I am considering taking a skilled trades job in the Kalispell MT area.

We’ve visited out west dozens of times.

Besides the saying “ We’re full don’t come”

Do any locals have anything to share about the area?

We’re a Family of 6  with a teenage girl and 4 young
Boys.  We’ve had enough of the oppression down here in more ways than one.

Much more expensive than GA. I've got family way NE of Atlanta and while it is getting more expensive, it is still much cheaper. I consider the area to be similar to Western Colorado which is where most of my adult life was spent. I do well and maybe I just have a different threshold of what I consider affordable, but my wife and I won't be getting property like we want until/if things come back down and/or crash. I suspect they will, unless inflation just kicks in. I don't know what skilled trades are paying (I could look at some plumber and electrician payroll reports though), but I know laborers are starting as high as $20-$24 an hour right now. I just lost my framing contractor on a Federal project and am scrambling to find one. Everyone is crazy busy right now and can't find help, so finding a job shouldn't be difficult. Whether it will pay will is unknown.

Other than that, we absolutely love it here. We've only been here since January, but I have been coming up here for a couple years for work, and my wife grew up visiting family here. We still have lots of exploring to do, but I think it will be a great place to raise our son and future kids.

It’s a great place to be.

If you can get housing sorted, you’re good.

Things are currently selling for ~10% over asking with a lot of cash offers: if you can hang with that, there are things on the market.

If you can find a good rental and try to wait it out...things will have to correct...it’s silly right now...

I’m interviewing for the $30-$40hr range. Pre-covid in the south that is a livable wage.  Right now with inflation and housing,it treads water.  It’s like that everywhere though,so in my mind there’s no difference in being in GA inflated and being in MT inflated.

Schools down in my area suck horribly,and there’s no activity lifestyle to be had with traffic and overcrowding.  I figured if it’s going to cost me an arm and a leg no matter where i go (besides slum town) then i may as well be somewhere we enjoy and is a place I can raise my young boys.

I’m not saying everything is the perfect dream or comes easy,but there’s more to the scenario and situation than getting a wild hair idea one day.

There’s not any place in GA besides the mountains of north Georgia that I would want to raise my young boys,and so far I haven’t had any interviews in that area.

I may be jumping the gun a little bit here,but I figured asking about things wouldn’t hurt.

I dont think I’d be that bad a neighbor,no matter where we end up. I can pass any drug test and background check with flying colors.  I’ve never been arrested,been married for 17yrs,can read a tape measure,use power tools,turn a wrench and generally take care of things.

I was recently told (as a deterrent I believe)that Kalispell crime is going through the roof and there is absolutely zero housing for rent or sale and that i better stay put where I’m at.  However,I believe that God can work miracles, and also  that sometimes people just don’t know when or how to ask a question or get connected.  

That is all for now!

Crime skyrocketing seems like a scare...there’s more but it’s in line with the increase in population.

Overall good people.

I agree.  Statistics versus the amount of population.  

We’d love being around good people ,especially having a family

i like the area but am too poor to live there.

come on up.

we'll show you around.

If you are interviewing for jobs in that range, you'll be able to make it work. Housing is available, you just have to be able to jump on a rental when it pops up. I'd always be willing to go look at something for you if you'd like.

We plan to homeschool, so I don't have a clue what the schools are like. There is a ton to do outdoors here though, and a bunch of fun stuff for kids. I think it'd be an awesome change from GA.

Both our cars are paid off,No Credit Card Debt.  The only debt we have is our house.  

My wife currently takes care of the kids since they’re not school age yet and daycare is expensive.  We homeschool our daughter.  I’m not a millionaire and don’t ever expect to have anything handed to me in life,but I can make amends with that.  

We will probably have to get 4wd vehicles as both ours are 2wd Toyota’s.

My daughter says she will hate it but that’s a teenager and going through change for you.  I’m quite sure with the amount of activity around,everybody will adapt and like it

I’ll hopefully know more by the end of the week

If they are front wheel drive, you will be fine. Good snow tires in the winter will make them work well, especially if you are in the valley which is mostly flat. You could make rear wheel drive work, but it is trickier. I knew a guy when I lived in Colorado that had never owned a 4x4 truck. He drove from Montrose to the Telluride airport year round for work and never got stuck anywhere supposedly.

