Kalispell? (Billings, Missoula, Bozeman: crime, construction, college)

[themotleyshopper]

Hi all!

We are considering relocating from Arizona to Kalispell (yes, a major change!). Can anyone give me any opinions on Kalispell in general (either good or bad). All the research I've done makes it sound like the perfect place for us. Weather wise, is it really cold? I grew up in North Dakota and don't want that awful cold again. I can handle 30's. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!

[be_a_light]

Kalispell is a pretty nice place in general. You have the four seasons. The winters are snowy but not so bitterly cold like the Dakotas (I've lived in MN and WI as well as MT) I can't guarantee you will always be above 30 because the snow has to come from somewhere. The scenery is great and the ppl are friendly. Do you have a job--wages are low.

[zmwworm]

First of all, when did you first hear about Kalispell? I can understand why Whitefish is becoming so crowded (skiing), but what has been luring so many poeple to Kalispell? If you like the fact that in the past five years Kalispell has gone from average Montana city to a traffic ridden mansion magnet, then move on in. If you don't like the low-humidity/high temperature changes, don't move. If you move to Montana anywhere, you can't be picky about weather. Expect to dip below 0 degrees in the winter, and expect to find any farms that were here 10 years ago to be full of mansions instead.

Edit: Kalispell is a better choice than other parts of Montana if you're worried about the weather; the trees, mountains, and somewhat close proximity to the Pacific make it still far more moderate than anything east of Glacier, where the World Record for largest temperature change is held (100 degrees in two minutes at Browning!). I lived in Hardin for most of my life, near Custer's Last Stand, and I miss the -30 winters.

[themotleyshopper]

Thank you guys We've been discussing moving for some time. Originally, we discussed Idaho, but decided against it. We went to ****.com and took their quiz and almost all the places it suggested were in Montana. Kalispell and Helena are our top choices, but Kalispell seems to have more jobs (high tech types) than Helena. We'll be visiting both cities in July to see if they are indeed places we'd like to live. I do think we can deal with the weather, it's a trade off...8 months of 100 degree + weather or a few months of cold

Would love to hear any other thoughts on the city itself. THanks!

D

[be_a_light]

Originally Posted by themotleyshopper

Thank you guys We've been discussing moving for some time. Originally, we discussed Idaho, but decided against it. We went to ****.com and took their quiz and almost all the places it suggested were in Montana. Kalispell and Helena are our top choices, but Kalispell seems to have more jobs (high tech types) than Helena. We'll be visiting both cities in July to see if they are indeed places we'd like to live. I do think we can deal with the weather, it's a trade off...8 months of 100 degree + weather or a few months of cold

Would love to hear any other thoughts on the city itself. THanks!

D

Kalispell is definitelygrowing and the traffic can be hell at times. No worse than any other city. However, there is serious talk about a Hwy 93 bypass and that will help a lot. My hubby and I are going to Kalispell next week to check out some things up in Eureka. I might have a job opportunity up there. We are going to check out the whole area so if you have any specific questions about the area, let me know before Wednesday.

[ldybkr]

I'm a Montana Native. I live in Troy, MT right now, moving to Highwood, MT because this area is growing by leaps and bounds, getting too crowded for this country girl who likes the wide open spaces. It's beautiful here and poor. The environmentalists are shutting down or trying to shut down all of the mills and mines, the only jobs in this area. Kalispell, Whitefish, and Columbia Falls have become one big city over the past few years. Jobs are not plentiful if you don't work in the building industry, which over there is booming. The people are friendly but don't come in with your own ideas of wanting to change us, I don't think any area likes that. Love us the way we are or stay away. The weather is "well, it's weather, unpredictable". Not as windy as the east side of the mountains but has a lot more cloudy days also. I love my state and have lived on both the east side of the mountains and right here in the mountains, it's a give and take. But if you need to work to support yourself and you need a certain income to do that don't move here without having a job first.

