Montana vs Idaho Cost of Living
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- Опубликовано: 24 авг 2020
- Montana vs. Idaho The Cost of Living will break down everything you need to know if you are thinking about moving to Montana or Idaho. Montana real estate and Idaho real estate have some similarities but there are some major differences that we cover in this video. If you are thinking about moving to Montana or Idaho, this will help with your choice of states.
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Very informative video thank you!
NYPrepper Thanks for watching!
I love that when we are speaking about the negative aspects of a certain local, the number of Californians is high on the list. Excellent information.
We need to stop putting people in a category based of where they were born/live . we are all in the human race as brothers and sisters. I dont understand why we let the media do this to us
@@mlouis7 LOL isn't the media that created that bias. it is all the out of state people that move in then try to make MT like where they came frrom instead of adjusting to MT and it's lifestyle. California is a generic slang term that really refers to anyone from a big city etc. Locals are getting fed up with the garbage they keep bringing in and the way they keep trying to change it.
You’re getting a very narrow cultural cross section of Californians moving to these areas. There are massive cultural and value shifts in California within relatively short travel times. Most of the Californians you see moving to these places are likely not even native Californians. Further, a majority are from the coastal population centers like SF and LA or Silicon Valley. Most large population centers in the entire country are quite liberal socially and politically speaking. Same goes for California. If you were to come to the Central Valley of California where I grew up, you’ll find a lot of God-fearing, hard-working people who have a lot more beef with SF and LA than you do.
@@mlouis7 you must be from cali ,completely missing the point!
@@mlouis7 We're allowed to point out generalities so we're based in reality. Not sure why this hard to understand.
My son is in USAF, stationed in Great Falls. Back in the summer,, we made the road trip out there from Kentucky.
Montana is a beautiful state!
This should be made for every state in the US given today's issues.
Joel Skousen wrote a really comprehensive book looking at each state pros and cons Strategic Relocation
I subscribed because you climbed all the way up there. Great view
Thanks for the sub!
sasasasaaaammmmeee and the bell thingy
Truth.
I know that was funny
i subscribed because of your opening line. "i climbed all the to the top of this mountain..." :)
You can live on federal land. My friend Sasquatch does.
I think you're limited to 14 days
@@UberManTampa 14 days but then you just gotta move camp a few hundred feet
My grandfather long ago 1920's-1940's was a timber estimator in north Idaho. He was hired by the government and logging companies to determine the number of board feet of lumber an area of trees had. He made very good money there but chose to come back to Utah to raise his family.
Looked at he Panhandle for 2 years before finally buying 10 miles over the border in MT. Saved a lot of money and found property very fast.
My grandma lives in the Pan Handle.👍👍
I absolutely love sandpoint and have been eyeing the surrounding towns. Went to school up in bonners ferry. The panhandle is the best kept secret in idaho.
Not now. It’s being bought out and out pricing the locals.
@@90Wago my mom was from Bonners Ferry! My grandpa was the only MD for decades. I love it there
I grew up in Montana, my wife is from Idaho and I really enjoyed this. I will say, however, that having moved to the Phoenix area several years ago, Billings and Boise no longer seem like "big cities" to me -- not even close. It's all relative, but to me if I wanted to get to a smaller-city situation with less traffic and crowding, even Billings and Boise would fit the bill. You would have most of the benefits of a city but still can easily get to the beautiful mountains and trout streams that are just outside the city. Billings is within a 2 hour drive of 3 of Yellowstone's entrances if I remember right.
Hello! We lived in Montana for a few years, and got relocated to Arizona. Sometimes we consider to move to Idaho. Would you move back to Idaho/Montana after living in Arizona?
Kalispel is nice.
Lived in CO almost my whole life. Seen this state go from deep red to blue, and with that the cost of living has gone up. Been looking at Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, Ponderay, Mizzoula, and some parts of WY. This channel helps with understanding what's going on up there with y'all. Looks like there's a lot of mountain-seeking millennials like myself looking to do the same, ugh.
Spokane is a dump. Left 8 yrs ago to the south west, but each year I go back to visit and its on a steady decline.
The same here..., time to leave Colo. Not sure where but it is to northern parts, not west, not east! Or back to Czech in the case.
I sold out in CO after the CA ppl bought up mt property and were pushing HOA's in the mts. They wanted lawns, etc. They wanted more strip malls available, ugh.
U want red u will love noID fer sure.
Im from washington check spokompton right off that list
Now do Montana vs. Wyoming.
