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I have lived in both states. I'm an Idaho native, from Idaho Falls, but I moved to the Bozeman area twice.
The scenery is about equal in both states, but Montana has much more prairie. Most of Montana is prairie, but most of Idaho has mountains. Most of scenic Montana lies on the western edge of the state and is the communities in the scenic parts are more concentrated. Idaho has more mountains, and more small towns close to them.
Bozeman has a mountain chain on the edge of town, but so does Arco, Idaho. Arco doesn't have a nearby Interstate, and that makes all the difference. Property costs 4 times more in Boze than Arco. (but Arco is a very small town, so it lack a lot of other amenities.) By the same measure, living in Ceour D'Alene ID, next to a lake, is about the same as living in Poulsen MT next to an equally nice lake. Living in McCall, ID, next to a lake and a ski area, is about the same as living in Whitefish MT- same stuff, same high priced real estate, same inflated living costs on everything.
The super-rich spend about the same, and live the same, in Sun Valley, ID or Livingston, MT. Lotsa movie stars in either valley.
The difference for retired people can be large. Idaho has property and sales taxes, Montana has no sales tax. A new car costs less in Montana, with no tax added to the price, but buying a set of license plates for a new car costs up to $3,000, depending on how much the car was. The plates will cost close to that the following year, and only gradually come down as the car de-values. All property taxes are higher in Montana.
In Idaho, the sales tax will cost $3000 on the same car, but the plates will cost around $40, year after year. The difference is Idaho takes many small bites, Montana takes big bites less often.
In my experience, Montana weather is generally worse than Idaho's. Both go to extremes. There are few cultural differences. Montana generally has lower paying jobs than Idaho. Montana has a somewhat livelier art/writing/music scene going on statewide than Idaho.
Folks tend to move to Idaho and stay, and tend to move to Montana and leave in 2 years. This is mostly due to the cost of living, weather differences, and failed expectations of the newcomers. This is especially true in Bozeman, where tourists are very impressed at first glance, and there are more of them. They move because it's so beautiful, and aren't prepared for all the rest of it at all.
Nicely done. Enjoyed the read and you were very descriptive. Thank you for putting in the time.
I still have a hard time understanding why the cost of living seems higher in Montana with worse weather and lower paying jobs.
Oh please--can we avoid political stereotypes plus the R-word on this thread?
In the 6 years we've been coming to NID, we've usually done roads trips to MT. When we were looking for property in 2007 and 2008, we actually hadn't yet decided whether to buy land in NID or WMT, but once I started looking online, and actually went seriously property-hunting in person, subtle differences became noticeable: NID's back roads seem better maintained; the small towns are somewhat closer in NID than in WMT, at least it feels that way; there are (were) many more properties available in NID than in WMT, at a more reasonable price, with more acreage; and I do believe there are more restaurants in NID than in WMT! All in all, I get the feeling that WMT is the ultimate, wild, and somewhat neglected outpost in a huge state, while NID is a vibrant, well-managed, much more intimate region, with easy access to an international airport (Spokane). And you still get the vastness and wildness of nature in NID, with spectacular views. But I have to say that I think it's wonderful to have the best of both states, with property in NID and WMT less than 5 miles away!
Agreed. Some of the finest landscapes in this country on either side of the line. I love it over here in Oregon, but for a heaping helping of wild lands, that region is the mother lode. Your only competition in my mind would be the San Juans of SW Colorado. You have better fishing, so get my vote.
Agreed. Some of the finest landscapes in this country on either side of the line. I love it over here in Oregon, but for a heaping helping of wild lands, that region is the mother lode. Your only competition in my mind would be the San Juans of SW Colorado. You have better fishing, so get my vote.
