I took my wife to my hometown in CO this Summer and a 2nd trip to NM. We dropped her son at MT State 2 weeks ago and she is completely in love with the mountains and area around Bozeman.

I’ve fried to explain the brutality of winters in Montana but she is determined to move up. As a flight attendant, as long as she can get to her base in Dallas she’s good for work. I on the other hand would actually need to find employment.

How tough is the market up there? FWIW, I’m a certified teacher in TX, hold a Masters in History and PhD in Economics. I have sent my CV to MSU, but I’m not completely set on teaching.

How much can you afford for housing?

Bozeman is getting up into the California price ranges now.

If you want to experience brutal winters move to northern MN.

Here the east-side has harder winters than the west-side but I wouldn't call winters around Bozeman as brutal, but compared to TX then they may seem that way.

Bozeman has one of the best economies in MT but more in the area of fields that build/make hi-tech things vs. lib art jobs.

Bozeman is nice to visit, but as said, it is hitting the CA for price, but not always for salary, as a college town, it is decidedly left leaning.  I consider it to be what everybody called a yuppy ville back in my day, lots of visitors during the summer heading for Yellowstone and surrounding areas.

It would not be my first choice for a place to live, but I enjoy the visit every once in a while.

Brutal winters are all relative to where you are coming from, compared to TX, yes brutal, compared to MN and those areas, not so much.

I do some work in Bozeman a few times a year.

BZN will be the Austin of MT:  expensive, liberal, crowded, traffic, etc.

It's become insanely expensive to live in Bozeman.

The MT winters will suck compared to TX.

Otherwise it's one of the better parts of MT and you'll probably enjoy living there except for the California cost of living, liberal politics, traffic, and the crowds.

Prepare to be poor but at least you'll be poor where it's pretty.

PM with questions.

Just got back from a week up there. Couple nights in Little Bear, couple nights near Big Timber and an AirBnB in Belgrade. Expected the temps, but not snow in September - beautiful and loved it.

Now to figure out how to make it work.

Embrace winter.

On the east side it's drier so the temps don't feel as bad as in areas with higher humidity in the winter.  The east side has more sunny winter days also that moderates things.

Winter basically is only 3 months (Dec, Jan & Feb) give or take.

Prepare accordingly.

Dress appropriately & have a rig that can handle the snow (dedicated winter tires vs all weather) & temps.  Don't drive like its summer time when its nasty out and/or on snow/ice packed roads.

My .02

5000!