He did. Check out his newest video.
Wyoming blows. Windy as F
Say please. You must be a city slicker
People moving to Kalispell and Bigfork like wild from Wyoming. Lots of energy job losses in Wyoming, and there are so many jobs open in Kalispell now.
I'm idahoan and if you live in Boise it's costs a lot
Thank you for taking the time to make this video Good job really helpful.
Dude your videos are excellent. I am learning so much, way more then what they teach in schools. Good Job my friend.
Thanks so much for the video! It was very eye-opening!
I was raised and worked in Missoula for about 33 years. Undergrad in Boise and moved back to Boise about10 years ago. Boise and Missoula are very similar: college towns, surrounded by mountains, lots of outdoor/recreational activities. Both real estate markets are being inflated by CA, OR, and WA transfers. The price of homes, cost of living, etc. are comparable. Food costs slightly more in Missoula, Idaho's sales tax makes cost about the same. Boise vs. Missoula. Even.
Boise has considerably more commercial/industrial diversity to support growth and the room to grow. Missoula simply doesn't have it. Missoula has the UofM, real estate market, and tourism..... there really isn't much else to bring in revenue. Boise clearly has the edge here.
Winters are milder in Boise but you can drive 2 hours or less and be in the mountains and snow. Population density in Boise is brutal. However, anyone who's driven Missoula's Reserve street at rush hour would argue that Boise is worse. Slight edge to Boise.
Hi Todd, I found your post interesting because I lived 45 years in Boise (4th gen) before coming to Montana 18 years ago. I'm in Hot Springs, a quirky tiny spot, but have often compared Missoula to Boise's similarities. My cherry on top, and what would put Missoula at a slight edge for me if city living was in my sights, there are a ton of COOL PEOPLE in Missoula. My cool tribe is in Boise, but harder o find past the preaching.
that geographical input was SO helpful. For someone living in Europe, the federal land ownership was something completely new to me. Great video!
This was a great video, thank you.
Very informative. Thank you
Very educational thanks!
Great video, excellent info! Thanks 👍
I fell in love with Montana when I was 17 and spent some time in Hamilton in the Bitterroot valley….now I’m 63, going back to visit after 45+ yrs (waaay overdue 😂)…I really appreciate the great points you make in your videos….i will probably seek your services to find a place to make my homestead in Western Montana…keep up the great work! 👍👍👍😄
Great info! Thanks for sharing.
Lots of great information. Thank you
A lot of Navy submarine research is done in the deep lake at Sandpoint (1,150 ft). The especially "quiet" water there affords unique conditions for various testing requirements.
spent 26 yrs in Sandpoint. I can assure you it has been ruined by Commiefornians over the decades. It is essentially a "sh*thole". a single room run down shack is 200k. And the cops are ex LA cops come to "retire" and enforce commiefornia rules and regulations. North Idaho is dead, people just don not know it yet.
That's Lake Pend Oreille. It's 10 minutes from me from Athol.
It actually starts south near Farragut all the way to Newman, then to Sandpoint.
Purely Fun Facts: Pend Oreille (pond-or-ray) is a French word meaning "long ear" in describing the Native People of the region in the early 1800's. How did French names get here? Most likely from explorers from the French colony of Quebec in what is now Eastern Canada travelling down the Columbia River from Jasper Canada (west of Fort Edmonton, today's Edmonton city) who named the Pend Oreille River where it joins the Columbia River near today's international border. The Dalles town in Washington State is another French word, it means "rapids on the river" and Tetons as in Grand Tetons in Wyoming is also French, but I will not translate it here. The Columbia River from its headwaters near Jasper to its mouth at Ft Astoria Oregon was travelled by canoe, a narrow boat 10 to 25 feet long that could be carried by several men around rapids or waterfalls, quite extensively in the early 1800's. Coeur d'Alene which means "Heart of the Awl" is also French and refers to the strong trading skills of Native People. Obviously French is not spoken in this region anymore nor does it have any connection with Quebec, and French very rarely heard in Western Canada to the north, which tends to intensely dis-like Quebec due to its very favored political position in Canada, where it gets billions of dollars in subsidies from Western Canada. (meaning if you visit Western Canada from Montana or Idaho, DON'T ask US why we don't speak French)🐻
This is my first time on this channel and I am enjoying it so much. I am born, raised and still live in Montana.
I didn't know much about Idaho and Wyoming before.
Thank you all for sharing.
