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I am writing today in hopes that someone will be kind enough to answer a few questions I have about relocating to Idaho Falls in May 2012.
I am a full-time student (online) through University of Colorado and we have two young children - ages 19mths and 5mths. My husband is currently the Director of Maintenance & Environmental Services at the local long-term care facility; he has a background of 5+ years in this area within a medical setting. By the time we move, he will also have his CDL.
If he takes a trucking job it has to be local, where he's home at night at a decent hour and most weekends due to our current situation. He also needs a minimum of $14-$16/hr.
Question: What's the job market like there for those qualifications/specifications?
We're from northwestern Colorado, so we definitely know about the cold/snow, although we're hoping Idaho Falls doesn't get *as* cold/snowy as it does here! My bigger concern; however, is how people drive during those conditions.
Question: Do they drive like absolute idiots there on icy roads? Or are the majority of people speeding around like they're invincible (as is the case with several other states we've visited during winter)?
As far as the housing goes, I have several questions. We're not looking to buy yet as we're not sure if we'll be in Idaho Falls long-term or not and our babies aren't old enough for school yet, so which district we're in doesn't really matter. We would like a quiet and SAFE neighborhood, preferably 3bed/2bath with a fenced yard, in the range of $500-$700/mth.
Question: Any recommendations? And is this even a viable option for what we're wanting?
General: What are the places to grocery shop with the best prices/discounts? Is there a mail service or do you need to rent a box from the post office? Does the YMCA there offer an indoor (heated) pool and possibly child care services while you're there working out?
From what I understand, Idaho Falls is a very family-orientated community and there are TONS of things for a family to do, has a low crime rate, and the winters aren't too bad if you use common sense while going through them (i.e. use antifreeze for your car, bundle up when going outside, winter-proof your home, etc.). Would that be a fair summary?
We're really excited about the proximity to Yellowstone and Salt Lake City if we are in the mood for some big city shopping. Also for a fresh start in a friendly town, with way more amenities and conveniences than we have here in our small town! =)
Thank you for reading! Any help/advice/information you can pass along will be most appreciated!
If your looking for anything more than $7.00 an hour your looking in the wrong place.
Furthermore.. the winters are harsh not mild.
Your looking for child care while working out..its a working class neighborhood, and most people are just trying to get by.
I am writing today in hopes that someone will be kind enough to answer a few questions I have about relocating to Idaho Falls in May 2012.
I am a full-time student (online) through University of Colorado and we have two young children - ages 19mths and 5mths. My husband is currently the Director of Maintenance & Environmental Services at the local long-term care facility; he has a background of 5+ years in this area within a medical setting. By the time we move, he will also have his CDL.
If he takes a trucking job it has to be local, where he's home at night at a decent hour and most weekends due to our current situation. He also needs a minimum of $14-$16/hr.
Question: What's the job market like there for those qualifications/specifications?
We're from northwestern Colorado, so we definitely know about the cold/snow, although we're hoping Idaho Falls doesn't get *as* cold/snowy as it does here! My bigger concern; however, is how people drive during those conditions.
Question: Do they drive like absolute idiots there on icy roads? Or are the majority of people speeding around like they're invincible (as is the case with several other states we've visited during winter)?
As far as the housing goes, I have several questions. We're not looking to buy yet as we're not sure if we'll be in Idaho Falls long-term or not and our babies aren't old enough for school yet, so which district we're in doesn't really matter. We would like a quiet and SAFE neighborhood, preferably 3bed/2bath with a fenced yard, in the range of $500-$700/mth.
Question: Any recommendations? And is this even a viable option for what we're wanting?
General: What are the places to grocery shop with the best prices/discounts? Is there a mail service or do you need to rent a box from the post office? Does the YMCA there offer an indoor (heated) pool and possibly child care services while you're there working out?
From what I understand, Idaho Falls is a very family-orientated community and there are TONS of things for a family to do, has a low crime rate, and the winters aren't too bad if you use common sense while going through them (i.e. use antifreeze for your car, bundle up when going outside, winter-proof your home, etc.). Would that be a fair summary?
