Bozeman/Livingston area (Billings, Missoula, Paradise: crime, home, school)

[Elkman]

Hello, I am thinking about relocated out West and I am just doing some research now and I'm possibly thinking of the Bozeman/Livingston area. I am an outdoor adventurer also. Are these areas good places to raise a family?

[francej16]

Go to Bozeman

Hubby and I moved here to Livingston because it is so pretty.

But it is a town of modern day hippies which is not necessarily a bad thing but way too liberal and when a child does something bad their system here is to basically blame the parent and hug the child and send them on their way

No jobs either except for the hospital and PFL

Bozeman is MUCH nicer

[aphrodite]

I grew up in Bozeman and loved it. I wish I could still live there but there are not enough good paying jobs.

[Elkman]

I hear Bozeman is growing fast. I'm sure a lot of chain stores are to follow if they are not already there. How bad are winters there? I'm in a lake effect snow region so I'm used to being dumped on. What I don't like is the frigid cold like 0's for the high. I hope Bozeman is not cold like that on a typical winter day.

[francej16]

Originally Posted by Elkman

I hear Bozeman is growing fast. I'm sure a lot of chain stores are to follow if they are not already there. How bad are winters there? I'm in a lake effect snow region so I'm used to being dumped on. What I don't like is the frigid cold like 0's for the high. I hope Bozeman is not cold like that on a typical winter day.

Bozeman has all the big chainstores

Walmart
Target
Costco
just opened Linens and Things and World Imports.

Very nice town and definitely growing

I do know it gets colder in Bozeman than in Livingston but I only expienced Montana winter since this February lol

[Elkman]

Some of the message boards I read make it seem Bozeman is growing so fast that the locals are disgusted and they don't like the people coming in. I know every town/city has its share of rotten apples but I was hoping Bozeman could be the spot where I could raise my family in a quieter and peaceful area. I sure hope it will stay that way for a long time. The message boards complain of traffic, crime and rudeness. What's your view on Bozeman?

[Rickers]

Bozeman is a City. All that talk about folks not accepting outsiders is mostly about very tiny towns. In a city everyone is so anonymous that nobody really cares who people are or where they came from.

[grizzfan]

US News and World Report this week lists Bozeman as one the top 10 retirement communities. Median home price is nearing $290K!!

Bozeman is a college town that has had more than its share of drug problems. 6 former members of the MSU football and basketball team are either in jail or under investigation for everything ranging from drugs to murder. But you can find that anywhere these days unfortunately.

I'm not quite as critical of Livingston as francej16 seems to be. It has changed a lot in the years since I was raised there. Jobs can be a problem, but that depends on what you do. Land prices are catching up with Bozeman, but probably $50-75K behind. Many people commute to Bozeman, 25 miles one way; but that can be tricky in the snowy winter over the Bozeman Pass.

Trust me, Montana gets cold in the winter and below zero temperatures for extended periods are common. We have a little place in Livingston that we winterize and only use in the summer. The recording thermometer registered -20F as the coldest temperature. And it's often colder in Bozeman. But there is beauty in all of that.

Good luck

[NYMTman]

The whole area is so beautiful. The Gallatin and Paradise valleys are two of the most scenic places in this country, in my opinion. In a nut shell: Bozeman is white collar while Livingston is blue collar. Bozeman is one of the most highly educated towns in the country and that might be a huge plus for you. Montana as a whole is one of the most well-educated states in the country when looking at the percentage of people with college and grad school degrees, which for some reason is surprising to many out of staters.

I cannot speak for Livingston but Bozeman is really clean - spotless even - and safe. The chains have indeed been moving in; IHOP moved in last month. Politically Bozeman is fairly centrist so it won't offend you too much either way like Missoula (far left) or Billings (far right) might. Bozeman does not at all match the "Montana cowboy" stereotype that many have, although Livingston may come closer.

Expect a hundred inches of snow a year in Bozeman (half that in Livingston, since it's east of the mountains), but only a few days with highs below zero. Last year there was a day or two where the high was around -10 and the low around -25 ish, but most days are warmer (but still a tad colder than Upstate NY).

[NYMTman]

BTW, there's a Heavy Snow Warning in place for Bozeman tonight and tomorrow so unlike New York State you will have to deal with snow as early as September and as late as June, if that turns you off.