Hi everyone!!! Possibly moving to your state and have a few questions! (Billings: fit in, transplants)

[MaryW.]

Hi everyone, my name is Mary and as the title suggests, we may be moving to your state. We currently reside in Buffalo, NY so as for your winters I've heard so much about, I think I have that covered lol! Snow, ice and subzero wind chills do not bother us at all!

My questions mainly focus on economy, crime rates, cost of living, schools and neighborhoods. As I stated, we currently live in buffalo, NY. It is crime ridden, drug infested and the school system is terrible but we've stayed for family reasons. Now we are ready to run and never look back.

We would love to live somewhere quiet with a sense of community. So please, tell me all about your state and if you are all welcoming to new comers.

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by MaryW.

Hi everyone, my name is Mary and as the title suggests, we may be moving to your state. We currently reside in Buffalo, NY so as for your winters I've heard so much about, I think I have that covered lol! Snow, ice and subzero wind chills do not bother us at all!

My questions mainly focus on economy, crime rates, cost of living, schools and neighborhoods. As I stated, we currently live in buffalo, NY. It is crime ridden, drug infested and the school system is terrible but we've stayed for family reasons. Now we are ready to run and never look back.

We would love to live somewhere quiet with a sense of community. So please, tell me all about your state and if you are all welcoming to new comers.

Montana is a big state and western, eastern, and southwestern Montana are pretty different regions IMO. Do you have specific cities you're looking into?

I can give you some general answers with some of these, although it does vary by city. Good paying jobs are tough to find. They are there, but competition is fierce. Cost of living in the pretty areas is often high (or very high). Crime isn't much of an issue as long as you stay off the reservations. Meth is a problem in many areas, although it's not a majority of the population that partakes. Schools really depend on where you are. As far as being welcoming of outsiders, some places are good, others are paranoid of anyone from "back east" moving in.

[MaryW.]

Originally Posted by NDak15

Montana is a big state and western, eastern, and southwestern Montana are pretty different regions IMO. Do you have specific cities you're looking into?

I can give you some general answers with some of these, although it does vary by city. Good paying jobs are tough to find. They are there, but competition is fierce. Cost of living in the pretty areas is often high (or very high). Crime isn't much of an issue as long as you stay off the reservations. Meth is a problem in many areas, although it's not a majority of the population that partakes. Schools really depend on where you are. As far as being welcoming of outsiders, some places are good, others are paranoid of anyone from "back east" moving in.

Hi thank you for replying. We are currently in discussion about moving so as far as I can tell, Billings or the surrounding areas are what we are looking for.

Yes we are from the east coast but I swear we aren't bad lol!!!! We don't seem to fit into our area because of our values and beliefs. We are quiet and tend to keep to ourselves. My husband is very hard working, I am a stay at home mother to our three children. We're young but hold to traditional values.

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by MaryW.

Hi thank you for replying. We are currently in discussion about moving so as far as I can tell, Billings or the surrounding areas are what we are looking for.

Yes we are from the east coast but I swear we aren't bad lol!!!! We don't seem to fit into our area because of our values and beliefs. We are quiet and tend to keep to ourselves. My husband is very hard working, I am a stay at home mother to our three children. We're young but hold to traditional values.

Billings is pretty welcoming and the winters will be more mild than you're used to. It has always struck me as a working class town. I haven't lived in Billings so can't give too many specifics but can answer other Montana questions.

[Dangerous Dave]

I would strongly suggest spending some time in Billings. It's not a very nice place. I'm sure the crime is less than in NY but it's one of the more crime prone areas of Montana.


I spend a lot of time in Montana, all over the state as it's my territory at work. I would look into Missoula, and maybe Bozeman and the Flathead Valley area. I'd also look at Northern Idaho, and depending on what kind of work you're looking at doing, maybe Wyoming and northern Colorado. All of those places are also more tax-friendly than Montana.

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by Dangerous Dave

I would strongly suggest spending some time in Billings. It's not a very nice place. I'm sure the crime is less than in NY but it's one of the more crime prone areas of Montana.


I spend a lot of time in Montana, all over the state as it's my territory at work. I would look into Missoula, and maybe Bozeman and the Flathead Valley area. I'd also look at Northern Idaho, and depending on what kind of work you're looking at doing, maybe Wyoming and northern Colorado. All of those places are also more tax-friendly than Montana.

If the OP wants sense of community Wyoming is best avoided. It's every man for himself there.

[patches403]

Originally Posted by MaryW.

Hi thank you for replying. We are currently in discussion about moving so as far as I can tell, Billings or the surrounding areas are what we are looking for.

Yes we are from the east coast but I swear we aren't bad lol!!!! We don't seem to fit into our area because of our values and beliefs. We are quiet and tend to keep to ourselves. My husband is very hard working, I am a stay at home mother to our three children. We're young but hold to traditional values.

What's your budget going to be? Montana is a lot more expensive than Buffalo so your budget may rule out certain areas or certain types of property especially if you wanted acreage. It already been mentioned about the difficult job situation, so make sure your husband has a job secured before moving.