[RMKari]

I was raised in Helena and lived there till 2001. It is also growing rapidly. I still have family there and Helena has had a very mild winter these past few years. Being on the east side on the continental divide you don't get such drastic weather. Helena is the capitol, therefore having many state and federal jobs. The fastest growing area is Jefferson County, just minutes from Helena. I have to say that I miss Helena and the friendly folks. They also have Carroll College and vo tech. The hospital is expanding and has top of the line Doc's. I hope this helps. Good luck and enjoy big sky country. The newspaper is online and is www.helenair.com. You may want to check out the classifieds. Have you thought about Bozeman-Belgrade area?

[MTRoughneck]

The Bozeman-Belgrade area isn't much different than the Flathead anymore. Born and raised in Belgrade, and my wife is from Bozeman. It's expensive now, traffice is becoming more and more congested (stay off JackRabbit land in Belgrade and Nth 19th in Bozeman during rush hour, nightmarish). Property prices and construction rates are outrageous. Doesn't look to let up anytime soon.

If I had to choose between the Belgrade-Bozeman area and Helena, I'd choose Helena, not quite a crazy and you still get the beauty of the mountains in your backyard, plus access to Canyon Ferry just a couple miles down the road. You might consider Billings as an alternative if you don't mind moving a bit further from the mountains. The economy and job base is more diverse, property values are somewhat more reasonable and the health care industry is constantly looking for people. The weather is typically more moderate, though being on the Yellowstone it does tend to get a bit more humid and hot during July and August. Winters are relatively mild, though bear in mind anywhere in Montana is subject to subzero temperatures during December, January and February.

None of the communities mentioned get the wind that a lot of the communities on the eastern front of the Rockies get., nor do any of them typically get a whole lot of snow (anymore).

Hope this helps.

Tony

[JeanieS]

I am always surprised by the number of North Dakotans who talk about the "bitter cold" there and assume it to be significantly different in Montana...if you look at the average daily high per month for the last 30 years in Kalispell it is: Jan 20.5, Feb 26.6, Mar 33.7, Apr 43.2, May 51.3, Jun 57.8, Jul 63.6, Aug 62.9, Sept 53.2, Oct 41.9, Nov 31, Dec 22.7 - as you see, the hottest months are July and August....but, in reality there are many days that are in the 70s in June, July, Aug and Sept....Bismark is Jan 9.2, Feb 15.7, Mar 28.2, Apr 43, May 55, Jun 64.4, Jul 70.4, Aug 68.3, Sep 57, Oct 45.7, Nov 28.6, Dec 14.......as you can see it does get colder, but it also gets warmer...and, the average annul for Kalispell is 42.4 and Bismark is 41.6.......so not that different....

Anyway, Kalispell is becoming one of the Montana towns that Montanans are moving out of.....like Bozeman and Missoula and Red Lodge and Whitefish and Big Fork, etc....a lot of outsiders come in and "change" it and then Montanans leave - we like things pretty simple - we are for the most part a privite group - and there isnt a lot of money here....we are down there with Mississippi and Alabama.....I don't agree with the person who blamed all our woes on environmentalists....I could be just as extreme and say the lumber and mining industries are ruining what we really like about Montana (the fresh air, the tree filled mountains, the clean streams, etc.).....but, for the most part Montana has been able to strike a relatively healthy balance between the 2 extremes....

I also noticed you are thinking of Helena - I live in Jefferson county and work in Helena....if you want office jobs, Helena has way more than Kalispell.....Helena is a bit less isololated....and Helena is actually 10-30 minutes from 5 different lakes........but, if what you hear and read is true, Helena has about 5 or 6 years before it is another Montana town Montanans are moving out of......can anyone say Colorado????

[themotleyshopper]

Thank you guys for all your advice and opinions. That’s exactly what I need to hear. Let me start by saying, we are not “Big City Folk” intent on “changing” Kalispell. We live in a big city and we want out. We want our family to live in a smaller town, enjoy the seasons (and yes, I KNOW it’s cold , we don’t want all the craziness (not to mention crime and violence) of a big city. We debated Bozeman, but to me, it just seems bigger than what we want. Kalispell (from what I’ve researched), has a great public education system, a good hospital, and beautiful parks among other things. We do need jobs, and that is a sticking point right now. However, we will have time in July when we visit to do a little job hunting. Thanks again, to all of you, for taking the time to give me your thoughts. Keep ‘em coming