Good luck! It's a great place and I'm sure your daughter would learn to love it.

2007 tundra CrewMAX 2wd
2008 sequoia 2wd
Both have limited slip rear ends

I’m not above finding 4wd vehicles before making the move if needed in the end

I would switch over to 4wd down south...2wd vehicles aren’t as desirable up here...and 4wd has a premium...you would probably come out better selling down there

Thirded. If you decide to switch or think you might want to, definitely do it there.

If we do decide to move and transition into 4wd vehicles,it would be right before we move.

GA has a high as hell ad valorem tax based on a retail number.  It was over 1k for my truck and that was negotiated.

No sense in paying taxes 2x

Today my wife was just browsing on Facebook just for giggles. She doesn’t have a real FB account,or spend time on there. She was just curious. Apparently there are entire forums dedicated to housing for Kalispell.


People say that they have been on a waiting list for housing for two years and it is very common to see people living in campers in parking lots or out of their cars. Others say that unless you bring $500,000 in cash to buy a house then you won’t get one.

I’m sure the housing situation is jacked up there just like anywhere else in the world today. I’m trying my best to remain positive wherever we end up. We will not be staying in GA forever,even if it takes some more time to sort things out


I have compiled a list of questions for myself to ask during the interviews about the employer and benefits packages etc. etc. as well as other information.


It never hurts to ask and it never hurts to try!

I am doing my best to remain calm and positive through this process.  I’ve been looking for other jobs for years and never not once had a follow up,and now all of a sudden it’s like I’m a wanted fugitive.  Maybe it wasn’t God’s time for me until now.

I know a guy that is the head admin of one of those pages. He added me to it and that page was a cluster. I don't know who people are on housing lists for... My wife and I found housing "with ease". I say that in quotes as we have 2 dogs and are paying more than we wanted, but we can afford it and love the area we ended up in. My sister-in-law, her husband, 2 kids, and 2 dogs found a place after us (in January I believe) to start the lease in February. They have a different management company than us, and they keep a list of people, but it sounds like it is from month to month. Apply for apartment A in March, someone else gets it, your app can apply to apartment B that comes up in April. Both them and the company we are going through are first app gets it if they meet all the criteria to rent. My mother-in-law and FIL just found a place (no pets) within the last 2 months as well. I think rent between the 3 households ranges from $1,500 to $2,200.

I’m not a local to Kalispell and am by no means an expert on the area but I just got back from being there for a week. While talking to the locals every single one of them had the same thing to say. “Damn California people are moving in in droves and now locals can’t afford to buy a house.”  Take that for what it’s worth.

Everything said about commies moving here is true and the local culture is slowly changing for the worst, but I know there are many patriots that have moved here in the last year.

At some point we'll have a nice long icy winter that will motivate the pests to move. Also the more people open carry and wear pro-2A/patriot clothing (Shall Not Comply, etc.), the better. These snowflakes don't like seeing scary images of freedom.

If you're a patriot, believe in natural law, and don't have a socialist wife, please consider moving here. We need you! Need to stop Kalispell from turning into Calispell.

It appears the companies I was interviewing with,don’t want to pay the advertised wages listed in their job ad’s.

I guess I’ll have to keep looking!

That sucks and is frustrating. Sorry man!

Whenever I can finally get my new house in the valley to close this summer, my family will be reinforcing this.

My wife is the "true" conservative between us, while I lean a bit more Libertarian, according to online political tests.

Let me guess...they list a salary range but find an excuse to hire everyone at the low end of the range?

Welcome to the Flathead. Good to get needed reinforcements.

Thanks. Just waiting for issue...after issue...after issue with financing to be squared away. --It's not us, it's the underwriter being a prick on a couple "needed" repairs. We've been pushed back twice now. Hoping to pull into town before the 4th of July regardless.