Bozeman, Montana

Bozeman has been rated the best place to live in the West for skiing, and it frequently tops the lists as the best small city in the country for those seeking an outdoor lifestyle. Simply put, if you want to live in the great outdoors, and flyfish, ski, hike, mountain climb, snowshoe, mountain bike, trail run, camp, or anything else you can think of, you would be hard-pressed to find a city more perfectly suited to your tastes. It’s so outdoorsy they filmed chunks of the movie A River Runs Through It here.

One local's note about the outdoorsy stuff in Bozeman: When it comes to outdoorsy stuff, Bozeman is an excellent choice. Close to Bridger bowl for easy ski access, close to various mountain ranges for hiking, and close to many bodies of water for your choice of enjoyment (fishing, kayaking, etc.). I have been here for a year now and have only hiked one trail twice (I hike nearly every weekend).

They don’t call it Boz Angeles because they’re surfing here. They call it that because in 2018 it was rated the fastest growing city of its size in the country and a lot of that and more recent growth seems to be fancier than the rest of the state and filled with Californians and celebs. You can spot them at the cafes on Main Street all day long (anyone working here?). What’s truly problematic with the new blood is how it creates a mismatch between costs and local wages. Costs are above national average and incomes are below. That’s not completely unique to Bozeman but the problem is growing faster here (like everything else).

Question from a local about trying to move back: Good god, I’m looking at housing prices and I have no idea how I’d even afford to move back. I’d prefer to buy a home, but everything is so expensive. I’d be willing to rent if the prices were more reasonable.

I know the obvious answer is to find a good paying job and roommates, to which I say, “Got it, working on that as we speak.” But I know not everyone in Bozeman makes over $60-70k a year. So how do you it (again, besides roommates)? What things do you do to supplement your income and live comfortably?