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Idaho and most of western Montana are about as red as they come politically so be sure you can live in a conservative place. All this talk about scenery, western culture, and cuteness of the town is likely going to be the least of your worries. I can't speak for Idaho, but average wages in Montana are some of the lowest in the nation and those pretty and cute mountain towns can be expensive, depending on where you are. You may very well miss city access as the largest city of Billings (in the eastern part BTW) is at around 100k. The largest city in the western, pretty part is Missoula and is around 65k. Distances between cities is measured in hours rather than miles. Air travel out of any of the major cities requires a stop in places like Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle, or Minneapolis, depending on where you're leaving from. I'm not trying to tell you not to move to Montana, but I would recommend coming to visit if you can to check it out first.
I agree. Visiting both MT and ID is important to see the various areas. Driggs, the Idaho side of the Tetons has become quite liberal. Idaho Falls has the largest eastern Idaho population at 60,000 + 15K in Ammon literally across the street. Pocatello is further south and about 50 K.
Plan enough time to visit the cities in MT and ID that interest you. Work, at least in Idaho Falls depends on your skillset. As I've written recently, Idaho National Lab has headhunters looking for 375 employees as specific skills are needed. Usually a Masters degree or more is needed, but sometimes they will look at a B.S. when the employee will commit to the Masters program. Starting salaries are roughly $75K.
The Panhandle of Idaho is also beautiful. Most people can only find minimum wage jobs.
I'd encourage you to secure employment options and narrow your search from there. Or if you work from home be sure you can do the same in Idaho or MT.
Hmmm. That's a great point. I have considered Vermont or Maine, but I was honestly really impressed by the pictures I have seen of Glacier Mountain Park. The main reason I was not looking at New England is because their mountains are supposedly not as grand. I am really into exploring the outdoors, so mountains are pretty important. I will also look at Bend, Oregon! All things to ponder when trying to relocate. Now I have a wider range of options, but all of this insight has given me some idea of what I want and where to look. Thanks again! Any information is much appreciated as I am not a very seasoned traveler.
By all means look at Bend. But I know Bend doesn't compare to the Mountains in Glacier/MT. and Idaho (both Sawtooths and Tetons). Most importantly though, as others have written, be sure your employment can cover the COL in the various places. That may or may not limit where you look to live......
In Idaho, if you still want pretty scenery you would need to look at something like Ketchum/Hailey, however it is pretty expensive, so make sure that your job can pay for the real estate. But, very pretty. Boise is urban sprawl and not very scenic, but a great city in terms of quality of life.
Of course the area between Ketchum and Stanley is spectacular, rivaling Jackson Hole, but North Idaho has towering mountain ranges, one of the largest, deepest lakes in the entire NW, and rivers galore. Plus great skiing. And it's nowhere near as expensive as Sun Valley. There may be good reasons why Idaho may not be a perfect fit for the OP, but you can't say it's because of lack of scenery.
Idaho and the areas around CDA are very beautiful. I think you'd be surprised at how beautiful WA/OR/N ID are. We have a much drier heat in the summer and there is a lot of beauty all over. Wenatchee is near the mountains and it's gorgeous in winter and summer. I grew up in WI and the fall foliage is more vibrant in a sense but the seasons here (even in western WA) are noticeable and scenic too.
I will have to schedule when to visit Montana/Idaho/Washington as that is pretty far from Ohio. Couer D'Alene has been mentioned frequently and Driggs would match my political affiliation, so those are two towns I will check out. Meanwhile, the health care in Montana is supposed to be prime. First I will have to secure my job plans, but then I will certainly venture out West. I will be looking for nice and intellectual people, great schools, impressive scenery, and whether my job will thrive in that area. I like the suggestion of Calvary, although I did a quick MapQuest search and apparently that city is pretty far away from Montana and Idaho. I am not sure about Washington, but I know that Vancouver is nearby that state. Thank you again for all this information! Instead of looking things up on the computer, I will definitely take a trip out and see the beauty you all mentioned.