Awesome video, useful informations, thank you!
Thanks man great informative video! Will retire from Army in one of the mountain states. Wife wants civilization...shopping, restaurants, and I want piney mountains and lakes
Then go to Utah or Colorado. Salt Lake has mountains and civilization. MT and ID may not have the civilization yall are looking for.
Colorado is very expensive
You probably might want to consider another state that doesn't have as much snow. If you don't ski, or you don't recreate in the winter cold, you won't like it (just saying). Have a great day.
I recommend Colorado. Utah and Idaho are full.
Good video, thx for the info
Really great video!
AWSOME video...Thank you.
Very useful thank you
I love your videos -- they are very educational and I appreciate it!!
Thank you for these videos. Been interested in moving back to AK, but also digging into northern Idaho and Western Montana as possible alternatives and your videos are very informative
Best of luck!
Great video. Thank you.
The Federal land is what makes it Idaho.
Amen brother
Lived in Boise all my life. Just bought land in Polson, MT to retire to because I can no longer afford the land prices here and the influx of new residents have changed Idaho.
Welcome to Montana!
@@LivinginMontana1 Thank you for your videos! Big factor as to why we decided to look into Montana!
Justin, How do you like living there? I am considering Polson/Kalispel for the same reasons, mainly the population. What would you advise to do different, or not to do?
@@mikeheffner6636
I liked the small town feel but it is a quick enough drive to get to Missoula or Kalispell (1 hr) for big box store shopping. There is a Wal Mart in town though. We bought the property to retire to in 5 years and just plan to sit on it for now. It is beautiful and the people are friendly!
@@justinelliott1192 I was there about a month ago, I have a buddy who owns property along the east side Flathead lake. We liked the area. Just not sure about the winters
Great insight....❤❤❤
Enjoyed and shared, plus subscribed 😊
Excellent video!
Excellent video. One thing I didn't catch was property taxes.
Excellent information
The area around Grangeville is the "Camas Prairie" while Moscow/Pullman is the "Palouse" region in Idaho/eastern WA.
Thank You!
Great video! Exactly what i needed to know. Thank you, you saved me a lot of time and research.
Thank You
Great break down
Would you do a video on Montana vs North Dakota/ South Dakota?
Thanks!
Thank you and Thanks for watching!!
I just skimmed thru, but it appears you pretty much wrote off SE Idaho, "flat, farm ground, desert,." Perfect, keep saying that, let's keep it a secret! Says the SE Idaho guy who once had a National Geographic photo journalist of many years, while standing in the living room looking out the living room window, say: "I've been all over the world, and this is one of the best views I've ever seen."
Nice Video! Your home prices are a little off for the Treasure Valley, but you make a good comparison
Many people that live in Idaho - Coeur d Alene / Post Falls work in Spokane because the wages are better.
If you have children you may want to consider the schools and how they rank.
I can’t believe how fast the market has changed since we moved to Eastern Washington. Both here and in North Idaho.
I really have to laugh at this video. It is almost 2 years old, but you had better update your Bozeman information. I recently had to flee out of the Bozeman area. I had lived just outside Gallatin Gateway, about 10 miles from Bozeman for 45 years.
The average home prices now (2022) are near $900,000. People born and raised there can't afford to but a home there. My son makes a salary well above the average salary in the area and can't afford to live there. He has chosen another part of northwestern Montana that doesn't have a university, airport or interstate with a population under 3,000 people. He can work remotely. I put my house on the market and in 3 days over the Thanksgiving weekend for well over asking.
The traffic is ridiculous. Some of the roads were recently widened but the roads are still crowded. Too many impatient drivers acting like Richard Petty wannabees. No more pickup trucks with Montana mud flaps being driven by cowboys. It's BMW's, Mercedes and Land Rovers.
The property taxes in Gallatin County have gone up so fast in recent years. I had a couple of acres with no covenants, with a comfortable home, not a McMansion that are going up all over the valley.
I am so happy to get out of the Gallatin Valley and the Bozeman area. I do have a lot of great memories from the and a lot of good friends, but am so happy to be back into s small town that resembles Montana. Bozeman does not. It really breaks my heart to see what has happened to the valley that was once full of farms and ranches now having every square inch of available land being bought up by developers.
I never thought I would say it but, ADIOS BOZEMAN.
Would love to see a Montana vs Wyoming
Love you Chasing. 😘
Wyoming has the fewest people of any state and is arguably the best on taxes. The icing on the cake is that it is the reddest and by far the most heavily armed state which makes Montana look like California by comparison.
