Montanans Relocating Elseware in Montana (Billings, Bozeman: house prices, employment, school)

[MontanaGal216]

NW Crow: Thank you! I appreciate the info.

NDak15: They do seem nice! The Helena area looks like a great option!

[MontanaGal216]

Does anyone else have anything at all about my original post that they'd like to share? Any kind input is welcome

[MTSilvertip]

Well, if you like museums, Helena does have the State Historical Society.

There is the granstreet theatre which has locally done plays and such, and there is the Helena Symphony Orchestra too.
Several nurseries and greenhouses as well as flower stores, several bakeries too. The latest one is the Dirty Dozen which mostly specializes in yuppie doughnuts.

There are usually music venues passing through, some are pretty good. We had Beau Solile a couple years ago and they really rocked the house.

You would probably like symphony under the stars in the summer, and alive at 5 which is kind of a weekly street fair with vendors and music.


Lots of that kind of stuff going on all the time.

[MontanaGal216]

MTSilvertip: Well now I'm pretty much sold on Helena. I knew about the museum and Symphony Under the Stars (went a few years back but got a bad spot and everyone talked through the entire thing, but I still love the idea of it) but had no idea it had so many things I was looking for! Thank you so much for letting me know!

[NW Crow]

Clancy is one of the more expensive Helena suburbs. Boulder and Townsend being farthest out may be the cheapest on average. But it comes down to what money will buy / rent, not averages.


Helena is a bit less sunny over the year than eastern Montana. If sunshine quantity is very important, you might continue to look outside Billings or maybe in WY or CO (or even Rapid City / Spearfish SD? These SD towns beat Billings by 20 more sunny days per year. Billings beats Helena by about 20 as well).

[MontanaGal216]

NW Crow: I was looking at the Townsend area and it looks pretty good price wise!

Sunshine is pretty important though, so I'll have to look into those areas. Wyoming might be nice!

[NW Crow]

In Wyoming Cody and Sheridan have community theater groups. (The other big towns might too.) Sheridan at first glance might be more active / upscale, in touch with professionals. Rich patrons help. http://sheridanstage.com/about-ctg/


4 Frisbee golf courses near Sheridan. https://www.discgolfscene.com/courses/Wyoming
Didn't see any listed for Cody. Sunny day level around Billings level or a little higher. Sunnier as you go further south and get away from the cloud track that comes out of Pacific Northwest and Canada.


Sheridan is kinda a tight housing market. A little cheaper on average than Helena but a wide range from modest to nice to fancy & very fancy in the area. Sometimes rated one of nicest western towns of its size. Old west and some new west.


Cody gets half the snow and a ton more tourists (which creates jobs and some hassle).


Townsend is a pretty good combo on small town MT, near enough to the city- if you don't mind driving that much. Mountains and a big lake to west. More hills to east. Lots of open, dry land to south. That part might remind of eastern MT. Near the trees in some directions but not so much in them (except in town / planted or on the west side of the lake).

[ericsvibe]

I would also like to recommend Helena. My family just purchased a home in East Helena. There is plenty of affordable real estate for sale in the Helena area. Check out Realtor.com. You can find homes from 150k and up. Everyone pretty much covered what Helena has to offer. It has petty much everything you want. I would like to add about the schools, Helena does have problems with some schools being at capacity, but Boulder/Montana City/Clancy has it's own school system which doesn't have this problem. The same with Townsend. East Helena, although part of the Lewis and Clark County School system, has it's own separate Elementary and Middle School, with plans for a High School as soon as the state law is amended to allow it(hopefully this year).

[MontanaGal216]

NW Crow: Wow, you did all my major research for me! Thank you! I had briefly looked into Cody but never Sheridan, and now that I see their housing market it's reasonable! Also good to know the basics about Townsend. We don't mind driving, especially since it's only about a half hour to the city on good roads.

ericsvibe: Thank you for contributing! I was wondering about the schools, so that's good to know! I hope you continue to enjoy living there The Helena area is looking very inviting!

[MontanaGal216]

For anyone familiar with the Helena/Townsend area I have another question. My husband and I love a good thunderstorm and since we've never lived in any mountainous area we were wondering if the area gets many good summer storms?