Finding the Best Places to Retire Since 2006!
Bozeman, Montana
Once Just a Dusty Cow Town, Today Pretty Bozeman is Home to Montana State University and is a Gateway to Stunning Yellowstone National Park
Nearly surrounded by the Bridger, Gallatin and Tobacco Root mountains in southwestern Montana, pretty Bozeman is a friendly town and home to Montana State University (18,000 students). It is just 90 minutes from stunning Yellowstone National Park. Interstate 90 runs through the city.
Once just a dusty cow town, today Bozeman is sometimes called Boz Angeles, a reference to the number of Californians and other out-of-staters who have made their way here over the last decade. Downtown has wide streets lined with restaurants, microbreweries, galleries, shops, cafes and is a lively place on weekends. The Museum of the Rockies, the Montana Arboretum and Gardens, the Bozeman Symphony and the Bozeman Intermountain Opera are just a few of the city's cultural offerings. Locals also enjoy a summer film festival, an arts festival, and a summer music series. The Emerson Center for the Arts holds classes, concerts and lectures.
Outdoor recreation is abundant, with Missouri Headwaters State Park and Hyalite Canyon Recreation Area just down the road. Downhill and nordic ski areas are within easy reach, and the "blue ribbon" trout streams of the Gallatin National Forest are only a few miles away. At least five golf courses have a Bozeman address.
Homes come in a variety of styles, but ranch ramblers and raised ranch ramblers are the most common.
Population: 57,000 (city proper)
Age 45 or Better: 40%
Cost of Living: 90% above the national average
Median Home Price: $800,000
Climate: Summer temperatures in the 70s and 80s. Winters bring temperatures in the teens, 20s and 30s. On average, the area receives 18 inches of rain and 84 inches of snow each year. The elevation is 4,845 feet above sea level.
At Least One Hospital Accepts Medicare Patients? Yes
At Least One Hospital Accredited by Joint Commission? Yes
Public Transit: Yes
Crime Rate: Below the national average
Public Library: Yes
Political Leanings: Liberal
College Educated: 56%
Is Montana Considered Tax Friendly for Retirement? No
Cons: None
Notes: MSU is not known as a party school. The population has mushroomed 42% during the last decade. Home prices have increased 13% since a year ago.
Recommended as a Retirement Spot? Yes
Montana:
By area, Montana is the fourth largest state in the United States. With an average of only six people per square mile, it is one of the country's least populated states. This Big Sky Country was the 41st state to enter the union in 1889 and is home to 12 tribal nations.
Split by the Continental Divide, the state can experience dramatic climate differences from east to west. The west usually has milder winters and cooler summers than the east. Western Montana is characterized rocky peaks, forests, streams and lakes, while eastern Montana is open prairie punctuated by occasional buttes and hills. This prairie is drained by the Missouri River and its tributaries. Elk, moose, and grizzly bears are still abundant across the state.
Although manufacturing, tourism, and minerals contribute to Montana's wealth, agriculture may be the top economic driver. Cattle, calves, barley, hay, and black cherries are important products.
Tourist favorites include Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and Glacier National Park. The Park contains 250 lakes. The largest, Flathead, is 28 miles long and between five and 15 feet wide.
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