Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have enjoyed reading many posts and have a general sense of the area. Really appreciate those for sharing their experience.
My husband recently received a job offer to work in Minot. We are looking to move in October which is coming right up. We are currently residing in Alabama, big temperature difference yes, but we have lived in Vermont for quite some years before our time in Alabama.
I have read great things about the ND economy which is at the top of all the US states in Business Insider in 2015!! Educational spending is pretty good, compared to Alabama. Unemployment is really low at 2.9%.
I do have questions of Minot and would really appreciate some advice to help us in our decision.
1) Schools - by reputation, how are the schools in Minot? Are teachers and school staff good to work with and take bullying seriously? Which schools (for 3rd grade and 7th) are great in terms of performance, programs and support of school faculty and staff? Do any of the schools provide school bus services? Is there school choice, or would we have to live in specially assigned school zones in order to attend a particular school?
2) Housing - rentals are pretty expensive. We are looking at the $1200 - $1400/month range. With the harsh winter, we are looking for something with a double car attached garage (and takes a cat!). Does anyone know of any rentals, homes, apartments or condos, with good property management that fall in the zone for good schools in the area, if school choice is not permitted. Safe for kids and not in the flood plain.
3) Roads - I have heard that icing on roads occurs at the beginning and end of winter. I don't do very well with winter driving and looking to avoid living in areas where there are slopes! Is there a part of town that is pretty flat and also fits 1) and 2). SORRY, tall order. I've read that winter can last from November to April, are the roads iced up more often than not? Are there any areas in town where the roads are not plowed/sanded? With the snow not melting, is there always snow on the roads in winter?
4) Jobs - is it easy to find jobs in banking and the legal sectors? Is great work ethics part of the general culture in Minot? Is it generally easy to switch jobs quickly if the work culture is not compatible?
5) Reception - I have read many, many different accounts of the people in Minot. Some good, some not and realize that everyone will have different experiences, depending not only on one's outlook but also who you come across. Are people welcoming in general to new transplants to the area? I am Asian and have received both types of reception, depending on where we've lived. I do like to chat. Are people in general easy to get to know, accepting of people who are different and helpful?
6) Music opportunities. Does anyone know how far we would have to travel to participate in piano, violin, composer's competition for children?
7) Medical and dental. Are both those services generally good in the area?
8) Wind - is it pretty much windy all the time? How bad can this feel in the winter? Silly question, do businesses, workplaces generally keep their buildings heated at a decent temperature?
9) Crime - is Minot a safe place for the family? Are there parts of town we should avoid?
10) Does anyone know of any major projects, in the near future that could possibly impact the city of Minot?
Please let me know if there is anything else that we need to consider.
Thanks in advance for any responses to this post!!!!!
1) Schools - Have always been told that North Dakota High Schools are great. Graduation rates are very high.
2) Housing - Rentals are pretty expensive. Oil activity is slowing down some, so rents are starting to decrease a little bit. But for a family home, I expect you will pay in the $2-3k a month range. I think your desire for under $2k will be met with disappointment. Maybe your husbands work can provide some references or ideas.
3) Roads - Roads are always rough. And Minot is in a river valley. There are always going to be some hilly drives to get to stores, school, etc. But most of North Dakota is flat outside the valley. Make sure that you keep good tires on the car. It can get slick. The city does a good job keeping roads well maintained, but it will be a challenge for anyone not used to driving on ice/snow.
4) Jobs - Jobs are tough right now. This will disappoint you. The oilfield is slowing dramatically, increasing competition for ALL jobs. If you have experience, and education, it will be easier.
5) Reception - I don't like Minot people in general. Too many imports (no offense), and they don't treat the city like it is their own. The oilfield work has made it worse, but Minot is an Air Force town as well (has been for a long time before oil). I live to the Northeast in Bottineau, ND. I am about 80 miles from Minot, and the town is wonderful. Best ranked schools in the state, and much less traffic.
