Help - Need Info On Missoula!!! (Helena, Deer Lodge: sales, crime rate, broker)

[LIDALA]

We are considering moving to the Missoula area (for school) and what I've been reading is a little scary. I would appreciate ANY and ALL input in regard to the following:

HOUSING/JOBS/WAGES
Housing prices seem extremely high, with the wages low and jobs hard to come by. I've also read that the wages are low because employers can get away with it (because people will accept any wage to feed their families). Is that the case?

CRIME
We live in a college town in Oregon. The town is WONDERFUL and the crime rate is EXTREMELY low. I was VERY disturbed to read the statistics on rape and other violent crimes in Missoula. What makes the crime rate so high in Missoula? Are there gangs? Are there not enough police? Is there a lot of drugs?

WEATHER
From what I've read, the winters in Missoula are much more harsh than in other areas in Montana. Are the winters so harsh that you cannot jog or take a walk in the winter? What is the spring/summer/fall like?

NEIGHBORHOODS
Can anyone give me some suggestions on nicer (family oriented) neighborhoods in Missoula? I want to buy a home in an area that is safe for children to ride their bikes and play. Any suggestions?

Thank you SO much for your help and suggestions.

[GiftShoppeGuy]

Originally Posted by LIDALA

We are considering moving to the Missoula area (for school) and what I've been reading is a little scary. I would appreciate ANY and ALL input in regard to the following:

HOUSING/JOBS/WAGES
Housing prices seem extremely high, with the wages low and jobs hard to come by. I've also read that the wages are low because employers can get away with it (because people will accept any wage to feed their families). Is that the case?

CRIME
We live in a college town in Oregon. The town is WONDERFUL and the crime rate is EXTREMELY low. I was VERY disturbed to read the statistics on rape and other violent crimes in Missoula. What makes the crime rate so high in Missoula? Are there gangs? Are there not enough police? Is there a lot of drugs?

WEATHER
From what I've read, the winters in Missoula are much more harsh than in other areas in Montana. Are the winters so harsh that you cannot jog or take a walk in the winter? What is the spring/summer/fall like?

NEIGHBORHOODS
Can anyone give me some suggestions on nicer (family oriented) neighborhoods in Missoula? I want to buy a home in an area that is safe for children to ride their bikes and play. Any suggestions?

Thank you SO much for your help and suggestions.

In a nutshell, Montana is "the most deregulated" state in the union when it comes to the sales and distribution of alchohol.

You can buy just about any kind of hard liquor from nearly any pub that cares to sell it.

Missoula is a college town, of that there is no doubt.
Rapes occur in Missoula as a result of college drinking..... it's easier for a college kid to get the hard stuff in any old bar, whereas in Oregon, the state controls directly the sales and distribution of hard liquor.
Get any college kid tanked up on EverClear, and you'll see what I mean.
It gets pretty wild sometimes.

When you refer to drugs, I would say that though we feel it's running rampant in Montana, the stats per percentage based on population in the state is very low, when you stack them up to Burns, Pendleton, Ontario, Klammath Falls.
So take the info for what it might be worth to you on that one.......

Missoula's Gay population has also exploded over the past ten years, so you may want to consider the effect of that on your youngsters as well.

By and large, I would choose Missoula over anywhere in Oregon, if Missoula was my "only" choice.
They have multiple primary education schools and 3 high schools at last count.

If you were looking to buy, I might suggest the Rattlesnake area or Big Flat... sort of away from the noise and the traffic of town.

Stay fairly rural if you can and the kids should be fine.

Most of the trouble that happens in the "Zoo" (missoula) usually occurs after dark anyway... so no need to worry. (we've always called it "the zoo", because that's what it is at times)

Jobs??....

You bet.... Employers in the Missoula area pay low because they know that they can get away with it..... a little Russia, take it or leave it sort of thing. Good luck on that one.

The winters may or may not be harsh..... it depends on what you might consider harsh.
I don't like the fact that Missoula (as with most western Montana valleys) is plugged up full of fog and gloomy skys all winter.....

It can and does get pretty cold on occasion... not really much different than any other northern tier state.
I've seen 25 below zero in December and I've seen 50 degrees above in December..... Weather in Montana is like rolling the dice.... sometimes you get lucky, while at other times you don't.

Jogging??...

Well, truth be known.... one can jog at any time of the year. It just depends on how cold or hot you might be willing to get.

You should take into consideration that the Missoula valley is planted in the mountains.... mountains all around.
Springs are chilly (I've seen it snow outside of Darby in July) Summers are moderate, usually averaging 80 to 90 degrees... Fall may come a little earlier than you might like however..... They are still harvesting apples in the Yakima valley long after the leaves have fallen from the trees in Missoula....

Anyhow... Missoula might very well be a great landing place for you.....
Many who come here from out of state usually start out in Missoula, because that's all they've ever heard about Montana..... Once they get here, and are around for a while, they learn that there are places in Montana that are much better.

[LIDALA]

Originally Posted by GiftShoppeGuy

In a nutshell, Montana is "the most deregulated" state in the union when it comes to the sales and distribution of alchohol.

You can buy just about any kind of hard liquor from nearly any pub that cares to sell it.

