access public land for fishing and hunting in those towns?

Last question, do you have much experience with the public school system in Montana. If so, what was your experience?

Thanks so much.

I grew up in Butte, Honestly, I would not hesitate moving back there. There are certain sections of Butte I probably wouldn't want to live in with a young family, but that's normal for any town of that size of bigger. Butte has much more of a "people helping others out" than Helena does for culture, the people of Butte are proud of where they come from and where they live. Helena is more of a "classy" place than Butte is but I find the People of Butte friendlier. Dillon was fine, went to college there and lived a few years after college. I raised my little ones until there were about 6 or so there. I would not Move back to Dillon, if you take out the college kids that make up a huge population of that town there is a big split between wealth and not so much there. It seems like it would be tough going back there as a middle class type of family and really making it.

I cant say anything good about Anaconda because well I am from Butte...

Public School systems... Well I tend to have my battles with them... I just had a kid graduate, and one who is a Junior. One thing I might look at if I was going to pick a town again to live in is the Class I would want my kids growing up in Butte is AA, Dillon A, Anaconda is a B school. I really enjoy the size of the B schools for my kids

Dillon Probably has the best outdoor activities around it when it comes to Hunting and Fishing.
Then Helena then Butte, But they are not that far apart and each has it own thing. Like Dillon has a variety of things to hunt and fish, Butte was always good to me Elk hunting, and so was Helena. Neither Butte or Helena was really great to me for Deer hunting. One thing you will learn is that its not uncommon to travel to get to the type of hunting you want. couple hours here and there are not really a issue for most hunters in this state.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I'm slow playing a potential property purchase in MT or WY. I've looked into MT more, and the area I am pretty settled on is Augusta- Great Falls. I had phenomenal experiences with the people in Great Falls during our hunt in '21, and they reminded me of the "Iowa Nice" I'm accustomed to in Western, IA.

Augusta is close to the Bob, Glacier, etc... to the West, and the better upland bird hunting of west central and central MT. Its also far enough away from the landing of the California exodus to keep some of that thinking at bay. There is a reservoir for fishing outside of Augusta as well.

I'd looked at Townsend area closely and it looked good, but I agree with the natives on here that it's going to be subject to sprawl soon enough.

SW MT is spectacular, but receives some of the largest amounts of snow and cold in the country.

Because of the influx of wealth and left-leaning influence in MT, I've actually started looking at WY more closely. However, WY is also very expensive in the areas I'm interested in- Buffalo, Sheridan, Gillette, area...

 

[Pony Soldier]

Travel on I-15 is usually good but on certain storm the Boulder hill can be a bugger.

Most of the time Elk Park is fine but some of the spring snow storms can make keeping track of the highway a challenge. As one of of the old timers said when I moved back, he had seen the wind blowing from five directions on night coming home. I said how do you get five. He said at the south end it was blowing north. Shortly after it was blowing hard from the east. In the middle it was a very strong from the west and at the north end it was blowing south. I said but what about the fifth? He said some place in the middle it was blowing straight up.

A lot of that area you should carry extra heavy clothes in the car. If you break down in a storm you may experience many of the winter scenes from the movie "Dr Zhivago".

 

[ianpadron]

As little knowledge as I have, I would be inclined to agree with you. It seems like what's already happened in Bozeman is happening in a lot of other places. When you say your Helena office, is that an office of a brokerage or agency that you work for? I would PM you but I think I need a few more posts from what I can tell.

Yes sir, I'll shoot ya a PM.

 

[Mlkman55]

Over the course of the past couple years my wife and I have talked about moving from NC to MT. We just got back from a trip there and we've solidified our decision to move there during the summer of 2025. I could go on and on about why we want to move, but I'm sure anyone can guess at least several of the reasons; we're not much different than anyone else. I will add that we certainly don't have rose colored glasses when it comes to how we view the state. We know MT has it's own issues, and talking with her family that have been there for several generations has given us a lot of insight. For reference, my wife and her whole family are originally from Lewistown and Conrad, and her and her parents moved to NC when she was in 5th grade. At this point we've visited Kalispell/Whitefish, Lewistown, Conrad, Missoula, Bozeman, Helena, Boulder and a couple other small towns. I'm 26 years old and currently teaching K-8 PE and am about to start pursuing my masters in K-12 Health and Phys Ed. My wife is 25 and is practicing speech therapy for a private company and contracts through our local schools. Being from NC, we're limited on how often we can go and visit areas that we're interested in. Fortunately, she still has family in Lewistown and Helena, so we at least have some connections there. So far Helena and the surrounding area check off the most boxes in terms of job availability, housing prices, distance to groceries, gyms, churches, etc, and the landscape we want (really not interested in Eastern MT). We're open to other areas, but probably not Missoula or right in Bozeman due to housing. I would love to hear from anyone that has experience living in or around these areas and what they liked/didn't like. Since we weren't able to visit Butte, I'm really interested in hearing about that area as well. Mixed reviews from what I've read. I hope I gave enough info about us to give an idea of what we're wanting to do, but please feel free to ask clarifying questions. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read and reply, it means the world.