@@MatthewC137 You had me at "red and armed" lol..
Very good information in this video, thanx! Kinda hoped you would keep going north of Sandpoint. Maybe another good video to do if you have knowledge.
I was born in Bozeman, Mt.75 years ago. I live in California now. Montana still calls my ❤ heart.
nailed it! its only getting worst. its so full, sit at lights 2-3 cycles. i can't wait to leave 9 days!!
I’m from California, born and bred back from when California was still awesome. I checked out the greater Boise area a few months ago. It sucks. Too much traffic, kind of dirty overall, and people are not friendly at all. I’ve lived in and visited several regions of this great country. So far, Boise is one of the worst.
I wonder why they aren’t friendly…
I’m from California as well, I lived in Orange County my whole life (22 years) and Boise might not be the best city but it’s definitely not worse than any major city in California, Boise is WAY cleaner, less populated, and more welcoming than California. I left Tustin/Irvine, CA for Meridian this month, I had visited the area 3 times prior before permanently moving
With your attitude, no wonder people aren’t friendly to you.
My Great Great Grandfather brought the dirt into Cascade ID. Levi Kimball, first guy in the local history books. Theres another ski area behind Lake Cascade called Tamarack. I wouldn't mind moving there one day. Live in Tahoe myself.
I grew up near Cascade and live in Boise now. I can tell you that it is destroyed! Every weekend is like what the 4th of July used to be. And every weekday is like a busy weekend. The last time I was innMcCall I told my wife that I was done going up to the mountains. California has taken over. So many people that it is discouraging.
Fantastic ! Loving Montana
Hey just found your video. Do you do this for other states? Thx
I have a ranch in Northern Idaho and love it here. Your opinion is negative of the amount of sellable land in Idaho vs Federal land. I find it to be a positive. As it will forever be less crowded. That is what people want, privacy and space. You look at it through the prism of being able to make money by selling property, not what the people want. Where I live there are no properties for sale as they are viewed as gems. You sell them you can not replace them.
Actually, it will become more crowded as more housing is built to keep up with the demand. Due to the shortage of buildable land, areas will become more densely populated, look at Coeur d'Alene right now.
I see myself in either Elk City, ID or Darby, MT in the next 20 years
Darby’s great! So is Elk. Either side of the Bitterroots be it in the mountains on the Idaho side close to the hot springs, or the more affluent parts of the Valley on the Montana side are fantastic!
Also the “Magruder Corridor” for off-road vehicles or horseback is a really beautiful forest road through the mountain range into the Bitterroot Valley (right into Darby) if you ever get the chance.
I thought I’d live in MN for the rest of my life. Sad to leave, but Montana looks great right now.
Outstate mn is ok, the metro area is crap.
MN sucks compared to montana,we barely have moosquitoes out west
Same about Missouri.my copd in the summer are misery.im from outside rural area but Kansas City is close
Living in NJ I have to laugh at what most people consider congestion and traffic. 😅😅
I'll be going to Bozeman and WY in mid June. Can't wait to see the beautiful area and state!
So people like me that want to make a relatively self-sustaining homestead can't afford to go there anymore because Californians and the like have skyrocketed prices, only to then try and make Montana like California. Awesome.
that's what they have been doing to the CDA area for decades. I live in the Moscow area, still very rural like it was in the 70's when we moved here.
I didn't know that majority of Idaho was federal land.
Thank you very much for the info. I was wondering if you have rating of which city/county has more freedom in Idaho and Montana? My beliefs lean towards more of a libertarian, tiny government and freedom of choice.
Looks like we need an updated video, average home price in Kalispell and Boise is now 450k!!!!
Good day, Thank you for a very informative and concise vid. So much info in 15 min clip...excellent. Stay safe neighbor.
Missoula and the surrounding area was overrun with Californians decades ago. That's why the state went purple and now blue.
Calis are ruining AZ too. Don’t understand why the DAs would leave a blue state and then try & turn their new home state blue; total Imbeciles!
Timothy Garrahan AZ used to be awesome.
Not true. People in Montana vote across party lines. They are mostly open minded and well read.They mostly vote for individuals. That's why Montana had both Red and Blue Governors in the past. Same for Senators.
MT is red
@@doubleplay4 One thing you might notice about Montanans is they know much more about what's going on outside Montana than people from many other areas. Montanans know they're not at the center of the universe, and they like it that way.