I will have to schedule when to visit Montana/Idaho/Washington as that is pretty far from Ohio. Couer D'Alene has been mentioned frequently and Driggs would match my political affiliation, so those are two towns I will check out. Meanwhile, the health care in Montana is supposed to be prime. First I will have to secure my job plans, but then I will certainly venture out West. I will be looking for nice and intellectual people, great schools, impressive scenery, and whether my job will thrive in that area. I like the suggestion of Calvary, although I did a quick MapQuest search and apparently that city is pretty far away from Montana and Idaho. I am not sure about Washington, but I know that Vancouver is nearby that state. Thank you again for all this information! Instead of looking things up on the computer, I will definitely take a trip out and see the beauty you all mentioned.
Glad you're planning a trip, because otherwise you simply can't make a sensible choice. A great way to prepare is to do those MapQuests and familiarize yourself with the general map of the Northwest (and it's Calgary and Coeur d'Alene, by the way). Distances out west are on a different scale than what you may be used to. Montana is an extremely wide state, and Idaho is just about as long as MT is wide, and there is no direct road from North Idaho to SE Idaho! Massive mountain wilderness areas in-between. If you want to do a reasonably thorough trip, checking out Eastern WA, North Idaho, SE Idaho, and Western Montana, plus maybe Eastern Oregon, you're talking about at least 3 weeks. We have done road trips every year in those areas (+ Wyoming) for the past 12 years. If you can't spare 3-4 weeks, then plan on two trips, one covering North Idaho, Western Montana and SE Idaho, and the other WA and OR. One great route is to fly into Spokane, explore North Idaho, then on to the Missoula area with a side trip to Glacier, and south down through Salmon to SE Idaho, with a side trip to Yellowstone. Then swing back through Idaho and go up E WA, back to Spokane. That can be done in about 10 days.
By the way, you may find that being a liberal voice in a conservative region is not likely to spawn lively discussions, if that's what you're hoping for. NW people usually don't make a big deal about their political persuasion; many places, such as North Idaho and NW MT, are more libertarian than actually conservative, so whatever view you have will be tolerated, as long as you're not proselytizing. For that reason, you may feel more comfortable in a downright liberal area. Missoula is considered liberal by MT standards, but will generally be slightly center-left when compared to liberalism of the Coasts.
Driggs as a liberal area? That would have to be in contrast to other towns in Idaho, I think. Statistics say it is just about 50/50:
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
But maybe that will suffice for you. In CdA the statistics are about 35% Democrats, 62% Republican.
Missoula, on the contrary, has a majority of Dems, 62%, while Reps are 35%. ( Interesting! I never actually looked up the numbers before. Now I know what to say when people ask me which is more liberal, Missoula or Coeur a'Alene )
To summarize: Missoula has awesome mountains, a beautiful river, it is a cultural center, and it's Western-style liberal.
Oops! I apologize for spelling the towns wrong. Definitely should revise before responding. Typing on my phone makes for clumsy fingers. I am not expecting to force my beliefs on anyone. I just know from my experience in a conservative city that I have learned to view both sides of an argument. Missoula sounds fantastic! I can't wait
Glad you're planning a trip, because otherwise you simply can't make a sensible choice. A great way to prepare is to do those MapQuests and familiarize yourself with the general map of the Northwest (and it's Calgary and Coeur d'Alene, by the way). Distances out west are on a different scale than what you may be used to. Montana is an extremely wide state, and Idaho is just about as long as MT is wide, and there is no direct road from North Idaho to SE Idaho! Massive mountain wilderness areas in-between. If you want to do a reasonably thorough trip, checking out Eastern WA, North Idaho, SE Idaho, and Western Montana, plus maybe Eastern Oregon, you're talking about at least 3 weeks. We have done road trips every year in those areas (+ Wyoming) for the past 12 years. If you can't spare 3-4 weeks, then plan on two trips, one covering North Idaho, Western Montana and SE Idaho, and the other WA and OR. One great route is to fly into Spokane, explore North Idaho, then on to the Missoula area with a side trip to Glacier, and south down through Salmon to SE Idaho, with a side trip to Yellowstone. Then swing back through Idaho and go up E WA, back to Spokane. That can be done in about 10 days.