6) Music opportunities. I hear the Catholic school and Minot State University host quite a few music events for school age kids. Travel will be significant in any school functions though, since most large towns are separated by large distances.
7) Medical and dental. The hospital is pretty good. Has a wide range of care (heart, cancer, etc.). But it is very busy and wait times are horrible.
8) Wind - Always wind. Yep we have heat :P
9) Crime - Crime is getting bad. Oilfield again. I remember years ago (5+ years ago) when you could go years without a murder or even a gun being fired. Now it seems like a weekly occurrence. Theft is up as well. Keep your doors locked, and invest in alarms.
10) Not sure about this one. I do know that Minot has gotten cleaner and more developed in the last 5 years since the oil boom. Better parks, better roads, more choice in shopping. I suppose this is the positive to the oil boom development. It increased investment, an made Minot more "modern".
Thanks very much for your candid opinion on Minot, Oeconomia. Are the roads pretty much covered up with snow, with patches of ice underneath, after the snow starts to accumulate? I have heard the snow does not melt and the wind will blow it everywhere, including on the road. Having slopes around too does not help!
Jobwise, I have heard differing opinions. Someone who lives in Minot recently told me that it is an employee's market, which he said unfortunately affects the work ethics of some and some work places have had to shut down because they could not get employees to work for them!!! Granted, he may be talking more about entry level type employment.
Other than the imports, how are people who live there in general? Are people easy to get to know?
Thanks again for your response, I had mixed feelings reading it...
Hi. I was a bit hesistant to respond as I have never lived in Minot....but my wife is from Minot and grew up there and has many relatives in and around town. Her relatives run B & D grocery and my wife went through the Catholic school system there up thru Bishop Ryan HS.
So my experience is of visiting there and just talking with my wife's relatives/mom/dad, etc. Thus very specific info I dont have.
Minot is slowing down from the oil boom...while they are outside of the oil region per se, many companies had offices there. Most of those have closed up or shifted workers to Williston closer to the heart of the Bakken. That said over the past 5-7 years there has been a retail boom in Minot with a significant amount of new retail building, hotels, other more service jobs. Trinity Hospital is always hiring to some degree. So there are jobs to be had no doubt....not oil service jobs, but in general the town is slowly returning to more "normal" traffic wise.
Minot has three areas. The area along the Souris River -- downtown - zoo - areas just south of Minot State University - was severely impacted by the Mouse/Souris River flood in 2011. There are still many homes that have not been renovated or demolished. But that is in a relatively small area of town...more of where the older homes and older part of town is. You have the north hill and the south hill parts of town. Either side of the river are hills....with the north side more steep. The south side where most of the new residential and commercial growth has been isnt quite as steep, but do have more gentle hills before you reach the flat prairie just south of town. The south hill is where most of the development has taken place. New Office Depot....the mall is there. Their mall is quite nice. North hill area toward the airport is seeing more commercial growth too. The newer housing/apartments are in an area of some rolling hills...not steep...but not flat either. Southwest Minot in the past was referred to as the richer part of town (at least from what my wife said)
The Air Force base north of the city is a large part of the community as the base employees and houses a large number so when thinking of Minot do the city plus base personnel. If you do that it is the third largest city in the state.
With all the growth and influx of people in the past 5 years seeking the oil wealth....many did settle in Minot due to lack of housing out west. The influx of new people....mostly single men with no ties to the area and not there to settle down roots...have created some anomosity among locals. More people, especially young men with money, tend to be a bit more involved with bad things or draw in a criminal element which was there in only very small numbers before. Thus there has been more crime.... still below national averages.... but definitely noticeable uptick. The road system was not built for all the people and has struggled to keep up. Hopefully this slowdown will allow the city to catch up.
Rents and housing overall are high, a bit lower now than just after the flood due to more construction. North Dakota has always been a bit high cost of living compared to the southern states. Among other things due to better construction. Renting single family housing is still not a huge thing here....I live in Grand Forks-East Grand Forks about 4 hours east of Minot. Same here. If you find a house, be sure of location and some may try to rent or sell you a fixed up home that was damaged from the flood and may not have fixed to code. Double check. But for a 3 BR 2 BA house not very old....cost is 1500-1800/mo in my estimation based on where I live now. I am not greatly familiar with Minot prices but expect them to be the same or a tad higher.
