Montana Living

Getting dirty is a must if you live in Montana. Residents of Montana are invited to pull up their cowboy boots, put on their hats, and ride in the rodeo. If lassoing isn't for you, take a hike along one of Montana's many nature walks. You can even try your hand at digging for dinosaurs.

Digging for dinosaur fossils is not just for paleontologists. Montana is home to public dinosaur digs and some of the world's most spectacular dinosaur discoveries, which are proudly displayed in the state's 15 different museums.

For those who can bear the winter, Montana offers a number of ski resorts and snow boarding adventures in several areas including Ashland, Anaconda and Big Sky, MT. Cooke City, MT, offers un-groomed trails with different levels of difficulty.

Massive in size, geographically Montana is the fourth largest state in the nation. There is plenty of room to stretch in Montana considering that it has one of the lowest populations in the nation and has fewer people statewide than many large American cities. With a population of fewer than one million people, residents can find privacy no matter in which direction they travel.

Montana Real Estate Information

Living in Montana is different than much of the rest of the nation. Open space provides privacy, a relaxing atmosphere and a slow pace. In Montana, you need to embrace rural life, which can include dusty roads, farming machinery and loud animals, in addition to breathtaking scenery and abundant outdoor recreation opportunities. Moving to Montana means you're ready to accept responsibility, say state officials. If you need your road plowed, do it yourself. If one of your appliances is broken, it may take days before someone can travel to your home to service it in some parts of the state.

The Montana real estate market is experiencing steady growth, even though housing inventory is high. In Helena, Montana's state capital, there are 27,383 people making Helena the fifth largest city in the state. Home prices in Helena, MT, are $120,900, slightly lower than Montana's $131,600 state-wide average.

Houses in Billings, MT, the largest city in the state, which is located in the Yellowstone River Valley on the east slope of the Rockies, are slightly more costly than in the state-wide average, with a mean home price of $133,800. Rent in the big city averages $569 a month. With a population of 98,721, Billings continues to grow because of it sustained industries including energy, agriculture and transportation. Billings is the center of education, medicine, and finance, which support a growing economy.

If an ultra rural town is appealing to you, Lavina and Willow Creek, MT, are the place to call home. Each town has fewer than 210 people. The cost of living in Lavina is low with the median household income of $27,300 and homes costing on average $46,000. Houses in Willow Creek, MT, however, are higher and average $116,300.

Montana Economy and Demographics

In 2006, Montana had the highest year-to-year increase in its wage per job growth in two decades. The increase in wages was across industries with the highest, double-digit increase found in mining. Montana's unemployment rate of 2.0 percent was 2.4 percentage points below the nation's average, making it the lowest in the nation. The state's top employers include grocery retailer New Albertsons Inc. (owned and operated by Albertsons), Wells-Fargo & Company, and Big Sky Ski Resort.

Once residents are ready to retire from such companies, they will join the growing population of elders in Montana. By 2025, Montana will have the highest percentage of people 65 and older in the nation.