Is it worth retiring in Montana? (Billings, Missoula: house, schools, taxi)

[nowhereman427]

Originally Posted by Tall Traveler

Sure, everyone should consider cost of living and whether they could afford wherever they want to retire. Kalispells' cost of living is lower than national average and Whitefish is a bit higher...for many such as from the expensive western cities, it's pretty affordable.

Kalispell is pretty well developed with subdivisions all with sewer hook ups and water provided by the county.

[OneDawg]

Originally Posted by nowhereman427

Kalispell is pretty well developed with subdivisions all with sewer hook ups and water provided by the county.

You and many others miss the point. These people are coming from overdeveloped CITIES and 90% don't want to live in another city. They want the rural atmosphere and still be within 10-15 miles of a small town. NOT A METROPOLIS.



We had a home in the Flathead, not more than 10 miles from Kalispell. Almost never went there. Prices for everything was HIGHER than local grocers and gas stations along the way. Get a room at the Hampton or Red Lion and it will never be below $125/nt + taxes. And Flathead Elect will soak you dearly.
Diesel prices in Kalispell are lower than gasoline. It was cheaper to shop in Polson or Missoula (100 mi south) than in Kalispell and way cheaper than Whitefish.

[Aj_TN]

Thanks for all the great information. I agree with OneDawg, I am looking for something rural, but with access with to shopping and medical facilities. I would like a minimum ofn5 acres for the peace and quiet to enjoy the wildlife and views. I know this sounds like a fantasy, but my priorites have changed and I know what I want in life. Thanks again for all the great info.

[volosong]

Originally Posted by Aj_TN

...I am looking for something rural, but with access with to shopping and medical facilities. I would like a minimum ofn5 acres for the peace and quiet to enjoy the wildlife and views. I know this sounds like a fantasy, but my priorites have changed and I know what I want in life.

When I was researching my future retirement home, Montana was part of the process. I met a wonderful lady who attends a church of the same denomination as I and she let me stay in her basement bedroom on her ranch when I visited. She had some acreage north of the small town of Three Forks off Highway 287.

Nice ranch, mostly fallow. No much water. She kept some horses, but otherwise, her property was mostly a buffer against neighbors. She loved it. Wonderful views of the distant mountain ranges and the stars! So many stars. Quiet. Semi-isolated. Three Forks is a pretty cool town. I'd live there. Close enough to Bozeman and its amenities, (airport, medical, shopping).

I eventually decided that Montana is not the place for my retirement home. True, there is no sales tax on stuff you buy . . . but as a retired person, how much stuff are we going to buy? We already have our toys. Other taxes seem to be a bit higher to make up for not having a sales tax. A functioning government needs revenue. If they don't get it from sales tax, they will get it elsewhere. Montana is one of the few states that taxes Social Security income, and that is a big negative for me, (in my situation).

Three Forks may have what you want. Worth checking out.

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by volosong

When I was researching my future retirement home, Montana was part of the process. I met a wonderful lady who attends a church of the same denomination as I and she let me stay in her basement bedroom on her ranch when I visited. She had some acreage north of the small town of Three Forks off Highway 287.

Nice ranch, mostly fallow. No much water. She kept some horses, but otherwise, her property was mostly a buffer against neighbors. She loved it. Wonderful views of the distant mountain ranges and the stars! So many stars. Quiet. Semi-isolated. Three Forks is a pretty cool town. I'd live there. Close enough to Bozeman and its amenities, (airport, medical, shopping).

I eventually decided that Montana is not the place for my retirement home. True, there is no sales tax on stuff you buy . . . but as a retired person, how much stuff are we going to buy? We already have our toys. Other taxes seem to be a bit higher to make up for not having a sales tax. A functioning government needs revenue. If they don't get it from sales tax, they will get it elsewhere. Montana is one of the few states that taxes Social Security income, and that is a big negative for me, (in my situation).

Three Forks may have what you want. Worth checking out.

Three Forks is a neat little town plus there is some neat history there.

[nowhereman427]

Originally Posted by volosong

When I was researching my future retirement home, Montana was part of the process. I met a wonderful lady who attends a church of the same denomination as I and she let me stay in her basement bedroom on her ranch when I visited. She had some acreage north of the small town of Three Forks off Highway 287.

Nice ranch, mostly fallow. No much water. She kept some horses, but otherwise, her property was mostly a buffer against neighbors. She loved it. Wonderful views of the distant mountain ranges and the stars! So many stars. Quiet. Semi-isolated. Three Forks is a pretty cool town. I'd live there. Close enough to Bozeman and its amenities, (airport, medical, shopping).

I eventually decided that Montana is not the place for my retirement home. True, there is no sales tax on stuff you buy . . . but as a retired person, how much stuff are we going to buy? We already have our toys. Other taxes seem to be a bit higher to make up for not having a sales tax. A functioning government needs revenue. If they don't get it from sales tax, they will get it elsewhere. Montana is one of the few states that taxes Social Security income, and that is a big negative for me, (in my situation).

Three Forks may have what you want. Worth checking out.

sO Montana does tax social security.
If it isn't one thing it's always another. No sales tax so they have to make up for it in another way such as high property taxes. Same for those states that have no state income tax. They will get you one way or another.

[OneDawg]

Originally Posted by nowhereman427

sO Montana does tax social security.

Oh yeah, but so did ID for a long time, until they dumped it.

No sales tax so they have to make up for it in another way such as high property taxes. Same for those states that have no state income tax. They will get you one way or another.

But with states like WY who depend almost totally on minerals and oil production - the taxes there are regressive. At one time their gas tax was second lowest in the country @ 0.14/gal. Lowest was GA @ 0.07/gal. Now look at it GA = 0.26/gal; WY = 0.24/gal; MT = 0.27/gal; ID = 0.33/gal + federal tax

https://www.thebalance.com/regressiv...e-rate-4155620

[SkyLark2019]

I'm going to be blunt here.

If you've prepared for retirement correctly and can deal with the long winters, Montana is a great place to retire to.

I did notice when I lived there (as did a friend of mine who grew up as I did in an urban part of the West Coast) native Montanans can come off as both odd and not friendly.

Retiring to a state like that requires both a desire to stay responsible for one's life path, and also to just agree to walk away from local type things you cannot change. There's plenty of room in that state yet.

[Redraven]

Keep in mind that Montana has two Constitutional requirements that are worthy of note:
1. The State budget MUST be balanced. No deficit spending is allowed. Article VIII, Section 9

2. IF a sales tax is ever instituted, it can never exceed 4%. Article VIII, Section 16


Oh, and another one:
Article II, Section 12: "The right of any person to keep or bear arms...shall not be called in question, but nothing herein contained shall be held to permit the carrying of concealed weapons.

[Charlestondata]

My BFF who I was tight with in DC ‘79-‘84 and his husband just left DC after all these years and moved to Thompson Falls last month. I’m still in shock. He’s originally from CA and his husband’s from TN, but my friend lived in MT in his teen years. His mom and siblings live in Missoula. He puts beautiful photos on Instagram from all over the world basically, and now from his MT excursions.