We're really excited about the proximity to Yellowstone and Salt Lake City if we are in the mood for some big city shopping. Also for a fresh start in a friendly town, with way more amenities and conveniences than we have here in our small town! =)
Thank you for reading! Any help/advice/information you can pass along will be most appreciated!
-Amber D.
Hi, Amber...
As you may have noted from Jennifer's post, jobs here are tough to find at the moment.
But I wouldn't paint so bleak a picture; your husband's experience seems to me to be in an area where the job picture might not be so bleak.
We have 2 hospitals here, (one large on small), mental health facilities, several assisted living and elderly care homes, and a lot of other medical facilities. I suggest you contact the Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce and get a full list.
A CDL will help, especially in seasonal work. Since I.F. is a regional supply center, delivery trucking jobs may be available.
Our wage rates are lower here, but so is the cost of living. Your husband may only find a $12-14 hr job, but the possibility of finding housing in your range is also pretty good.
Idaho Falls serves a large surrounding area. We have tons of shopping here, much more than you would think. Costco is a big discount grocer, as is Wal-Mart (we have 2 superstores) and Sam's Club.
Winters here are going to be pretty much like the ones there in Colorado, but may be more variable. We tend to cycle between warmer & drier winters, and cold & snowy ones. We always get a week or two of sub-zero temps.
The drivers here are what you would expect- the first couple of snowstorms always have lots of wrecks, then people get used to the conditions once again and settle down. I.F. is pretty good at plowing our thoroughfare streets, and better than most other Idaho cities at plowing out neighborhoods. It's a priority here.
Almost all of our neighborhoods are safe, and almost all are quiet. Like anywhere, it all depends on many factors. Mail delivery is house to house, 6 days a week, but may be cut back to 5.
The YMCA doesn't have a pool, but we have a community indoor pool that's open year-round. The Y has a lot of exercise programs, racquetball courts, and has a day care center. The two are only a few blocks apart.
We are indeed very family oriented. Lots of sports year round, and lots of activities.
Finding a rental house in your price range may be harder in I.F. than in neighboring Ammon, a smaller suburban town that is separate but inter-connected with I.F. Ammon pricing may be lower, but the city services aren't quite as good as those inside I.F. city limits.
The upside of living here is the other 3 seasons of the year. Like Colorado, winters are dry here, and tolerable, but the other 3 are very pleasant most years. Spring can be late in coming, sometimes. We almost always have a great Indian Summer in late Sept- mid October.
What an incredibly helpful - and encouraging! - response. Thank you so much for taking the time to write back =).
I will definitely contact the IF Chamber of Commerce, per your suggestion. And I'm truly excited about having a Costco and a Sam's Club available! The nearest ones to us are approximately 3hrs away.
Anyway, I'm feeling much more confident about our impending move after reading through everything you said. We need some distance from the familiar and would be moving mostly for the fresh start and to help with the ministry of a (non-Mormon) church located there. We visited there a couple of weeks ago and were impressed with how beautiful it is within the city. We were also pleasantly surprised at the zoo, amusement park, and Farmer's Market. The falls were gorgeous and my son (the 19mth old) had a blast feeding the ducks, geese, and sea gulls around the green belt.
All the locals we ran into seemed to be very friendly and welcoming as well, so that's a definite plus!
Well, thanks again for your input. I'll start looking into your suggestions tomorrow morning =).
-Amber D.
We're hoping to secure employment prior to moving -
Quote:
Originally Posted by banjomike
Hi, Amber...
As you may have noted from Jennifer's post, jobs here are tough to find at the moment.
But I wouldn't paint so bleak a picture; your husband's experience seems to me to be in an area where the job picture might not be so bleak.
We have 2 hospitals here, (one large on small), mental health facilities, several assisted living and elderly care homes, and a lot of other medical facilities. I suggest you contact the Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce and get a full list.
A CDL will help, especially in seasonal work. Since I.F. is a regional supply center, delivery trucking jobs may be available.
Our wage rates are lower here, but so is the cost of living. Your husband may only find a $12-14 hr job, but the possibility of finding housing in your range is also pretty good.
Idaho Falls serves a large surrounding area. We have tons of shopping here, much more than you would think. Costco is a big discount grocer, as is Wal-Mart (we have 2 superstores) and Sam's Club.