By the way, you may find that being a liberal voice in a conservative region is not likely to spawn lively discussions, if that's what you're hoping for. NW people usually don't make a big deal about their political persuasion; many places, such as North Idaho and NW MT, are more libertarian than actually conservative, so whatever view you have will be tolerated, as long as you're not proselytizing. For that reason, you may feel more comfortable in a downright liberal area. Missoula is considered liberal by MT standards, but will generally be slightly center-left when compared to liberalism of the Coasts.
Driggs as a liberal area? That would have to be in contrast to other towns in Idaho, I think. Statistics say it is just about 50/50:
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
But maybe that will suffice for you. In CdA the statistics are about 35% Democrats, 62% Republican.
Missoula, on the contrary, has a majority of Dems, 62%, while Reps are 35%. ( Interesting! I never actually looked up the numbers before. Now I know what to say when people ask me which is more liberal, Missoula or Coeur a'Alene )
To summarize: Missoula has awesome mountains, a beautiful river, it is a cultural center, and it's Western-style liberal.
Hi CFF,
Teton County, ID does contrast politically. Look up the last races to see they voted blue. However, I doubt Driggs would meet all the list for the OP. Jackson Hole workers live in Driggs, among others. But especially their ages, their minimum wage jobs in Jackson Hole and certain Billionaires, it might be more liberal than you think. I'm not saying the residents all like deep political discussion but some do.
Ultimately, as you know, I think having secure employment that can cover the COL anywhere anyone moves is #1 on a list. I know BanjoMike has been quite worried about some from various states who just packed it all up in a matter of months and moved to NID without ever seeing the area or having any prospect of employment or housing secured. Some millennials argue they are only young once so if they want a minimum wage job, that is their choice. There is an active thread about this in General US. I say yes and no. Absolutely no if there are dependent children under 18 y.o., as I believe parents made an commitment to those children when they were born. What does concern me is how many people are moving to compete for the same minimum wage or lower paying jobs, not reading how many others are planning to do the same. In no way am I trying to categorize the OP, just making you aware of an ongoing discussion about what different people value in relocating.
Personally, I don't care where the OP lives. However, knowing how much different the COL is in Bozeman than other locations, I care that the OP can find or bring adequate employment to support the family needs, just like I do for everyone else.
To the OP, on your list of everything you would like, I'd encourage you to rank what is the most important, second etc. You may have to drive some for Mtn. Views or employment etc. I'm having difficulty thinking of a town/city that meets your population requirements and everything else too. Visiting is the best way to see for yourself. Since you're the one who will have to live where you pick and the areas are spread out hundreds of miles, give yourself enough time.
Thanks, MSR! That was refreshingly frank. I can understand your concern for employment. There obviously is no perfect state, but there definitely are some that will be happier. It is wise to not want an excess of unemployed people as that isn't good for the local economy. I have not determined yet where to live and will certainly keep in mind my job security wherever I go.
I will have to schedule when to visit Montana/Idaho/Washington as that is pretty far from Ohio. Couer D'Alene has been mentioned frequently and Driggs would match my political affiliation, so those are two towns I will check out. Meanwhile, the health care in Montana is supposed to be prime. First I will have to secure my job plans, but then I will certainly venture out West. I will be looking for nice and intellectual people, great schools, impressive scenery, and whether my job will thrive in that area. I like the suggestion of Calvary, although I did a quick MapQuest search and apparently that city is pretty far away from Montana and Idaho. I am not sure about Washington, but I know that Vancouver is nearby that state. Thank you again for all this information! Instead of looking things up on the computer, I will definitely take a trip out and see the beauty you all mentioned.
You mean Calgary. It depends on where you are in Montana. From Billings, Calgary is pretty far....but it's an easy and relatively short drive from locations in Northern/northwestern Montana. It's pretty far from anyplace in Idaho.
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Interesting! I never actually looked up the numbers before. Now I know what to say when people ask me which is more liberal, Missoula or Coeur a'Alene 
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