Choteau compared to Cascade MT (Great Falls, Helena: transplants, real estate, mobile home)

[NW Crow]

From stats I see Choteau is twice the size as Cascade, less dense, more college educated, Republican, religious and well to do, drier, with maybe younger, cheaper housing, a better stocked library and with David Letterman nearby. What else is notable about either place? How is Teton Medical Center considered? Overall how would locals rated either place or just outside them on quality of life? Biggest local issues at this time? Quality of the local governments?


I've been thru them a handful of times but not recently and don't really have any strong impressions / memories of them. Are good views of the Rocky Mountain front pretty common in Choteau?

[NW Crow]

Using google maps / street view, the view of the Rocky Mtn front is pretty rare and distant (compared to what I have now).


I forgot to mentioned Choteau is twice the distance from Great Falls (minus and plus).


Modestly higher property tax. Better high school.


Conrad is another option I hadn't previously paid much attention to.

[historyfan]

Of the two I'd probably chose Choteau, but would guess Cascade doesn't get as much winter. If you like small towns, Valier has nice rep.

[NW Crow]

I found some videos on Choteau that helped in evaluating. Cascade is probably too small for me. Will look at Valier.

[NW Crow]

Small, though not too far from Conrad. Lake is a plus. The extremely low real estate prices generates mixed reaction. Have a guess why but am surprised they are so low (unless there is a reporting error). Probably not the one for me but interesting to learn about anyways.


Lots of old cabins and / or mobile homes? Are many folks just summer residents?


What kind of good rep? Just friendly, laidback or something more?

[Wyoprairie]

I haven't lived in any....but spend time in all. Cascade is a neat little town (linked to Charlie Russell) but somewhat noted for wind. I like the feel of Cascade (well, of all these towns for that matter) but I wonder if real estate might be higher due to proximity to GF and the river. (There are some really nice looking places on the outskirts of town)

Choteau is the biggest of the towns, lots of support for the Bulldogs. Nice IGA type grocery and downtown. They have a
nice large town park. Closer to the Rocky Mountain Front, sits in a valley, but very good views from the road down to Augusta-which has really good views of the Front, but is a more wintry locale. Natives I know in Augusta are bothered by wealthy transplants that prove difficult to live with. I'd say a little more snow, but really not a whole lot as far as a driving challenge. A guy in Choteau built a rodeo facility to encourage more high school kids-particularly the shortage of bareback riders lately in MT. Houses might be more $ than Conrad/Valier. I like Vaughn, Sun River, Simms, but they are smaller.

I know a few Conrad/Valier native types and they are all classic Montana. Conrad might be my favorite town in the whole state. Big time school support also for the Cowboys. Small Christian school, too, I think K-6. Gary and Leo's IGA type grocery with an A&W. Ford and Chevy dealers. Not quite an hour down to GF, and only one time I remember it was dicey
in winter. Usually dry. Conrad of course is hometown of Wiley Gustafson, a Montana original. His place is across the highway from town. Valier is small, but has sort of a quaint "downtown" if you want to call it that. Have to go to Conrad,
Shelby, or take the scenic two lane up to Cut Bank for bigger town stuff. Honestly, Lake Frances is no big deal, I doubt it
draws any summer residents. It is on the edge of town, and a few properties have a lakeside view for what it is worth.

[NW Crow]

Thanks for the replies.

[WyoNewk]

One of my best old friends/fishing buddies was born and raised in Choteau. I don't think I've heard him say anything bad about it, but I've also never heard him say he wanted to move back.

I've been to Choteau once but can't recall much about it other than the mosquitos we encountered at its airport when we landed there. I've never seen them so thick anywhere. Hopefully that was a rarity, because they were thick enough to kill a person with no protection. Funny thing about it was, we were headed to Alaska (in my plane) and had all kinds of mosquito protection gear packed away in the luggage compartment, mainly because it's a requirement when flying through parts of Canada, but it was packed so deeply that we just climbed back into the cabin and waited for our ride.

That was 35 years ago, so I'd hope the county has done something about the skeeters in that time.

[NW Crow]

Canyon Creek has a pretty good location for those wanting rural but quick access to Helena. Clancy and Montana City have that and a bit more town. Indeed there is a variety of options. Helena West Side is even closer in but fairly country.