Minot has two high schools. One public and one Catholic. There is more than enough kids in town for another public school, but the last referendum failed. Minot city taxes have increased over the last several years due to infrastructure improvement and growth catch-up. But public schools are good.....I have no info on other school vs another. But many are at their max enrollment so overcrowding has been an issue.
Yes it snows and yes there is wind in Minot and all of North Dakota. It is cold. Main roads are plowed good....but yes you will see a more accumulated amount of compact ice ruts on the main roads all winter long. But at least where I live now....they are sanded nearly every day. Travel in town is fine with most any vehicle....though I would avoid a truck without all wheel drive due to lack of weight in the back end. Though those without AWD or 4-wheel trucks do ok but need to put tubes of sand in the back. AWD cars do fine.
North Dakota and where I am at just across the Red River in northwestern Minnesota are reserved. You will not see people come greet you right away....but make small talk and saying hello is common at grocery stores, etc. If you have kids, it is easier to make friends as your kids will know others and you get to know the parents. People of this area really like someone with a strong work ethic and someone who more or less goes with the flow and tries not to change things.
Thanks very much for your candid opinion on Minot, Oeconomia. Are the roads pretty much covered up with snow, with patches of ice underneath, after the snow starts to accumulate? I have heard the snow does not melt and the wind will blow it everywhere, including on the road. Having slopes around too does not help!
Jobwise, I have heard differing opinions. Someone who lives in Minot recently told me that it is an employee's market, which he said unfortunately affects the work ethics of some and some work places have had to shut down because they could not get employees to work for them!!! Granted, he may be talking more about entry level type employment.
Other than the imports, how are people who live there in general? Are people easy to get to know?
Thanks again for your response, I had mixed feelings reading it...
Hey Artycat,
These are some good questions, but I don't think you need to worry.
As far as roads, they do get a bit icy in the winter, but in town they are generally scraped and sanded after a big storm. For a small town, there is a lot of road to cover in Minot, so it sometimes takes until later in the morning after a storm to get everything fully cleared - but they are generally always driveable. I would recommend taking it slow and learning your vehicles' limits when it comes to winter driving, especially when going up and down hills in town or when taking turns.
Outside of town on the highways, things are typically taken care of as far as scraping and sanding, but again, you need to take it slower and ease on the brakes when slowing down. Like winter driving anywhere else that has snow, stopping suddenly on icy roads can result in sliding or spinning out, which can be nasty if you go in the ditch. I've lived in Minot for 10 years now and have yet to have a major accident on the roads, but I have accidentally braked too late or turned sharply and gotten into a fender-bender or two. You just need to be careful!
For jobs, I would say that the market is good, but it really depends on what you're looking for. Retail and food industry jobs are aplenty, but like you said in your post, most would be entry-level type things. For banks, I'm not really sure, but I do notice new tellers at the bank I use pretty regularly, which leads me to believe they either have high turn over, or else take on new employees often. I've never worked in that sector so I can't be much help there, but I imagine most banks or legal agencies need help at some level.
As far as work ethic, I think most people in Minot have a good ethic and want to do well. You're always going to encounter people with a bad or lazy attitude wherever you go, so it really is unavoidable in my opinion. I think though, people who work at a more professional level rather than entry level are proud of what they do and work hard.
People-wise, I think the best advice I can give you is to be pleasant and try to integrate into the existing culture rather than trying to bring something new to the table. I mean this in the sense that most people I know in Minot have lived here either their whole lives, or are from smaller towns in the surrounding area and they chose to move here. These people like Minot and the community, and want to better it and grow here. The people I've met that don't like Minot are typically transplants from the Air Force, college students, or people who moved here for jobs from out of state. These people often times complain about the size of the town, the cold weather, the long-time residents, or the lack of "things to do" in comparison to their old state/city/region. These people then go on to feel isolated or judged and continue to complain about Minot and never really learn to be a part of the community.