[ericsvibe]

I don't want to get into a tit for tat on jobs, but there are TON's of jobs in Montana, right now. If you are a convicted felon, no there aren't allot of jobs. If you are educated and have either a degree, or technical education, or a great work ethic, there are jobs all over. Some are entry level, lower paying jobs, but work is work. If you are unemployed, anything is better than starving.


The state of Montana has 152 job openings as of today.


https://mtstatejobs.taleo.net/career...ch.ftl?lang=en


The federal government has 126 job openings.


https://www.usajobs.gov/Search/?Keyw...atusJobs=False


Here is the employment service website. All private sector job listings are compiled here, free of charge to the employer.


https://jobs.mt.gov/jobs/login.seek


I searched in Helena, MT. It has 826 listings as of today.


Billings, MT has 1,585 jobs listed.


Bozeman, MT has 751 jobs listed.


Great Falls, MT has 903 jobs listed.


Missoula, MT has 921 jobs listed.


Kalispell, MT has 842 jobs listed.


Butte, MT has 319 jobs listed.




As you can see, there are jobs in Montana.

[Montguy]

I'm not really one to spout off idiotic nativist Montanan bumper-sticker slogans, but when a potential transplant comes to the forum alluding to their "traditional values" being a better match for Montana vs Whatever Metro, USA that's violating their subjective community standards...well, sorry to say, "WE'RE FULL".

But in all seriousness, OP, why in Sam F#€! would you choose Montana coming from New York? Honestly, should you and your family make the leap to MT...I give it five years before you move to Idaho. Or Utah. Or Colorado. Or back east.

Montana isn't a good place for working people who aren't fortunate enough to be employed and paid/salaried/insured off the public dime, and it certainly isn't a good place for a young family to survive with only one spouse providing an income stream (hence, moving to Montana could cost you your stay-at-home motherhood long before you're ready). This purdy landscape and whatever sense of isolation and personal safety it gives people will ultimately not pay the rent, it won't pay a mortgage, it won't cover astronomically high childcare costs, it won't build your personal savings or your 401, it won't assist your children through post-HS education...on and on. It seems to me that the most financially sound people in MT are making/have made most of their money elsewhere.

Montana is a fun place to have money, sure, but it's a horrible place to make money. Just ask Millenials and Gen-Xers (you undoubtedly fall into one of those demographics) why they so reliably flee the state in such large numbers year after year...only to be replaced by aging white-flighters and those otherwise politically disenfranchised from all over the US who really don't give two sh*ts about you or your family--"JUST STAY OFF MY LAWN!" If that's the sense of community you're looking for, then Montana just might indeed be for you, because that demographic shift and mentality is our future.

So there's some rather bleak perspective for you, take it or leave it. Not all Montanans (or transplants) experience this state in the same ways--many, obviously, do like it and do find an acceptable level of community here, depending on their tastes. My own distaste/bias comes primarily from observing the cultural and demographic changes occurring here, and of course the economics of survival that go along with these things that, for me, just aren't worth living in a place that's becoming such a poor match for my own values.

Anyway, good luck.

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by Montguy

I'm not really one to spout off idiotic nativist Montanan bumper-sticker slogans, but when a potential transplant comes to the forum alluding to their "traditional values" being a better match for Montana vs Whatever Metro, USA that's violating their subjective community standards...well, sorry to say, "WE'RE FULL".

But in all seriousness, OP, why in Sam F#€! would you choose Montana coming from New York? Honestly, should you and your family make the leap to MT...I give it five years before you move to Idaho. Or Utah. Or Colorado. Or back east.

Montana isn't a good place for working people who aren't fortunate enough to be employed and paid/salaried/insured off the public dime, and it certainly isn't a good place for a young family to survive with only one spouse providing an income stream (hence, moving to Montana could cost you your stay-at-home motherhood long before you're ready). This purdy landscape and whatever sense of isolation and personal safety it gives people will ultimately not pay the rent, it won't pay a mortgage, it won't cover astronomically high childcare costs, it won't build your personal savings or your 401, it won't assist your children through post-HS education...on and on. It seems to me that the most financially sound people in MT are making/have made most of their money elsewhere.

Montana is a fun place to have money, sure, but it's a horrible place to make money. Just ask Millenials and Gen-Xers (you undoubtedly fall into one of those demographics) why they so reliably flee the state in such large numbers year after year...only to be replaced by aging white-flighters and those otherwise politically disenfranchised from all over the US who really don't give two sh*ts about you or your family--"JUST STAY OFF MY LAWN!" If that's the sense of community you're looking for, then Montana just might indeed be for you, because that demographic shift and mentality is our future.

So there's some rather bleak perspective for you, take it or leave it. Not all Montanans (or transplants) experience this state in the same ways--many, obviously, do like it and do find an acceptable level of community here, depending on their tastes. My own distaste/bias comes primarily from observing the cultural and demographic changes occurring here, and of course the economics of survival that go along with these things that, for me, just aren't worth living in a place that's becoming such a poor match for my own values.

Anyway, good luck.

Well stated, as usual MontGuy.