Winters here are going to be pretty much like the ones there in Colorado, but may be more variable. We tend to cycle between warmer & drier winters, and cold & snowy ones. We always get a week or two of sub-zero temps.
The drivers here are what you would expect- the first couple of snowstorms always have lots of wrecks, then people get used to the conditions once again and settle down. I.F. is pretty good at plowing our thoroughfare streets, and better than most other Idaho cities at plowing out neighborhoods. It's a priority here.
Almost all of our neighborhoods are safe, and almost all are quiet. Like anywhere, it all depends on many factors. Mail delivery is house to house, 6 days a week, but may be cut back to 5.
The YMCA doesn't have a pool, but we have a community indoor pool that's open year-round. The Y has a lot of exercise programs, racquetball courts, and has a day care center. The two are only a few blocks apart.
We are indeed very family oriented. Lots of sports year round, and lots of activities.
Finding a rental house in your price range may be harder in I.F. than in neighboring Ammon, a smaller suburban town that is separate but inter-connected with I.F. Ammon pricing may be lower, but the city services aren't quite as good as those inside I.F. city limits.
The upside of living here is the other 3 seasons of the year. Like Colorado, winters are dry here, and tolerable, but the other 3 are very pleasant most years. Spring can be late in coming, sometimes. We almost always have a great Indian Summer in late Sept- mid October.
I guess you must have missed where I discussed our recent visit to Idaho Falls...
The area is truly beautiful and while I know there will be certain things that will take some getting used to, it doesn't seem a whole lot different from where we live in Colorado right now.
Thank you for the advice though. If we hadn't already been there just a couple of weeks ago, I definitely would have heeded it =).
If your husband is looking into making $14-$16 driving truck, you might want to look into a large city like Chicago or some place. A non-experienced drive starting out will do well to bring home $ 40,000 and that's not local work, that's over the road; which translates into not only being on the road at night and weekends, but birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas and Thanksgiving as well. Local jobs are harder to come by except for possible seasonal work as some of the veteran drivers are looking at those after driving 30, 40 and 50+ years.
Unless of course he's got his passenger endorsement then if there's an opening and he can drive a site bus he might be able to earn over $50,000 a year.
I guess I was putting decent wages for Colorado onto Idaho's back. It's my understanding that $14.00/hr is good in Idaho Falls - would that be correct?
His CDL would be something to fall back on. He would much rather stay within the Maintenance field of hospitals/long-term care facilities/etc. as that's what he has been doing for the last 5+ years.
I'm monitoring the newspaper and betteridahofallsjobs.com - are there any others you would recommend?
Thanks for your input. I've read several of your posts around the forum and they've all been great. Appreciate the help!
-Amber D.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cleosmom
If your husband is looking into making $14-$16 driving truck, you might want to look into a large city like Chicago or some place. A non-experienced drive starting out will do well to bring home $ 40,000 and that's not local work, that's over the road; which translates into not only being on the road at night and weekends, but birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas and Thanksgiving as well. Local jobs are harder to come by except for possible seasonal work as some of the veteran drivers are looking at those after driving 30, 40 and 50+ years.
Unless of course he's got his passenger endorsement then if there's an opening and he can drive a site bus he might be able to earn over $50,000 a year.
I guess I was putting decent wages for Colorado onto Idaho's back. It's my understanding that $14.00/hr is good in Idaho Falls - would that be correct?
His CDL would be something to fall back on. He would much rather stay within the Maintenance field of hospitals/long-term care facilities/etc. as that's what he has been doing for the last 5+ years.
I'm monitoring the newspaper and betteridahofallsjobs.com - are there any others you would recommend?
Thanks for your input. I've read several of your posts around the forum and they've all been great. Appreciate the help!
-Amber D.
Thank you Amber, I'm glad I've been able to help
Along with checking the two sources that you are currently checking, also check out both hospitals actual websites. Most often that is where they post job openings. I'm uncertain about the wages here for that field, the trucking industry is where I have an in as my husband drives
I was glancing back and not too sure if anyone answered your question about a heated indoor pool. I don't believe there is one at the Y, but we do have City of Idaho Falls - Aquatic Center
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