Moving from Bozeman, MT to Portland , OR (Eugene, Corvallis: crime, public schools)

[epaz]

Hi everyone

I am thinking of moving from Bozeman to Portland with my two sons (6 weeks, and 3 years) I was hoping to find someone who is able to compare the two if they have ever lived in Bozeman. What I love about Bozeman is that it is a college town with access to nature hikes, farms, biking, many local business such as coffee shops, restaurants, health/organic food stores. I also love the farmers market and the new child friendly library that was just built. However I left Bozeman soon after college because of a lack of "culture/diversity." I moved to NYC and loved it. However, now that I have two sons I am craving a more down to earth environment such as Bozeman but with a little more of a city vive and "culture." Can anybody please give an idea of how the two compare?

[Rob Allen]

I've never visited Bozeman but from your description it sounds like a smaller version of Portland. The only exception is that Portland has some colleges but is not a "college town".

[kapetrich]

Having to make a comparison.....Portland is like the middle ground between NYC and Bozeman. Portlands a very livable mid-major with quick access to nature, farms, biking etc. and also has a strong local business culture with coffee roasters, independent restaurants and healthy/organic food stores.

I think Portland is more laid back and "down to earth" than NYC and is more similar to Bozeman in this way.

Everything you describe you like about Bozeman is in Portland 15 fold or more as Portland has a sizable metro around it. I've been to Bozeman and I was not all that impressed, but for a town of its size it had a surprising amount of amenities you've described, just 1 or 2 of each and all centered in one area of town. This has more to do with it being a college town then it being actually unique, imho. Most college towns have similar amenities. Portland is not a college town.

Edit: Fixed my typo, of "Boozeman". Thanks Metlakatla!

[Metlakatla]

Just curious; is "Boozeman" a typo or an intentional mistake? It doesn't really strike me as a heavy-drinking town....

[dperry9]

I actually grew up in Bozeman until I was eight years old but left so long ago (1977) I can't really make a fair comparison.

Bozeman is so much smaller than Portland it's a leap to compare them at all anyway, IMO. A fairer comparison would be to Corvallis or Eugene. SW Montana is a bit different in terms of natural scenery too since Portland is in a fertile valley not far from the Pacific Ocean and Montana is a Plains state plus the Rocky Mountains (or the Bridger Mountains in the case of Bozeman). Bozeman is also fairly isolated which would be a very different experience vs. a metropolitan area of over 2 million. Both are pretty close to skiing if that's important to you.

[Ms_Christina]

Hi there. Born and raised in Bozeman. Now in the Portland area. Portland is just a giant Bozeman in some respects. A bit more liberal than Bozeman. But like Bozeman it is a very white city. There are pockets of cultural diversity but NOTHING like NYC ( I lived in nearby NJ too )

[MtMtnMan]

Bozeman is a university town; Portland is a medium-sized city. Cleaner and less crime in Bozeman. Colder, drier and sunnier in Bozeman. Better scenery and wildlife in Bozeman. Oregon's income tax is 9%; Montana's is 6.9%. Portland is more diverse racially; Bozeman is not. Both have organic food and farmers markets. Portland has more jobs. Portland is very liberal; Bozeman is not. Missoula would be a better comparison, politically, to Portland.

I would rather raise my kids in Bozeman than Portland; it is smaller, cleaner, has less crime and drug use. Portland schools have an abysmal graduation rate (in high school). For a university town, Bozeman has a lot to do. No traffic compared to Portland. Montana has a better state government than Oregon (how they function). Portland is more expensive.

Do you have a job set up in Bozeman? If so, I would opt for Bozeman. I like both places; however, they are an apples and oranges comparison due to size. I've lived in Portland and I've lived in Montana; however, if pressed, I would say it is better to raise your kids in Bozeman than Portland.

The air quality in Bozeman is much better than Portland. Allergies are worse in Portland due to climate. I like the great outdoors in Bozeman much more than Portland ( they both are great, though).

Good luck with your decision!

Happy Trails,

MtMtnMan

[lurtsman]

I would rate Portland, OR a hair over Bozeman for raising kids, but that is based on priorities. I would prefer the kids to be exposed to a larger city because I think it helps with development. I also prefer the climate, as Bozeman is simply too cold for me. On the other hand, Bozeman has access to some beautiful mountains so I would consider the great outdoors to be more great there. It is only the slightest of edges, though if Bozeman were not a college town I might have it ranked higher. I have found college towns are often the least desirable places to live. They tend to have more drunk driving, more loud people, and higher costs of living. If I were looking strictly at schooling environments, I would have to say Bozeman might get the nod, as I found the school system in Portland (where I was raised) to be underwhelming. The odds for a decent paying job are significantly better in Portland. If you worked from home, so that income would be completely unaffected by your decision, the lower COL in Bozeman would make it the better option.

My views may be irrelevant to the OP, as I think I would despise living in NYC. I love cultural diversity, but I hate massive crowds and high costs of living. The one BIG city that I really like is Denver. Houston and Atlanta get honorable mention as well. Anything over 2 million in population classifies as a BIG city to me.

[mufc1878]

I'd rather live in Bozeman - and this is someone who likes cities like HK, NYC, DC, etc.

I think living in mid-sized cities is the worst - you get urban hassles without true world class urban benefits.

Outside of the top cities, I think the best places are college-towns/small towns with top access to nature like bozeman.

[MtMtnMan]

Here are two articles comparing Bozeman and Portland ACT scores:

Bozeman students beat Montana, nation on ACT, SAT college tests - Bozeman Daily Chronicle: Education

Portland Public Schools ACT scores show less than half of test-takers are ready for college math | OregonLive.com