Hi, My huband and I have decided that we may be moving to Missoula Montana for me to go to school. We live in Alaska so cold is not a problem. Can anyone give me any tips about living with kids in the area? How are the schools, we have two in elemementary, 1 is nearly in high school. Absolutely any tidbits of info that you would like to share would be great. Also thoughts on the cost of living from people familiar with the area are welcome. Thanks!

I live in Kalispell, Montana which is approx. 100 miles north so can't help much except to say it definetly will not be as cold as Alasks. Missoula is a great town. College atmosphere, good restaurants, low crime, super football team etc.
Try www.misoula.com

OOOOps. Try
www.missoulamontana.com

I appreciate the help!

Hi Rosyshalice,

I live about an hour away from Missoula and visit often, so I thought I'd give you some little bits of information.

First, Missoula has a good mixture of "box stores" and eclectic stores, so you can find both what you need, and what you want. It's surrounded by lots of little towns and (of course) plenty of wilderness, so if your kids like hiking/fishing/skiing/camping, they'll be set.

Everyone is very much into the university football team so there are sure to be sporting events you can all attend, if that's your cup of tea.

The downtown area is filled with nice shops and during the summer months there are several farmers markets and arts/crafts. The entire city feels like one big community. Often times you'll see young kids (and sometimes adults) playing musical instruments on the sidewalks.

Hope this helps, good luck with your move!

The cost of housing is high - look at the Missoulian online, Sunday's real estate section. I recommend sending your kids to Hellgate Elementary and Middle School and Sentinel High School. You would have to live in the Hellgate Elementary area to access that school, but the high schools have open enrollment. Missoula is a great town - you will love it. Lots of outdoor and cultural opportunities.

I'm in Missoula today! I lived in Missoula for three years while attending law school. It's a fantastic town. The downtown is great and has several unique stores and many good restuarants.

I loved living in Missoula. The cost of living is high for Montana; although, the rental market has gotten better the last couple of years.

My husband substitute taught and coached at Loyola High School and St. Joe's elementary school. Both schools are great; they're private Catholic schools. The public schools are good, too.

We loved being so close to skiing, kayaking, biking, hiking, etc.

It's a fun and beautiful town!

I live in Kalispell, Montana which is approx. 100 miles north so can't help much except to say it definetly will not be as cold as Alasks.

Depends, of course, on what part of AK the OP is coming from. Winter lows can be worse in MT than parts of SE AK.

As for costs of living, if you're moving from Anchorage, the cost of living will seem low.

http://www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/salcalc.html

We visited Missoula this summer to visit my niece and her husband. It is a very impressive town with lots and lots going for it. Good food, funky bars, great architecture, fabulous farmers' markets, lots of wildlife and scenery nearby.

Repete's comments on cost of living are correct. Compared to Boston and even Minneapolis, housing costs are not high. Compared to rural Ohio, they would be. Food is likely to be a good deal cheaper than AK.

Hi, all this def. helps. Yes, I am moving from Anchorage where cost of living is very high. Housing looks to be a bit lower in Missoula but I am hoping that other things like food are quite a bit lower. That would be a relief! I think the winter would not be a problem, even if it were colder, I am certain it would be much shorter and less dark...by the way, the homefair link is great.