There are many opportunities here to volunteer, join a church or organization to meet people, attend a local festival or event, and so on that the "complainers" often miss or overlook because they have already decided Minot is awful. If you have a good attitude and try to take part in the community, I think you will fit in fine and people will respond in turn. If you immediately decide Minot is awful and only befriend people who agree with that notion, you will be miserable and most likely never feel at home here. So, having said that, I wish you the best and hope you find what you're looking for!
You have all provided much detailed, useful information which I am really grateful for. I've kept an eye out for job availability in the ND Workforce Connection website, which will be very helpful to anyone considering relocation to ND, to scope out the job market in advance.
I've talked to various people living in Minot - music teacher, faculty of MSU, owner of Asian grocery store and found all to be very helpful, approachable in manner and definitely patient with me and my 50 questions. All people that I would enjoy getting to know and would get along with.
You've all also provided me with a really good idea of how the roads are like in winter, which sounds like they are kept up pretty well. At this point, we are making the decision to stay put due to my comfort level about my ability to drive safely (Driving slow is not an issue with me, it's handling the car after it begins to slide ). I totaled the SUV in Vermont, was not hurt and luckily was by myself (not with my kids) - winter driving has not been the same since.
Again, thank you so much, it is nice to know that there are people like yourselves willing to help someone you don't know out, with the thoughtful responses I received. Wish you all were in a warmer climate.
Some older couples are snowbirds, going to Arizona or Texas in the winter. You might have to be out by April, but it's something to consider.
There are a number of smaller commuter towns outside Minot, like Des Lacs, Burlington, Velva, Surrey, etc. They might have options. But be aware of the school district, as even in south Minot there are two districts that just just starting High Schools, Ned rose and South Prairie. Most of the small towns listed have their own high schools.
This refers to your #3. Certainly you can find flat areas in town. I'm in Williston, so I can't tell you specific developments that are flat, though a "Green Acres" comes to mind, which is up there near the Cash Wise Foods, ND Asia, and those places, I think.
Next, I'm very bias when it comes to winter driving for reasons that I won't go into here, but I say spend the money and get snow tires on your vehicle if you can for the wintertime, especially if you are planning on driving out of town at all during this time of year. If you research this, you'll see that it's pretty economical and wise. When I was in Minot last as a matter of fact, I was there to get my Michelin Xice Xi2 studless winter tires put on. I spoke with the sales guy who said that one time during the winter, he was there on the north side of town where one of the town's biggest hills is, and most people were scattered all over the place attempting to make their way up or down it. He said that with his set of Bridgestone Blizzaks on his minivan, he was able to hop onto the sidewalk, powering his way up and over! I wondered if that was just a salesman's story, if you know what I mean, but I had already purchased my tires, so he had no real reason to lie. I will be the first to say, though, that some locals may tell you that they've never used real snow tires, that Cooper AT3's, for instance, or Goodyear Wranglers, are just fine to have on year-round. I say no way, though.
Lastly, if possible, stick to divided highways (two lanes one way and two lanes the other). From what I know, the main highways between a) Minot and Bismarck (traveling SE), and b) Minot and Grand Forks (traveling E) are divided. If you head to Williston (traveling W, then S for 13 mi), you'll be on mostly divided highway, but a section (between Ray and Williston) that goes maybe 15 or 20 miles is all two-lane because of construction that they've been doing for who knows how long now. And if you ever go to Williston and then south of there via ND85, beware. This largely two-lane road is teeming with oilfield semi's, and there are head-on collisions sometimes.
Oh, and 45 mph is plenty for getting from point A to point B during the wintertime. If you've ever started losing it on an icy road while going any faster, then you know what I mean.
Hope you enjoy ND if you end up here!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Thank you!!!
). I totaled the SUV in Vermont, was not hurt and luckily was by myself (not with my kids) - winter driving has not been the same since.
