Input on Montana Towns/Cities

[marktole]

Hey all,

I have seen several other people post threads like this with great input from the Rokslide community so I thought I'd post one up looking for some info.

This year I went to the Montana Fire Fighters Testing Consortium Testing and passed everything and was able to apply to six different fire departments in Montana that interested me. I am waiting to hear back from most of them as to whether or not I will get an interview. I've still got a long way to go before I'd be hired at any of the departments, but I thought it might be a good idea to get some firsthand info on some of these towns in the event I get job offers from more than one down the road.

The departments I applied to are Helena, Great Falls, Big Sky, Billings, Miles City, and Butte-Silver Bow (and will apply to Bozeman if they send out an email indicating they will be hiring this year). I'm a single guy in my late 20's and I like to hunt (like everyone else on here). If anyone lives in or around these towns and has input on cost of living, nearby recreation (skiing and stuff), culture of the town, etc., I would like to hear from you! I am especially interested in what residents of Great Falls, Big Sky, and Miles City have to say.

The only hunting related questions I have about these towns is how is the waterfowl hunting? I know eastern Montana can have some great goose hunting, but I never hear much about the central and western part.

Thanks for your input!

 

[danmayland]

Big Sky will be the prettiest and most expensive. Miles City will be the least expensive and best water fowl hunting. Great Falls isn’t bad but probably the least desirable of all the places you mentioned. Big Sky/Bozeman has the most recreationally to offer but cost of living is the highest in the state as a result. Forget buying a house and you best find a place to rent first. Expect to pay $1,800-$2000 a month in the Bozeman/Big Sky area for rent for a 1 bedroom apt. You might find cheaper but it will be tough. You certainly won’t in Big Sky. I can’t attest to rent situation in Miles City or Great Falls. I have friends in both areas though. If you big into hunting I’d search for areas north western Montana. I live in the Bozeman area and refuse to hunt within 3 hours of Bozeman. It’s over run with people anymore and impossible to have any sort of an enjoyable experience. With the invent of on-x maps there is no such thing as a secret spot anymore. It’s not to say you can’t have a successful hunt around Bozeman because you can but you will have to work very hard to get it. There’s some great opportunity in the eastern side of the state but employment/wages/quality of living will be less.


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[nodakian]

I grew up in northwest MT, spent a lot of time in Missoula and the Kalispell/Bigfork area, lived in Great Falls (3 years) and Bozeman (16 years), and investigated Billings (too many people for my tastes) and Miles City (I like it). All have their unique cultures, benefits, and drawbacks. Danmayland is dead on correct about the cost of living in Bozeman/Big Sky--it's ridiculous. Butte is cool, but has a (probably undeserved) reputation as a pretty rough town; great parties, though.

My favorite place by far was Great Falls. If I end up moving back to MT, I'll look hard at Great Falls again. Snowmobile within an hour in the Little Belts, and 1.5 hours to Lincoln. Waterfowl at Benton Lake (15 minutes), Freezeout Lake (1 hour), and on the Missouri River. Walleye and trout on the Missouri and area lakes. Deer everywhere, and landowners that want you to shoot them. Elk in the Highwoods, Little Belts, and points west, all within about an hour. Antelope within an hour. The city itself has historically had a blue-collar, run-down reputation, but I go there a couple times a year, and can see it improving all the time; it's definitely different than when I lived there. Cities in western MT experience boom-bust cycles with real estate, but Great Falls just stays steady.

 

[mountainman406]

Been in Great Falls for just over 4 years now and A LOT has changed just in that short period of time. A lot of the housing/COL is based off of military member's housing allowance/pay scale(unfortunately). In my experience, it's cheaper to buy a house than it is to rent here. If you want to drop my a PM I'd be more than happy to provide a little more insight.

 

[austinphps]

No personal experience, but my cousin went to a small college in Helena -graduated, found a job, married a girl, bought a house. Something there was enough to keep him for the past 8. Being a single guy; having a college around, albeit a small one, could be beneficial for many aspects.

 

[austinphps]

He is an outdoorsman as well I should add. So hunting/fishing access must not be too bad either.

 

[marktole]

Awesome info, thank you everyone for your input!

 

[mthillrunner]

I grew up in miles city. Deer/antelope hunting is phenomenal, along with waterfowl...if you can get access. All the places I grew up hunting are leased up for hunting or they no longer allow hunting. Public land is difficult to come by there, much of it is land locked & no access. Was a good place to grow up. I don’t think I could live there, too far from where I like to recreate. There are some great folks there. However, it is a difficult place to move to if you don’t know anyone there. Good luck

 

[Mt Al]

For hunting/outdoor/public land access IMHO, Great Falls, Miles City, Helena and Billings all work. South Central/Bozeman is insane and getting worse all the time. As above, OnX maps have made everything "found". Just last year two places I had almost to myself for 15+ years were crawling with people, five trucks parked where zero had been. IMHO, if you're not rich there's little reason to move here unless being in a trendy town is high on the list.