Thats true.. I've spent several weeks up there over a few year period and the San Juans are just incredible during color change.. Looks like a patch work quilt of amazing colors.. Pretty harsh winters, and lots of restrictions up there these days though. Once you get off the mountain it gets pretty sparse looking too.
monatanas a big place and the mtns are second to none go from glacier to missoula to great falls and up to shelby and back to glacier you see just how vast the rocky mtns are not to be rude but idahos mtns are no where as vast and beutiful , also having lived there, properties are holding their values better ,no sales taxes and property taxes arent that bad there. Idahos small in nature you can comapare montana to idaho because idaho loooses hands down , over there the outdoor stuff is second to none as its so big and vast and traveling is way better making it more pleasurable then nid and to say people go there and leave in 2 yrs just isnt true some poeple came there in the 1800s and there familers are still there to this day. Montana doesnt bend to californians its attitude is come and live our way or get out where idahos influenced by california big time if they dont move here and buy good bye idahos housing.There i know as i lived years in both at 48 yrs old you get atru 4 seasons where here you get 3 seasons itll get to 50 and stay that way (except this year unusal) untill late may or june and bam 1 weelk later be 90 out and then in the fall it does it back to 50 and even colder in Montana you get alot of 55 to 75 degree spring whether. Mybe some areas are more exspensive but not like idahos way way over valued assesments and home values and thats why idahos been hit hard the median here is like 196k and i know in helena its 330k idaho doesnt like unions(right to work) and monatana does and this hurts your economy here. I was a iron steel worker in spoakne for years (ironship builders union) and id get laid off temp from my 20plus hr job and be collecting 450 a week and come to idaho to see what forrect steel offered a non union shop and the sam friggin job was 8.50 hrwith no bennies id be like ill just relax and collect wash unemployemnt and in billaings mt it was 14.50 woith bennies at roscoe steel i guess it depends on what you want if yr a die hard idaho fan good for you but lets not say the place is supreme to every other state its just not true theres good and bad things about every area but comparing idaho to montana is like comparing gold to silver which montana was a gold boom in the 1800s and has alot more culture .Montanas fun and adventourous idaho is like one fella told me from sand point its cold slow and boring and we love it that way here THE OLD SAYING IS ITS NOT MONTANA THEY DONT CALL IT BIG SKY FOR NOTHING. as for the people as spokane agees with montanians is idaho peopel are kinda stuck up and rude and kinda anti minority i feel still holds true idahos got abad racist rep and will probably never live it down,
For me, trying to declare Idaho or Montana is better than the other is like comparing your children. Both look much alike, but different from each other. I love them both, and have many friends in both, and though I've settled back in Idaho, probably for the last time, I love to go over to Montana whenever I can.
The differences I mentioned in my first post are only come from my personal experiences and observations between two cities- one in Idaho (Idaho Falls) and in Montana (Bozeman). Although I know the conditions in many other cities in both states, I chose those two because I have lived for extended periods of time in both. I hope my first post isn't taken in broad strokes- I tried to paint it with a small detail brush.
There are some generalities that are valid, I believe, in both states. The areas that have the highest scenic surroundings tend to have much higher property costs and values than those that are surrounded by prairie or sagebrush desert. There are many little communities in both states that don't have high scenic value but are full of good folks. Lots of retirees move to these little towns, where living can be cheap and laid back. In the end, it's the people in a community that make it a good or bad place to live.
There are differences between prairie and desert. Montana's great prairie is the western end of the Central Plains, and looks a lot like N. and S. Dakota. Idaho's desert is a high steppe, and is almost identical to central Mongolia. Both are dry, have different features, and have plenty of sky.
First impressions of either state are a lot of why folks move to either. Newcomers are most often driving the Interstates, and get their impressions of the entire state from what they see outside their car's windows. Idaho Interstates running east to west aren't very spectacular scenery, because the roads were built in areas that were the most accessible; most of southern Idaho has lava flows or mountains that are almost impassible.
Montana has two major east-west Interstates, and both progress from prairie to mountains. I-90S wends it's way through two spectacular passes before passing by Bozeman, and the mountains are right there. The same happens with 90N, which passes by Missoula. Lots of pine trees, lots of mountains.
