Idaho & Montana people!!!

[hollyh]

Hubby and I drove through Idaho & Montana on vacation and fell in love. :) 

We particularly liked the Alpine -Jackson area... but there were lots of areas we loved. 

 

What do I need to know about Idaho & Montana?

What is it like? How is the homeschool community? 

We would be relocating from Southern California- so I know it would be wildly different... but feel free to enlighten me on what I could come to expect...

 

What about religious demographics- we are Christian and would like to have a good amount of community local - are there areas that may be more attractive to us?

 

What about purchasing homes? Are taxes high, etc.??  

 

We really like areas with trees and snow-capped mountains..., not just flat land... so if there are cities you would advise us look into, throw them out! 

 

I don't really know where to start and what questions to ask- so feel free to provide any applicable info. 

 

Thanks for your help! 

[Ottakee]

I just know a tiny bit from my 3 times traveling there I was mostly in the Whitehall area (west of Bozeman MT).

 

Things were more casual. Any came to church in jeans and cowboy boots and we literally went directly from church to check on a cow having trouble with calving..so boots were practical.

 

Stores are a lot farther away. The lady we stayed with planned a trip 1-2 times a month to get most of her groceries, etc.

 

We loved the area and would move there if a good opportunity came up.

[Amira]

There aren't any big cities in that area, but you'd need to decide if you want to be rural or not, or at least how small a place you're interested in.

 

All three of those states (I'm including Wyoming, since you specifically mentioned Alpine and Jackson) are very conservative with some slightly less conservative pockets and a very small number of places that might be called (somewhat) liberal. Property taxes are generally relatively low, and I think they're lowest in Wyoming. Housing is generally not too expensive, especially if you have a California perspective, but some areas cost more. South of Alpine is Star Valley which is beautiful and less expensive than Jackson. Southeastern Idaho and Star Valley have lots of Mormons but lots of other Christians too.

 

Homeschooling is easy but not particularly diverse, but the area is not very diverse so that's to be expected.

 

It would be a major change from Southern California in pretty much every way. Even going to one of the larger cities in the region would be a huge change. It's not an area I'd like to live in permanently, but I have lived in the area and still visit often. When we lived near Yellowstone, I loved being able to do day trips there and I really miss that. I loved seeing the Tetons from our house.

[Guest]

There aren't any big cities in that area, but you'd need to decide if you want to be rural or not, or at least how small a place you're interested in.

 

All three of those states (I'm including Wyoming, since you specifically mentioned Alpine and Jackson) are very conservative with some slightly less conservative pockets and a very small number of places that might be called (somewhat) liberal. Property taxes are generally relatively low, and I think they're lowest in Wyoming. Housing is generally not too expensive, especially if you have a California perspective, but some areas cost more. South of Alpine is Star Valley which is beautiful and less expensive than Jackson. Southeastern Idaho and Star Valley have lots of Mormons but lots of other Christians too.

 

Homeschooling is easy but not particularly diverse, but the area is not very diverse so that's to be expected.

 

It would be a major change from Southern California in pretty much every way. Even going to one of the larger cities in the region would be a huge change. It's not an area I'd like to live in permanently, but I have lived in the area and still visit often. When we lived near Yellowstone, I loved being able to do day trips there and I really miss that. I loved seeing the Tetons from our house.

 

I live outside of Boise, my parents just moved to a suburb of Boise and just about every person moving into their new subdivision is from SoCa (where we are from as well).  I big puffy heart love it here.  Everything is so cheap and easy to do, especially as a single mom.

Homeschooling is really easy - zero laws.  And a lot of community events are designed for homeschoolers.  The library system is amazing.  The zoo, museums, and botanical gardens are wonderful.  And there's a lot of quirky things to do as well.

It's pretty conservative here, although Boise city is relatively liberal.  There's a lot of Christian churches.

Purchasing a house is really easy.  Compared to the mile-high stack of paper I signed for my house in SoCa, I think I had a total of like 5 signatures for this house.  Taxes are not high at all.

 

Boise is nestled right up against the mountains - not mountains like you'd find in Montana and Wyoming probably, but significant and they're really nice in the winter.  I think the last of the snow melted a week or two ago.

[nixpix5]

I cannot add anything as I have not lived their but a few years ago I spent a month in Meridian, Idaho and I seriously did not want to leave. It was so wonderful. The people and feel of the town was really nice. I dream of living in a small town with a large Christian population but my DH being a scientist means we are shackled to big expensive cities.

[ErinE]

I lived in Montana a bit north of where you're looking and visit regularly.

 

The scenery is gorgeous, especially the area you're interested in. Spending time outdoors is year-round, but you must invest in cold weather gear. Layers are key.

 

You can pick up used outdoor gear like canoes and skis at the end of the season for good prices.

 

Jobs are scarce and low-paying, even more so if you're in a tourist area. Many friends lamented their job situation. Several families had husbands working in the Dakota oil fields to find a good-paying job. It's a long way from western Montana to the fields.

 

Housing, while less expensive than Southern California, is often much higher than local salaries can support.

 

The region is very rural and the many large, beautiful, protected forests make it tough to get anywhere directly. Towns that were an hour away if there was a direct road ended up being a three hour drive to circle the forests. Plan on spending a lot of time driving.

 

Any car trip, especially in winter, was planned as if we'd be stuck for several hours. We always had an emergency pack ready. Once off an interstate or major highway and away from towns, you could be the only car for hours. Cell phone coverage can be spotty.

 

There are few direct flights to any cities other than Denver, Salt Lake, or Minneapolis. This made it hard to see family elsewhere in the US.

 

SAD is a real risk. Spending time outdoors in the winter months is crucial.

 

We loved living there, but I was glad to move closer to family.

[duckabell]

I've lived in both Montana and Idaho, although briefly in each. They are both beautiful. Two of my favorite places in the world are Glacier Park and Kalispell, MT. They have gorgeous lakes nestled between mountains. 

 

Montana felt very remote, and was really cold and snowy in the winter. Boise area has a more mild climate than other parts of Montana and Idaho. 

 

I've had family/friends homeschool in Idaho and it seemed homeschool friendly. Some even received stipends for homeschool materials, but they may have had to report to the school district.

 

We looked at moving to the Boise area a few years ago, but there wasn't the business opportunities that were in other areas of the country. It was also very far from other large cities and flights out of Boise are expensive. One funny thing about out west is that driving 4-5 hours to another city is fairly common and not that big of a deal. Where we are now in the midwest, driving that far seems like a long trip and not as often done.

[Insertcreativenamehere]

I lived in Boise for 6 years. We loved it, but it was before we had kids. We travel back every few summers and our kids would love to move there but extended family keeps us where we are now. There is so much to do if you enjoy the outdoors. Homeschooling is very easy, cost of living is very reasonable and there are a lot of transplants from other parts of the country -- especially CA. 

 

The weather is mild most of the year but very hot and dry all summer. Temps in the 100s are not unusual for days or even weeks at a time. 

 

Boise is more diverse than the rest of the state religiously -- much of eastern Idaho is LDS. There are a wide variety of churches in Boise and I'd feel totally comfortable moving there and finding a church home.