So what I have learned is that home prices are higher where more people want to live. Also, there is a lot of land in Montana where no one wants to live.
Cool.
Could you do one with Utah?
Thinking about moving to either both!!! What timing! Thank you Sir! Subscribed!
Have a couple of friends who moved to Boise in 2012 for jobs in Education . They got out 4 years ago as they thought it was being ruined and crowded . It was cheap to buy into realty in 2012 .
Idaho has a sales tax, Montana doesn't. Boise the average home is $400 to $600k , Montana is a tad cheaper depending on locale Bozeman homes are around $250 to 400k , Missoula is about the same. But other Montana cities are cheaper for homes at $200k.
I understand the point that you're trying to make about all of that federal land, but it's one of the things that makes living out west so great. I was born in the southeast and have either lived or visited 34 states. And the east coast has very little access to public land when compared to the west. Meaning, that there isn't nearly as many places for recreation and enjoying the beauty of this country.
Out west, if you feel like going shooting or camping or 4 wheeling you can go onto some BLM land and enjoy yourself. We don't have that luxury on the east coast.
Great video.
I want to live In either state but it’s a matter of cost of living and finding a good job!
Subscribed cause you climbed that big ass Mountain
Thanks for subscribing!
I wish I would have bought a home in Missoula in the 70’s when I lived there. Unfortunately only stayed 6 years.
New sub here, I just found your channel.
It’s very informative and educational.
I LOVE ❤️ IT!!!
Montana is such a beautiful state.
I really enjoy learning all I can learn about it.
Keep up the GREAT WORK guys.
God Bless You.
💜🙏🏻✝️🙏🏻💜
Can you do a breakdown of counties please.
I live close to Couer D' Alene
We are considering moving to Montana if we can find acreage and a job for my husband.
What about places up North like Eureka? Is seems expensive as well. But I visited recently and there wasn't much there. Do you predict more growth up there as well?
Maureen Graziano I do think Eureka will grow as well. Inventory is low all over the state right now. Thanks for watching our video!
@@LivinginMontana1 The big question is do you need a job? That's what I learned by moving to a smaller town. I would say that if a couple is totally retired & with good incomes the world is yours, pick a town. Excellent video.
Federal Land equals public lands though. Trust me, coming from Texas where there is little to zero public lands, it’s a great thing
I always wonder how the average home price is calculated, is it taken out of market data ? Let's say in any given area you would find much nicer homes, bigger, more amenties etc that would reflect in the average right ? But it say nothing about the price if you so wish to have a smaller home, less amenties etc. ? Would'nt it better in that case to take a "standard" family home and see how much it would cost there ?
Grangeville is the Camas Prairie. Moscow - Pullman is the Palouse.
I live in Twin Falls and am sick of all the people moving here! I lived in Helena years ago and loved it although I know it is experiencing growth. You are right when you say federal land is a blessing and a curse. We are fighting a battle with the BLM and corporations that are wanting to put wind turbines north of us and we get no benefit from them. I see plenty of brown land when I travel Montana but you are a real estate agent so I get it. Idaho and Montana are kind of joined at the hip so to speak in many ways. I saw this video back when you put it out so I'm late commenting. Enjoy your videos and maybe some day I may be back up there. Thanks!
Omg I would love no tax... here in Ontario we pay 13%sales tax!
You got to pay for that free health care.
You just pay a different tax.
Montana vs North Dakota plz.
Grew up in Idaho, and just moved from Idaho to Texas. We couldn't afford a home that fits our family. Real estate in the last year+ has become insane in Idaho, tons of people moving there, many from California and other places. Idaho was once considered the last "stronghold" of freedom and conservatism, but that is changing too. The mayor of Boise, Sandpoint, Moscow, are all testaments of what happens when the native conservative Idahoans stay out of local issues and politics for too long: The liberals who are moving here and also many government school trained natives who buy into leftist ideas are not shy about pushing their agenda and turning the state left. Wake up Idaho. I don't know if we'll ever be back, taking care of our family is first priority, as much as I miss my home state. Montana is a beautiful state, I might live there. It has been much more affordable than Idaho at least to this point, although liberal pockets like Bozeman have already driven MT further left than Idaho. Who knows? Things are always changing. As of right now you basically have to be a millionaire to buy a basic home in Idaho, and I'm not joking.
Also, Palouse is pronounced puh-LOOSE.
Where in Texas did you transplant to?