When I mentioned how short a lot of newcomers to Bozeman stay, the main reason they came, then left, is the scenery. While lots leave, just as many stay... Bozeman attracts and keeps folks from all over. During the years I lived there, I met very few Bozeman natives. Lots of folks move there from other towns in Montana, and even more move there from other states.
Idaho Falls has undergone a slower and steadier influx of folks from elsewhere. I.F. has less scenic close surroundings, but has long been an advanced engineering center, due to it's association with the Idaho National Laboratories, a research site 50 miles west. This site was created for testing nuclear reactor designs and parts in the early 50's, and is now a research site for other energy applications, especially wind and electric powered stuff. It's one of Idaho's largest employers.
I.F.'s growth is also due to the city being a central shopping and supply hub for most of the region. S.E.Idaho, W. Wyoming and S. Montana all are supplied by Idaho Falls. The upper Snake River valley is also growing steadily, and I.F. draws a lot of young folks who work here and eventually move here.
Mtns Big Sky is right... Montana has more unions, so it is easier to get a union job. Idaho also has unions, but is a Right To Work state. I don't like the right to work much, but it does make construction, fabrication, electrical and other jobs more plentiful but much less in wage. It really all depends on the type of job, the employer, and a lot of other factors. Compared to many other states, neither state is highly unionized, except in some types of jobs, such as mining.
It really pays anyone interested in moving to either to spend some time checking things out first. Montana has a bigger romantic reputation because lots of songs have been written about it, and it's the home of many popular writers and movie stars, but Idaho was much the same, just earlier.
Once you get past the romanticism, and learn the real stuff about either state, both have a wealth of attractive values. For sure, both are part of the Heart of the West, and share lifestyles that have largely vanished from the rest of the nation.
We looked long and hard in Western Montana. We had a difficult time finding the right home on the right property at a reasonable price. What we eventually got in Idaho for the low 300's we couldn't touch in Montana for the mid 500's. That's one
There seems to be more to do in Idaho and for the stuff you want to do in Montana, it's right there. That's two.
Everybody was nice in Idaho, even when they saw my Cali plates. There's still that awkward aprehension that we're a couple of lefty lunatics but it passes quickly. In Montana people have gone out of their way to berate me for being from California. My last trip, I didn't make it five minutes into Montana before I got the single finger salute and run off the road. That's three. I'm very happy with my choice of Idaho.
We looked long and hard in Western Montana. We had a difficult time finding the right home on the right property at a reasonable price. What we eventually got in Idaho for the low 300's we couldn't touch in Montana for the mid 500's. That's one
There seems to be more to do in Idaho and for the stuff you want to do in Montana, it's right there. That's two.
Everybody was nice in Idaho, even when they saw my Cali plates. There's still that awkward aprehension that we're a couple of lefty lunatics but it passes quickly. In Montana people have gone out of their way to berate me for being from California. My last trip, I didn't make it five minutes into Montana before I got the single finger salute and run off the road. That's three. I'm very happy with my choice of Idaho.
Maybe that is because half the people in Idaho are now from California?? I found Montanans to be some of friendliest, laid-back and decent people I ever met. Nobody cared that I had Oregon plates. Montanans are a bit rugged, but once you befriend them, they are real friends, unlike Californians and Idaho-Californians. Most of the middle fingers I receive are when I visit the Golden State. The middle finger is the California state bird.
I have brought an old thread back to life, but this thread is really an interesting topic for me.
BTW. Whoever said Idaho has nowhere the mountains of Montana, I think you haven't seen much of Idaho!! Idaho's mountains ranges are vast and numerous, yet they are hidden from the main view. I climbed to the top of Lookout Mountain (10,000ft) and saw so many mountain ranges I was blown away. From the top you can see the Sawtooth Mountains, White Cloud Mountains, Salmon River mountains and many other mountain ranges I could not even name. The thing I love about Idaho's wilderness and amazing mountains is that nobody knows much about them.