 

[cofen380]

My kids went to school in Butte and my grandkids are going to school in Butte. A very family oriented town - just indipendant minds. Not likely to fall into anyones dictated orders. Many families are multiple generations with strong ties to their ethnic origins. Truely international history and flavor. It can take a while to adjust to who to ask to about things. Anaconda is similar. A lot of interaction between the two towns.

Mt Tech has had a work hard and play hard type attitude. Don't know so much now since I retired. I went to MSU ,U of M as well as Mt Tech and others. Tech was the better in Montana but they seem to be having Admin problems now.

Well that's encouraging to hear. Thank you again for taking the time to reply, it's super helpful for us!

 

[cofen380]

I'm slow playing a potential property purchase in MT or WY. I've looked into MT more, and the area I am pretty settled on is Augusta- Great Falls. I had phenomenal experiences with the people in Great Falls during our hunt in '21, and they reminded me of the "Iowa Nice" I'm accustomed to in Western, IA.

Augusta is close to the Bob, Glacier, etc... to the West, and the better upland bird hunting of west central and central MT. Its also far enough away from the landing of the California exodus to keep some of that thinking at bay. There is a reservoir for fishing outside of Augusta as well.

I'd looked at Townsend area closely and it looked good, but I agree with the natives on here that it's going to be subject to sprawl soon enough.

SW MT is spectacular, but receives some of the largest amounts of snow and cold in the country.

Because of the influx of wealth and left-leaning influence in MT, I've actually started looking at WY more closely. However, WY is also very expensive in the areas I'm interested in- Buffalo, Sheridan, Gillette, area...

That's great info, thank you. We've considered Wyoming as well, it's just hard to be committed when we haven't been there and don't have any connections there either. Definitely still expensive in a lot of those cities too. Augusta is certainly small by any standards. Do you feel like Great Falls has all of the amenities that you would need?

 

[TaperPin]

That's great info, thank you. We've considered Wyoming as well, it's just hard to be committed when we haven't been there and don't have any connections there either. Definitely still expensive in a lot of those cities too. Augusta is certainly small by any standards. Do you feel like Great Falls has all of the amenities that you would need?

Cody Wy is as nice as it gets. It reminds me of nw Wy 30-40 years ago. Away from Jackson and those crowds, short distance from great fishing and hunting. Prices everywhere nice are going up quick.

 

[cofen380]

Cody Wy is as nice as it gets. It reminds me of nw Wy 30-40 years ago. Away from Jackson and those crowds, short distance from great fishing and hunting. Prices everywhere nice are going up quick.

No doubt about that


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[jjohnsonElknewbie]

That's great info, thank you. We've considered Wyoming as well, it's just hard to be committed when we haven't been there and don't have any connections there either. Definitely still expensive in a lot of those cities too. Augusta is certainly small by any standards. Do you feel like Great Falls has all of the amenities that you would need?

For context, we live in the middle of nowhere in Iowa right now. Our nearest neighbor is a mile away, and we're the only acreage on our section. It's 30 minutes to the nearest significant town of around 8k people. It's 75 miles to Des Moines which is around 750k. The little town we live nearest is 4 miles away with around 1k people. So for us, key priorities include solitude, good fences, and neighbors at arm's length.

Augusta is a quiet little town on the front range of the mountains. Great Falls is an hour to the east and has all the amenities most folks need- international airport, hospital system, walmart, car dealerships, farm stores, restaurants, hotels, etc... The population is around 60k which is pretty common in my experience for the mid-sized cities out west. Very similar to Gillette, Casper, Cheyenne, Butte, and Helena. Bozeman and Missoula are both in the 50k range now, but they've seen explosive growth in the last 10 years.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Cody Wy is as nice as it gets. It reminds me of nw Wy 30-40 years ago. Away from Jackson and those crowds, short distance from great fishing and hunting. Prices everywhere nice are going up quick.

Agree and the Buffalo Bill Museum is freaking sweet and the NRA firearms museum is in Cody as well. It's also situated such that it's not easy or convenient to get to for most folks, with the park between it and Jackson. However, being on the east gate of the park, the tourist traffic is worth mentioning.