Nope, insane prices in MT too, West coast coming in droves!
What's the drive from Pocatello to Boise? about 3 & 1/2 hours?
Ish
Kansan here...was just in love with the scenery of Idaho on recent vacation. But all this information is so helpful if we were to seriously consider heading out west! I thought a really interesting point about the federal land percentage. Either way beautiful country in the areas described.
My aunt is a retired Idaho State Senator.
She ran as a Democrat, but her heart is Republican.
She fought hard to keep taxes low and cut government spending.
She did a great job for the residents of Idaho.
She’s been retired for several years now, but she did work hard for the people.
Hi there - FYI the road between Boise & McCall has been/is being widened this year. Hooray!
The farming extends west all the way to the Oregon & Washington borders .
The road to the north is certainly not an Interstate. Slow going but beautiful.
Two lane roads through Boise. I cannot imagine what you are recalling. Help me out, please.
Boise is not the only city in the Treasure Valley. Meridian is growing much faster than Boise as is Nampa, Kuna, Star, Eagle, Middleton, & Emmett. Canyon County is our nextdoor neighbor and their growth & home prices are growing as rapidly as Ada County.
Boise is a politically left. That appeals to many and repels others. The Mayor is extremely left as evidenced by her policies and the causes & organizations she supports. Again, appealing & repelling. Conservatives are not at all supportive of her or her administration.
You said Idaho has approx 20 million acres available for living with a population of 1.4 million. South Carolina has a little less land (19.7 m) with over 3 times the population - 5.3 million.
Well, I've heard true representations on Idaho made, and I've heard biased representations. Yours is off the charts biased. Too bad, because Idaho has nearly twice as much pristine wild land than Montana. Also, even though there are lots of national forest in Idaho, people still own land in there. Montana is like the frozen tundra in the winter. If you like the arctic, you'll love Montana. And if you want to run into lots of people from California, move to Montana.
Idaho is smaller and its getting thousands of newcomers
Montana winters are really not that bad. The only area that really has severe winters is the northeast, from Havre to Sidney. Compared to N. Dakota and N. Minnesota, Montana winters are pretty open.
@Rich Brock Sun Valley/Ketchum/Hailey has been a Hollywood playground for decades, and they make the only affordable houses there for the locals (who they expect to kiss their feet) manufactured homes
I recently checked my home county for land to buy. They have 103 million $ of property to buy. What a drag!
Interesting that the average price of a home in Bozeman is double that in Billings...even though Billings has a higher median income. Obviously Bozeman has some sort of supply constraint on available land compared to Billings? Construction costs shouldn't be that different. Additionally, given the average income of $46k in Bozeman...an "average" person living in Bozeman can't actually afford to buy a median priced home there. If you follow the rule of thumb to not spend more than 28% of your income on housing, you'd not only need approximately $90k for down payment to purchase a home for $450k, you'd also need at bare minimum $65k in income...and that would really be pushing it IMO.
It's a college town.
You can thank Californians for coming in and driving up the prices. That’s all there is too it. No supply and demand- they are cut throats that overbid everything and it’s been allowed to happen. The only other people doing so well are the real estate agents. Go figure.
It's a college and basically ski town and part of the Gallitan area. Just up the Gallitan canyon heading up to west Yellowstone is the millionaire club, an exclusive resort club for the ultra rich, the annual membership costs millions of dollars. Its like a super exclusive golf club but for skiing. Im pretty sure it has a golf course too though. Ironically its been bankrupt a few times. However, is also part of the Bozeman play ground as is the river in the canyon (a world class blue ribbon trout fishery). Housing is highly costly and much is also rented and owned by people who don't actually live there normally (vacation homes of the very wealthy.) Undeveloped land is held by wealthy ranches and not regularly developed. It's like park city. The working class there and students rent. Some commute. Business owners and rich own. And there are some big outdoor brands home based there. Many moving or buying homes there previously lived elsewhere (like California) and so coming up with hundreds of thousands for a down-payment is an equity cinch after they sell their Cali home if they aren't able to buy the home in Bozeman outright after leaving Cali. Even if they need to work. They bring in a half mill cash from selling their Cali home, they only need a mortgage for 100k or 2 to buy a 6-700k house. Which is only going to be about 1k a month at abt 5% interest. You can get that with a $35k income. For first time home buyers, your estimates are correct. But people buying in Bozeman aren't likely 1st time home buyers, especially if they're moving in from Cali.