Moving To Montana? Watch For These 9 Red Flags

So, you think you want to move to Montana. You've been here in the summer, and you just fell in love with the place. I totally get it. It happens all the time.

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As a person born and raised here (yep, I'm one of those) there are things you need to consider. These are things you won't find on the "Move to Montana" Facebook pages or websites, real estate sites or business sites. These are things that are rock solid truths that need to be considered before you move here.

Housing

You're going to hear from everyone how much cheaper it is to buy real estate here than most places, and it's true. Just not as true as it was up to the year 2019. In 2020 and beyond, the work from homers and the Yellowstone lovers moved here. They decided to pay more than the homes or land were worth, drove up home owner prices and also home investor prices making rent and home prices absolutely ridiculous. There are no $700 a month 2 bedroom homes or apartments or $250,000-3 bedroom homes in decent neighborhoods like you could find in 2019.

And did I mention how hard it can be to find a place to live since the pandemic?

The Cost of Living Is Low

Yep, and so is the pay. That's usually how things like that work. Unless you work remotely, your wage is likely to drop when you move here. And by the way, it costs A LOT more to live in Montana since 2019.

Winter Is Long And Cold

It really does get 40 degrees below zero in Montana in the winter. It's not the every day, but, as the saying goes, "If you can't handle me at my worst, you don't deserve me at my best." Believe me, there are few states colder than Montana.

READ ON: The Coldest States In America

A Vehicle Is A Necessity In Big Sky Country

Many of our towns are small and lack public transportation at ALL, and the bigger cities probably don't offer what you're used to in this department. I seriously only know one person without a car, my mom, and her license was taken away for her sight or she'd be driving.

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There Isn't A Lot Going On Here

If you're used to being constantly entertained by events and such, you're in for a shock in Montana. We have plenty of events, however, we also make a lot of our own fun. Self sufficiency is a big deal here.

Dining and Shopping Options Are A Bit Limited

Some cities are better than others. If you're moving to a small town, depending on HOW small, you may not even have a local grocery store or pharmacy. It's always good to research where you're moving to avoid disappointment.

Animals That Live Here Want To Kill You Or, At Least, Ruin Your Car

And sometimes they come into town to try it. As long as you practice common sense you should be fine.

Yellowstone Could Erupt At Any Time

For real. Thank you to Only In Your State for reminding me. Some days I forget how we live so close to an active, massive volcano. When it goes, it will probably be an extinction event.

Montanans Are Losing Patience With Newcomers

Honestly, we've never been really awesome about newcomers, but our patience has dropped to a whole new level since the pandemic. If you moved here from California, don't advertise it and change your license plate as soon as possible. I'm not kidding. There are tons of other tips I could offer you, but being aware of the things in this article and not complaining about them will go a long way. Don't be like this woman in Bozeman. She will NEVER be one of us no matter how long she's here.