considering move to Kalispell (Missoula, Whitefish: real estate, home, find a job)

[missmandybeth]

Someone tell me about Kalispell. My husband is considering applying for a job there. We are a young growing family - 5 year old and 18 month old. We live in (and are from) Texas.

How's the weather? No, really - are the winters really harsh and long? How so? When is the thaw? Is it a family-friendly area? Are the schools good? In the winters, are you isolated? Is there lots of outdoor activity? What's the closest large metropolitan area?

Anything you can give me would be great. Thanks!

Mandy

[Stephan_K]

If you do a search you will find all kinds of info on Kalispell.

The weather... so far this year we have gotten about 4 1/2 feet of snow. Got a good 3' or more on the ground right now. Majority of the winter so far has been 0 - the teens. We had a couple different instances where for a few days stretch it hung around -25 to -10. And some of it has been in the 20's and 30's.

The thaw... sometime in or around May give or take. Last year it snowed in June pretty good just north of Kalispell. Snow finally melted off my lot the first week of June. I live west of town. Is that long ?! Matter of opinion I guess.

Family friendly... I'd say so, and I think the schools are great. Our kids like it much more than the schools in OH. And they went to a pretty good public school there too.

In the winter are you isolated ? Only if you want to be. It's MT, its cold, it snows and it stays around long. IF you like the cold and winter activities you will have a blast as there is a lot to do. If not they you may end up isolated ! There is also lots of indoor things to do just like anywhere else.

Kalispell is a pretty decent size metro area. Missoula is bigger and only a couple hours away.

Hope this helps some.

[jarsmom]

Mandy beth
I lived In kalispell most of my life. I live in Va now been gone about 4 years. I know
there are exceptions but mostly the winters are very mild. there are cold snaps and
snow storms. Hey, you are in the North. I remember when I was a kid, lots of snow
and cold, in later years, not as much. Sounds like the last 2 years have been real lulus. The hardest part for most people is the constant inversions and grey

[Redraven]

I grew up in the Flathead Valley. Well, OK, close to it, in Hungry Horse. my wife grew up near Whitefish. We can stand to go back for a visit, for a few days, but we could never stand to live there. Too many people, too little infrastructure to take care of them, too much expansion, too many grey days (especially in the winter). We just don't like it anymore.
I would say you need to go visit for a while before making any firm commitment to move. If you don't care about sunshine, and enjoy ice fishing, skiing, and snowmobiling or other winter activities, it may be just the place you want. If you also enjoy fishing and hunting, and camping, in the summer, it may be even better.
Spend a week or so, if possible, to get the feel of the place before you move.
Good luck.

[RaleighNativeGirl]

I grew up in the south, as you can tell..... We lived in Kalispell for 3 years with our son who was 7 at the time. We can't wait to get back!!! ....although things have changed a whole lot since we left. What part of TX and what job industry are you coming from? Just asking because I think you'll be surprised at the cost of living.

[wawagners]

Is the cost of living expensive? We are also from Texas and wanting to move to the Flathead Valley area. We are not sure where but somewhere in that area.

[truckingbronco]

Originally Posted by wawagners

Is the cost of living expensive? We are also from Texas and wanting to move to the Flathead Valley area. We are not sure where but somewhere in that area.

The cost of living is comparable to many places in the Northwest, however; it will be significantly higher than most parts of Texas. The big problem isn't necessarily the cost of living, it's the lack of good paying jobs. It's possible to find a home in the $200-300k range, but it's much harder to find a job paying more than $10-15/hr unless you are in a high-demand specialty. Employment for the last several years have been supported by real estate; i.e., contractors, bankers, escrow companies, building supplies, laborers, appraisers...you get the point. Anyhow, those careers have pretty much dried up for the time being.

Another issue is that many of the activities that attract people to the Flathead are not cheap. Snowmobiling, Skiing, and playing on the water and in the mountains is a blast but there is a lot of expenses that accompany them.