However, I found that Montana people were friendlier, down-to-earth, although more reserved than Idaho people. I think most Idahoans these days are California transplant and they tend to be more superficially friendly and cocky. The native Idahoans I found to be friendly for the most part.
Hi, Mystical...
It really depends on where in Idaho you are. Cd'A has a ton of ex-Californians, as does Boise, but S. Idaho has relatively fewer Cali's, except for possibly Idaho Falls.
I know quite a few former ex-Cali's here in I.F. Those who move here for good really assimilate into the culture here, and lose most of their urban ways pretty quickly. Those who don't assimilate tend to sell out and move elsewhere. A hard winter usually does the cutting on who will stick and who will split.
One thing about the folks who come up and stay is their tremendous appreciation of Idaho's outdoors, scenery, and wild places. We natives take a lot for granted, I've found, but they sure don't. They often get really hooked on some particular activity they either always wanted to do, or did in California but go all in here.
A good example is cross-country skiing; while Idahoans go out and love it, Californians love aspects of the activity that the natives don't. One big experience for a Californian is the isolation. They are in a little group, but won't see any other folks for the entire day. The scarcity of humans is wonderful for them because they are used to seeing other people everywhere. This is true of snow machining and all the other winter activities.
They also really love just going out to the country. Around here, a lot of them own a dog (or two) for the first time, own their first horse, and drive all day on dirt back roads that have no traffic. They love how easy it is to go camping and fishing. Idaho is still the real West, and this is still cowboy country down here. They love the creak of a saddle and the wide open spaces.
They also tend to develop close friends, apparently something that a lot of Cali's don't really do there. Folks who share their interests and all that.
I can't say how it is in other places, of course. And Idaho Falls is relatively cosmopolitan, due to the presence of INL and all the folks who move here from all over to work there. They come from all corners of the US and from other countries as well. The thick mix of nuclear engineers and spud farmers just works here pretty well.
The truth is, most folks, whether they live in a big city or a little town, get up, go to work, and come home every day. They all do the same thing wherever they live. It's the rare moments that count and are memorable. Looking out your kitchen window and seeing a young doe walking down the street is something folks from California just don't see much, but it happens here all the time.
As to friendliness, I don't think there is much difference at all between Idahoans and Montanans, but my perspective is probably different from a guy who just moved up from L.A.
The main reason for Montana's cost of living is its relative isolation from resources, and that when you buy land there your spending alot on just the name. to live in The Big Sky State is privilege people pay extra for. I live in Missoula, am unemployed, and subsist in bottom level housing off of my financial aid i get from the local university. making a life here is unforgiving and there will be little help from local people. the mentality is one of giving all of yourself to forcefully carve out your place here. people who are successful here either had a family stake, bought their way in with riches, or truly gave their blood and tears. I prefer NID but I live in Montana and as such, i will continue the good fight.
I have to jump in here and defend my state of California...or rather the people. Granted, I myself am not a huge California fan (even though that's all I've ever known), but to generalize the entire state based upon a select few is unfair. For one thing, Northern Californians are NOTHING like Southern Californians (they're actually better for the most part). Sadly I must admit that my fellow Southern Californians are what give the state the bad rap, mainly because we must claim the city of Los Angeles as part of us. Go visit the mountain areas of the Inland Empire (Big Bear, Running Springs, Arrowbear) and you'll find a big difference between those Inlanders and the city Inlanders and Los Angelenos. When it comes to hospitality and modesty, it's all about area with us.
I didn't mean to disrupt the conversation, but just try to keep in mind that if in your life you encounter even 1,000 rude, arrogant Californians...it doesn't give a true representation of a state that's home to over 37,691,912 people. Having said that...can I come live in your states?
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All in all, I get the feeling that WMT is the ultimate, wild, and somewhat neglected outpost in a huge state, while NID is a vibrant, well-managed, much more intimate region, with easy access to an international airport (Spokane). And you still get the vastness and wildness of nature in NID, with spectacular views. But I have to say that I think it's wonderful to have the best of both states, with property in NID and WMT less than 5 miles away! 