Missoula is a college town, of that there is no doubt.
Rapes occur in Missoula as a result of college drinking..... it's easier for a college kid to get the hard stuff in any old bar, whereas in Oregon, the state controls directly the sales and distribution of hard liquor.
Get any college kid tanked up on EverClear, and you'll see what I mean.
It gets pretty wild sometimes.

When you refer to drugs, I would say that though we feel it's running rampant in Montana, the stats per percentage based on population in the state is very low, when you stack them up to Burns, Pendleton, Ontario, Klammath Falls.
So take the info for what it might be worth to you on that one.......

Missoula's Gay population has also exploded over the past ten years, so you may want to consider the effect of that on your youngsters as well.

By and large, I would choose Missoula over anywhere in Oregon, if Missoula was my "only" choice.
They have multiple primary education schools and 3 high schools at last count.

If you were looking to buy, I might suggest the Rattlesnake area or Big Flat... sort of away from the noise and the traffic of town.

Stay fairly rural if you can and the kids should be fine.

Most of the trouble that happens in the "Zoo" (missoula) usually occurs after dark anyway... so no need to worry. (we've always called it "the zoo", because that's what it is at times)

Jobs??....

You bet.... Employers in the Missoula area pay low because they know that they can get away with it..... a little Russia, take it or leave it sort of thing. Good luck on that one.

The winters may or may not be harsh..... it depends on what you might consider harsh.
I don't like the fact that Missoula (as with most western Montana valleys) is plugged up full of fog and gloomy skys all winter.....

It can and does get pretty cold on occasion... not really much different than any other northern tier state.
I've seen 25 below zero in December and I've seen 50 degrees above in December..... Weather in Montana is like rolling the dice.... sometimes you get lucky, while at other times you don't.

Jogging??...

Well, truth be known.... one can jog at any time of the year. It just depends on how cold or hot you might be willing to get.

You should take into consideration that the Missoula valley is planted in the mountains.... mountains all around.
Springs are chilly (I've seen it snow outside of Darby in July) Summers are moderate, usually averaging 80 to 90 degrees... Fall may come a little earlier than you might like however..... They are still harvesting apples in the Yakima valley long after the leaves have fallen from the trees in Missoula....

Anyhow... Missoula might very well be a great landing place for you.....
Many who come here from out of state usually start out in Missoula, because that's all they've ever heard about Montana..... Once they get here, and are around for a while, they learn that there are places in Montana that are much better.

-------------------------------

GIFT SHOPPE GUY:
Thank you so much for the helpful information... I can't thank you enough for your input. It is so hard to to picture what Missoula is like, but I think I have a better grasp now. Thanks. I do have to say that the underage drinking, violent crime rate, low wages, and weather, scares me a LOT. On the other hand, there are things that would work for well for us. I am tossing around a few cities/states right now, so we'll see. Thank you again for your input.

[LC Staffing]

I will send you some career inforamtion via private message for Missoula area. Good paying jobs are available if you have the right skill set for what is in demand

[NYMTman]

Missoula's Gay population has also exploded over the past ten years, so you may want to consider the effect of that on your youngsters as well.

God forbid the kids know how to decorate a house or dress well :P

[grizzfan]

Jobs??....

You bet.... Employers in the Missoula area pay low because they know that they can get away with it..... a little Russia, take it or leave it sort of thing. Good luck on that one.

Absolutely BS! There are good paying jobs in Missoula, depending on your skills. Montana has suffered from an outright ban on our former extractive industries and we have very limited manufacturing. Construction and professional service industries, to include financial and medical, pay very good wages with benefits.

Missoula is a frustrating town to live in if your politics are moderate or right of center. The so-called "progressives" rule and not only do they not care about your opinion, they viciously attack it!!

But other than that, it's a nice place to live. Check out Linda Vista and most areas in the South Hills. We also have two quality private, faith-based high schools as well as three public HSs.

Tom

[GiftShoppeGuy]

Linda Vista

Sure, I know Jack and his boys.... they built Linda Vista (from the bottom of the hill, up to, and clear over the top to the other side.... not sure if Jack is still alive though...I really should call)....

Left, right or otherwise...... Building contractors in the industry pay low because they know they can..... It is, indeed still that way today....

I lived in Missoula for a very long time, and the only way you will make a decent wage there is to be a broker of some sort, an attorney, own your own business, marry into the family, or be directly related by blood to the old man...... that's how it works....

[YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY]

Kind of discouraging to hear about the Missoula job market. I was pretty much thinking of buying property in the Stevensville area this year, in preperation for my future move in several years. Hopefully the blue collar market will be better in a few years.
I also liked Deer Lodge for it's close proximity (I know relative term) to Missoula, Butte, and Helena, but I can't seem to find homes with land (2+ acres).

[MHT]

Originally Posted by johns65vette

Kind of discouraging to hear about the Missoula job market. I was pretty much thinking of buying property in the Stevensville area this year, in preperation for my future move in several years. Hopefully the blue collar market will be better in a few years.
I also liked Deer Lodge for it's close proximity (I know relative term) to Missoula, Butte, and Helena, but I can't seem to find homes with land (2+ acres).

Have you looked at Whitehall? Great town. Not that much farther to Missoula.

[YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY]

Originally Posted by MHT

Have you looked at Whitehall? Great town. Not that much farther to Missoula.

I'll look into Whitehall See, that's the nice thing about this site, you have people to help you out with logistics of what and where places are at.