Not sure what mthillrunner's experiences have been but getting on public land near Miles City has been easy for me and many others. TONS of it and walking a mile or more off the road leads to hunting goodness. Pretty small town but some love it.

Great Falls is the same and less-molested public land is all around. A buddy lives there and loves it.

Good luck!

 

[mtwarden]

Let's see I've lived in Miles City, Helena and Great Falls (along with a dozen other towns scattered about the state!).

Big Sky is tough to classify as a town, it's a resort really (think small Jackson Hole). Yeah it's pretty and if skiing is high on your priority list, then worth considering. It does cost a butt load to live there though.

Miles City- it's a nice, small town; but big enough to have a few decent restaurants, Super Walmart. As far as hunting opportunities, it's really tough to beat. For big game I'm talking deer/antelope- there are good elk populations in the area if you are an archery hunter. The rifle permits are a little tough to come by. Bird/waterfowl hunting is top notch. I think the access is actually pretty good- lots of BLM and State Land, much of it in big blocks. It also has the most Block Mgt hunting opportunities in the state (private land owners cooperating with FWP to open private lands to hunting). From an economic standpoint- easily the most bang for your buck as far as housing.

I think Helena and Great Falls are fairly comparable in hunting opportunities. Both have good dee/elk hunting opportunities near by. Both are bigger towns by Montana standards and offer a fair amount of amenities (again by Montana standards). Housing is more expensive in Helena vs Great Falls, but pales to the likes of Bozeman.

I think the sleeper is Butte. Reasonable housing costs, decent sized (they probably have more good restaurants than Helena and Great Falls combined, despite being smaller). Butte sometimes gets a bad rap due to the Berkley Pit and some of it's history, BUT the surrounding area around Butte is very nice country and home to large elk herds.

 

[widnert]

^^^What "mtwarden" says above captures things pretty well. Especially Bozo. I live here. Only way we could afford to get into a house was buying during the economic down-turn a few years ago (prices here just stopped increasing for a short bit). At the present valuations, I couldn't even think about buying it again. The influx of people here has become ridiculous. Only reason we stay for the moment is my job. Otherwise, we would be out. If I can adjust that job situation (and I will) we would move to a better spot.

Just as a reference, the wife is a 5th generation Montanan, born & raised in Bozeman. She refuses to go anywhere near downtown or most of town in any way. We stay on the outskirts. She keeps saying she doesn't even recognize her hometown and wants to move somewhere else in Montana.

 

[nodakian]

^^^What "mtwarden" says above captures things pretty well. Especially Bozo. I live here. Only way we could afford to get into a house was buying during the economic down-turn a few years ago (prices here just stopped increasing for a short bit). At the present valuations, I couldn't even think about buying it again. The influx of people here has become ridiculous. Only reason we stay for the moment is my job. Otherwise, we would be out. If I can adjust that job situation (and I will) we would move to a better spot.

Just as a reference, the wife is a 5th generation Montanan, born & raised in Bozeman. She refuses to go anywhere near downtown or most of town in any way. We stay on the outskirts. She keeps saying she doesn't even recognize her hometown and wants to move somewhere else in Montana.

Yeah, I also agree mtwarden nailed it, and we won't go back to Bozangeles if we can help it. Other than the great selection of breweries and food, there's nothing left for us.

For the OP: if you like sunshine in the winter, be careful about Missoula and north. The temperature inversions frequently prevent sunshine for most of the winter. Temps are pretty reasonable, but the constant gray ceiling will make you pound the Vitamin D to ward off seasonal depression.

I could live in Helena, too. Close enough to prairie and mountains and the Missouri River for all outdoor activities. My wife liked Bozeman when we lived there, and I liked Great Falls, but we agreed Helena would be a suitable compromise. (Now that we haven't live in Bozeman for several years, she is over it, too.)

 

[marktole]

Thank you again everyone, very helpful!

 

[rgrx1276]

owned a place in Boulder Mt. Looking to go back after my divorce. DL NF was right outside the door, saw elk and deer everyday and would move back in a heartbeat. It's cold in the winter...
Town is small, community is tight but friendly if you are. Bought groceries in Helena- 45 minute drive in decent conditions.

 

[junior]

mtwarden nailed it with Butte IMO. still SW montana with good opportunity. Pay is likely decent still but cost of living wayyy lower than being near Bozangeles.