From California to Idaho Falls,Idaho? (real estate, job market, price)

[erickz623]

My family and I want to relocate to Idaho Falls from California. We are hispanic, so would that be a problem? Is the hispanic population large there and are there hispanic businesses around there? Also, how's the job market out there? In California right now, the unemployment rate is around 15%, at least in my city, so we're looking to relocate to Idaho Falls as it has a much lower unemployment rate. Thanks for any info!

[banjomike]

Hi, Eric...
Yes. The Hispanic population is fairly large here in I.F., and well-established. There are quite a few Hispanic businesses, some catering to Hispanics, and others to the general population.

It may or may not be hard to find a job here. Things are tough all over the country, and I.F. is only marginally better than some other areas. If you or a family member has professional skills, especially in medicine, engineering, agriculture, etc. a job might not be hard to get. On the other end of the scale, most of the workers in agriculture, especially the potatoes we grow here, are Hispanics now. There are field jobs and warehouse/processing jobs all over the place, but it all depends on who needs workers at the moment.
I.F. is a major shopping hub for a 100 mi. radius, so there are always retail jobs that come and go.

Remember that this is cold country! If possible, before you make a move, I suggest coming out and looking it over first. Many Californians love it, just as many hate it. The pace of life here is very laid back, and there is less cultural stuff happening, but the folks here are polite and helpful in general. There are a lot of small towns around I.F. where real estate is priced pretty good.