Getting into Missoula... with realistic expectations (Hamilton, Stevensville: real estate, rent, motel)

[NW Crow]

Missoula has pluses and minuses for different people. It is not predominantly conservative, that cheap a place or likely to see you get rich.


But it is one of the few small cities in the mountain west with a full sized University and enough city to satisfy those that don't want or need a bigger city.


It appeals to some. If you like what it is and accept what it isn't, it could work ok to fine. Not perfect. Not bad compared to the alternatives either, imo.

[volosong]

I like the place. Anywhere with a Costco and a REI across the street can't be too bad. Sure wish something could be done about the traffic on Reserve Street. I've learned to avoid that area at certain times of the day.

[NW Crow]

There are a lot of YouTube videos of Missoula in general and for specific neighborhoods if you want to get familiar with the look of place. Looks aren't everything but it is a start.

[Dangerous Dave]

Originally Posted by volosong

I like the place. Anywhere with a Costco and a REI across the street can't be too bad. Sure wish something could be done about the traffic on Reserve Street. I've learned to avoid that area at certain times of the day.

Last time I was in Missoula in the winter time, Reserve was still a nightmare on a Tuesday at 11am in February. It was quite strange. If I were to move there, I'd find a place where my daily route to work avoided Reserve.

Other than that, I really like Missoula. It was a second home to me for about four years.

[RogueMom]

I lived in Stevensville and worked in Missoula for a couple of years.

From my experience there:

Property, homes, and rent are expensive compared to the employment available, unless you are in healthcare or can get into the government or school system there. There is not a lot of industry. There are a lot of retail/service type lower paying jobs.

I found it to be surprisingly liberal over all. Yes, people can hunt, fish, own guns, eat barbeque, drive pick-up trucks, and vote Democratic.

It has a definite college town feel due to the University there. People are very loyal to and supportive the university and their football team the "Griz".

Reserve street is bad traffic wise because there really IS not any other practical route around it. It was a real trial to go shopping, etc. down that road at times.

This was a decade ago, so they may have made some improvements to Reserve Street, I don't know.

It's a beautiful place, but seemed very isolated, kind of insulated, from the rest of the "world". It that's what you're looking for, it may be a good place for you.

[Montana Griz]

Originally Posted by NW Crow

Missoula has pluses and minuses for different people. It is not predominantly conservative, that cheap a place or likely to see you get rich.


But it is one of the few small cities in the mountain west with a full sized University and enough city to satisfy those that don't want or need a bigger city.


It appeals to some. If you like what it is and accept what it isn't, it could work ok to fine. Not perfect. Not bad compared to the alternatives either, imo.

... . Just on a whim, I thought I'd randomly go through some older threads about Missoula, since
I just, 2 days ago (Friday), spent 7 hours away from my home down in the Bitterroot going to Missoula to do some shopping and get various errands handled.....approx one hour eachway totally 111 miles.
Being in my late 80s and retired for approx 26 years, I may avg approxr 6 trips per year into Missoula.....Re-reading the above post made me realize it is an excellent summation of my feelings of Missoula.

My first exposure to Missoula was the result of a business trip from my home in the mountains of Colorado, that resulted in my landing at MSO some time in the 3rd week in May of 1975 via Frontier A L. ..I had never been to Missoula before and I liked what I saw!
The next day I rented a 4WD vehicle that would serve the purpose of getting me to the decommissioned BLACKBIRD COLBALT MINE up in the mountains southwest of Salmon Idaho for a meeting with a couple of engineers related to a proposed project my employer would be bidding on.

As I drove through the Bitterroot Valley the next day I was impressed with the various attractive aspects of the valley between Missoula and Sula. I spent the night at BUD & SHIRLEY'S MOTEL in Darby and proceded on to the Blackbird Mine the next day.

Long story short........approx 12 months later I ended up buying 14 acres on a creek that feeds into the B R River about 13 miles outside of Hamilton.........built my future retirement home in 1980 and continued working for 40 yrs, until the end of 1993. My late wife (married 51 yrs), loved living in the Bitterroot as much as I do,......and I will continue to live here until the end.............

Funny how a positive impression of Missoula back in May 1975,.......a day's drive down through the Bitterroot and a 'spare of the moment' meeting with a Realtor, resulted in moving to western Montana in early 1980, taking a year to build our retirement home and:.....'Never Look Back'.

[OrganicCatnip]

I enjoyed reading your post! When my husband retires in the next year or two, we’ll be moving to the Missoula area, as I have family up there. The cost of real estate carries a lot of sticker shock, in comparison to Kansas. We have forty acres here and obviously sacrifices will have to be made. I just started collecting online information this eventing. I’d rather live in a rural setting, but am going to investigate small towns near Missoula, too. Thanks for the lovely post.

[NW Crow]

Rural areas / small townlets in all directions beginning after 5-15 miles from Missoula. South may be the more expensive direction.
Pick from farm / ranch land to forest or a mix.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by Montana Griz

... . Just on a whim, I thought I'd randomly go through some older threads about Missoula, since
I just, 2 days ago (Friday), spent 7 hours away from my home down in the Bitterroot going to Missoula to do some shopping and get various errands handled.....approx one hour eachway totally 111 miles.
Being in my late 80s and retired for approx 26 years, I may avg approxr 6 trips per year into Missoula.....Re-reading the above post made me realize it is an excellent summation of my feelings of Missoula.

My first exposure to Missoula was the result of a business trip from my home in the mountains of Colorado, that resulted in my landing at MSO some time in the 3rd week in May of 1975 via Frontier A L. ..I had never been to Missoula before and I liked what I saw!
The next day I rented a 4WD vehicle that would serve the purpose of getting me to the decommissioned BLACKBIRD COLBALT MINE up in the mountains southwest of Salmon Idaho for a meeting with a couple of engineers related to a proposed project my employer would be bidding on.

As I drove through the Bitterroot Valley the next day I was impressed with the various attractive aspects of the valley between Missoula and Sula. I spent the night at BUD & SHIRLEY'S MOTEL in Darby and proceded on to the Blackbird Mine the next day.

Long story short........approx 12 months later I ended up buying 14 acres on a creek that feeds into the B R River about 13 miles outside of Hamilton.........built my future retirement home in 1980 and continued working for 40 yrs, until the end of 1993. My late wife (married 51 yrs), loved living in the Bitterroot as much as I do,......and I will continue to live here until the end.............

Funny how a positive impression of Missoula back in May 1975,.......a day's drive down through the Bitterroot and a 'spare of the moment' meeting with a Realtor, resulted in moving to western Montana in early 1980, taking a year to build our retirement home and:.....'Never Look Back'.

I was so happy to see a post from our Bitterroot Valley expert and resident, Griz, because we haven't heard from him lately. But then I realized that the post is almost a year old. Does anybody know if he is okay?

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by Clark Fork Fantast

I was so happy to see a post from our Bitterroot Valley expert and resident, Griz, because we haven't heard from him lately. But then I realized that the post is almost a year old. Does anybody know if he is okay?

It has been a lot time since he posted. Hopefully nothing is wrong.