I love bozeman but had to leave; Now Happier Living in Rural Montana

I First Moved from Colorado to Bozeman, Montana, in 2012 for A Publishing Job. Immediately, The Picturesque City Felt Like Home.

My Community Felt Small, Vibrant, Athletic, and Artsy. I love Being Surrounded by Nature and Hiking and Snowboarding in the Mountains One Day Advantage of Convenient City Perks, Such as Walkable Stretches of Restaurants and Shops, The Next.

For years, my rent was never say $ 600 a month for eather a one-bedroom or a Large studio apartment, and the cost of living felt for me navigate.

In 2017, of Moved to Missouula, Montana, for a Career Switch, but i still figured i’d eventually buy a home in bozeman and move back there for good.

But by the time I was ready to return a few years late, i felt like been priced out. Fortunately, i found a Different place to land in montana about 100 miles away that Changed my life for the better.

Bozeman’s Growth Made It Less Affordable

When I Maved to Bozeman in 2012, IT HAD JUST UNDER 40,000 Residents. TODAY, IT’S PUSHING The 60,000 Mark.

The Jump In Residents Helped Drive Housing Scarcity, Plus High Home and Rent Prices.

In the past five years, Home Values ​​in Bozeman Have Risen Significantly. TODAY, The Aventure Value of a single-Family House in Bozeman is more than $ 740,000, and the average rent is nearly $ 2,400 a month, accorting to date from zillow.

These Rising Prices and Limited Housing Supply Aren’t Unique to Bozeman – Kalispell, Missouula, and Happy Montana Towns Such As Dillon Have Experienced Similar Booms in the past Few Years.

Locals Attribute it to Things Including Billionaire Land Investments in Montana, the Rise of Airbnb, and the Recent Popular Western Drama “Yellowstone.”

No Matter the Cause, the Financial Pressure is Tough to Reconcile.

I live on a single income that’s steadily been above the Average Salary in Bozeman. Still, Moving Back to Bozeman Meant I’d Be Spending More than 50% of My Incom on Rent, and My Dream of Homeownership Waled Be more Out of Reach.

SO, I Started Looking for a Home in More Rural Parts of Montana, Outside the City I Loved So Much.

Moving to a More rural area has gioven with a lot of Financial Breating Room

I found that the stirar I got from Montana’s Hub Airports and Decent Restaurants, The Fuller My Wallet Felt. Now, I live smack dab in the rural middle of butte and anaconda in southwestern Montana.

My Homeownership Dreams Finally Feel More Attainable. In both butte and anaconda, the average home value is about $ 270,000 – less than half of what it is in bozeman.

Plus, i’m able to save more Money here with the Lower Cost of Living.

My rent is less than half of what it would ben in bozeman, and i can even affford to drive a nicer trin and keep a few horses. There’s Also Room in My Budget for Gas and Plane Tickets to Travel Well The Long Winters Get Me Down.

On top of that, it’s ben nice living in a more rural place. I know my neighbors, and i say. I Feel Safer Out here in the boondocks than anywhere i’ve lived, bozeman included.

And though i’m now about 100 miles from my beloved bozman, out here in the west, that only an hour-and-minute drive Away.

I Miss City Life, but The Trade-Offs Are Worth it

I’d be lying if i said i don’t miss living in a city, with the convenience of grabbing a great cup of coffee at a nearby café and the ease of Living to an Airport.

But the trade-offs are Worth it. Each Morning, I SIP Great Loclyly ROASTED COFFEE while I Watch My Horses Eat Hay with Mountains in the Distance.

All fall, a Big bull elk bugled his songs on the hillside by my little home. I can see three different mountain ranges from where i live.

My friend also seem to visits with more than they are. I’d visits with, too. In my lost opinion, this is a prey great place to land.