Moscow vs Sandpoint (Boise, Ketchum: how much, home, high school)

[JudgeSmayles]

Hi All,

Still searching the U.S. for our next place to live. We still live in western Washington state, but are definitely ready for a change. We're not especially political and consider ourselves moderates—but these last few years have exposed some differences between us and many of our neighbors. While "diversity" is often touted around here, few are interested in diversity of opinions. As I'm sure has been the case with other places, Covid has exacerbated some of these differences.

I have no interest in ranting my personal views, but I bring all of this up to say that we are looking forward to a place with a little more freedom or at least where we might bump into more folks of a similar mind. On the other hand we are not religious nor are we especially conservative.

We've read that Moscow is very progressive and moving further to the left—strict around Covid, outdoor masking, etc. during pandemic, and that the local government is authoritarian, high taxes, etc. Doesn't sound like our cup of tea.

On the other hand, we've had friends who moved there tell us it is nothing like Western Washington and that there is a big difference between an Idaho progressive and a Washington progressive, and that they've hardly noticed Covid there versus their original home in western Washington.

We love Moscow's vibe, the farmers market, having a college nearby to watch games, the high school looks great, etc. but do you think someone with center-right politics will be uncomfortable or especially frustrated trying to live there? Should we aim for Sandpoint?

We love Sandpoint too, but it feels a little more isolated than we'd like and while we'd do our best to embrace the snow, we wonder how well we'll like the winter.

In the end we're probably most concerned about our kids enjoying their childhood and being able to run our business from our home property. We like living around all kinds of people, but want to feel like we can be ourselves.

Thanks for any feedback.

[nowhereman427]

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/idah...ent=nlbuttonB2

This is dated: February 23, 2017

[Heron31]

Originally Posted by nowhereman427

This is dated: February 23, 2017

Sandpoint looks nice, all right. But that "welcoming icon" at City Beach is not there anymore, AFAIK. Don't know what happened to it....

[pnwguy2]

Sandpoint definitely more scenic than Moscow, but yes off the beaten path. Both get snow every winter but SP gets almost twice the amount. Of course Moscow has a lot of college students while Sandpoint has a lot of retirees. Kind of depends on who you want to live around, I guess. Sandpoint feels about the same size as Moscow but in truth is much smaller in population.

[nowhereman427]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

Sandpoint definitely more scenic than Moscow, but yes off the beaten path. Both get snow every winter but SP gets almost twice the amount. Of course Moscow has a lot of college students while Sandpoint has a lot of retirees. Kind of depends on who you want to live around, I guess. Sandpoint feels about the same size as Moscow but in truth is much smaller in population.

I'll take Sandpoint in that case. Don't want to be near a college town.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

Sandpoint definitely more scenic than Moscow, but yes off the beaten path. Both get snow every winter but SP gets almost twice the amount. Of course Moscow has a lot of college students while Sandpoint has a lot of retirees. Kind of depends on who you want to live around, I guess. Sandpoint feels about the same size as Moscow but in truth is much smaller in population.

I think life in both would be about the same.
Sandpoint is a tourist town; it depends on tourism to keep it going.

Tourists act a lot like college kids in my observation. Sandpoint isn't large enough to have a well defined tourist zone like the big tourist towns. Like Ketchum, tourists would be all over the place all the time, so a resident would simply have to live with them and find their own ways of dealing with the problems tourists bring.

Given Idaho's huge attraction, I would expect Moscow's student population will increase. The U of I has always been a bargain for out of state students; whenI was there 50 years ago, it was the college that took students who either couldn't afford to get a Master's degree in another school, or couldn't qualify in another school for the program. It was also the place where rich flunk-outs could be sent to get their final chance at a degree. Today, Moscow is still cheaper to live in for a student than Boise. Boise State is Idaho's leading college now.

Sandpoint will be getting even more tourists now than in the past. Folks have decided lately to see America first again, and all the national parks that surround Idaho have set one record year after another in attendance.

The scenery is different, for sure, but not by all that much. The Palouse is quite beautiful in its own right. Folks move there for that scenery too.

The largest difference that comes to my mind is the lake. Sandpoint would have a damper winter climate than Moscow, I'm sure, but the longer darkness of winter and the overcast skies are much the same in both places.

If a person is a retiree who chooses to live in either city, I expect they would face very similar problems, and receive very similar pleasures.

For sure, neither of the cities will ever become a very different place to live than they are now.

[JudgeSmayles]

Great feedback and advice. Thank you all.

[nowhereman427]

Originally Posted by JudgeSmayles

Great feedback and advice. Thank you all.

[NW Crow]

"...do you think someone with center-right politics will be
uncomfortable or especially frustrated trying to live there?" (re: Moscow)

It depends what makes you uncomfortable / frustrated as someone with center-right politics now and how much.

IF the majority of people voting Democrat for President or supporting the legal right to choose family planning / abortion or supporting minimum wage or use of zoning and taxes adequate to pay for local services & some amenities makes you uncomfortable / frustrated, then you might feel the same in Moscow or 60 -75% of cities in U.S.

Or substitute in other issues. I don't know what specifically makes you uncomfortable / frustrated. Say if you want to possibly get better feedback from locals (not me, though I have considered it).

Live just outside Moscow and you might find more neighbors with similar views. People taking that approach can still enjoy the city amenities they don't want to pay for and patronize businesses or attend entertainment often run by progressives and yet be further from certain events they don't support.

Sandpoint is purple for local politics. Progressives sometimes win city offices, at least up to now. But it not totally live and let live purple. It is battle royale purple for some. Someone moderate conservative there might have issues to the left and right.

[nowhereman427]

I think if one just stays centered in day to day living and not get into politics or certain controversial matters they should be fine. Neutrality.