If it matters to you, there are a shit ton of grizzlies in this area as well and they're expanding their range.

 

[cofen380]

For context, we live in the middle of nowhere in Iowa right now. Our nearest neighbor is a mile away, and we're the only acreage on our section. It's 30 minutes to the nearest significant town of around 8k people. It's 75 miles to Des Moines which is around 750k. The little town we live nearest is 4 miles away with around 1k people. So for us, key priorities include solitude, good fences, and neighbors at arm's length.

Augusta is a quiet little town on the front range of the mountains. Great Falls is an hour to the east and has all the amenities most folks need- international airport, hospital system, walmart, car dealerships, farm stores, restaurants, hotels, etc... The population is around 60k which is pretty common in my experience for the mid-sized cities out west. Very similar to Gillette, Casper, Cheyenne, Butte, and Helena. Bozeman and Missoula are both in the 50k range now, but they've seen explosive growth in the last 10 years.

Yeah I'm not sure why, but I was under the impression that Great Falls was a lot smaller than that. It just hasn't been on my radar since I've been so focused on the Helena/Butte area of the state. We should probably be considering it. Sort of a random question, but what do you do for work? Do you have any kind of commute, and if so, has that been any sort of a barrier for you living that rurally?

 

[mtnbiker208]

I cant say anything good about Anaconda because well I am from Butte...

So did you meet the anaconda boys in the fairmont parking lot to fight , when you where in high school?


Idaho boy here, not a montanan. As far as recreation goes, butte is awesome. That big pit has made it's mark, that is for sure. From a mountain bikers perspective, butte is hard to beat.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Yeah I'm not sure why, but I was under the impression that Great Falls was a lot smaller than that. It just hasn't been on my radar since I've been so focused on the Helena/Butte area of the state. We should probably be considering it. Sort of a random question, but what do you do for work? Do you have any kind of commute, and if so, has that been any sort of a barrier for you living that rurally?

I'm an IT Director and manage a small team of folks for a Digital Healthcare company headquartered in Atlanta, GA. We were formerly out of Franklin, TN. I've been full remote for at least 8 years, and prior to COVID traveled to corporate quarterly and as needed. Post-COVID, travel requirements have been lifted and I've only been out east a couple times since.

The biggest barrier to living a rural life is potentially long commutes. Prior to 2015 or so, I was commuting to downtown Des Moines 5 days per week (900 miles) since 2000. Burned through several runner cars up until about 2006 when I got into a Rideshare group.

Several studies have correlated significant stress and risks associated with long commutes, and I don't recommend it for anybody for a long period of time. Work/life balance really suffers, especially if you're a newlywed or have young children, and during the winter when you have to leave in the dark and don't get home until after dark, it can get pretty hard on normal family life. Not to mention increased costs for vehicle mainteance, insurance, and the risk of minor to significant accidents and traffic tickets.

 

[bigsky2]

I live in Lewistown now. Since you are a teacher, I will warn you that the school system is currently a shit show here, particularly the high school.

I went to college in Butte and have visited a few times since. If I was going to live in one of the AA towns, Butte would be at the top of my list.

 

[cofen380]

I'm an IT Director and manage a small team of folks for a Digital Healthcare company headquartered in Atlanta, GA. We were formerly out of Franklin, TN. I've been full remote for at least 8 years, and prior to COVID traveled to corporate quarterly and as needed. Post-COVID, travel requirements have been lifted and I've only been out east a couple times since.

The biggest barrier to living a rural life is potentially long commutes. Prior to 2015 or so, I was commuting to downtown Des Moines 5 days per week (900 miles) since 2000. Burned through several runner cars up until about 2006 when I got into a Rideshare group.

Several studies have correlated significant stress and risks associated with long commutes, and I don't recommend it for anybody for a long period of time. Work/life balance really suffers, especially if you're a newlywed or have young children, and during the winter when you have to leave in the dark and don't get home until after dark, it can get pretty hard on normal family life. Not to mention increased costs for vehicle mainteance, insurance, and the risk of minor to significant accidents and traffic tickets.

That totally makes sense. Yeah that's an insane commute and definitely something we'd like to avoid. We'll likely end up working in person since I'm a teacher and she practices speech therapy, although there are probably some opportunities to work remote for those jobs. I've had a 40 minute commute before, but that was with a very fuel efficient car, which we no longer have.

 

[cofen380]

I live in Lewistown now. Since you are a teacher, I will warn you that the school system is currently a shit show here, particularly the high school.

I went to college in Butte and have visited a few times since. If I was going to live in one of the AA towns, Butte would be at the top of my list.

I hear you. Why would Butte be your pick? What makes the schools in Lewistown so bad right now?