5 Insider Ways To Fit In When Moving To Montana

Moving to Montana sounds like such a good idea, but it's a very challenging new home for most people. Locals are exhausted from breakneck growth, and it's not the same place that is portrayed on TV. 'Fitting in' in Montana takes patience and situational awareness.

Montana is challenging for big reasons and for small reasons. It's a very BIG state, with islands of population scattered about. There are "big" towns like Bozeman, Missoula, Helena, and Billings. But I use the term 'big' very loosely.

Incredibly rapid growth in Montana's popular towns has surpassed the ability of those towns to keep up with appropriate infrastructure and sprawl. Services are strained and demand is high.

Our beautiful smaller towns are fighting to remain small towns - that's what makes them so charming. But add several thousand new people and that charm fades away and the vibe changes completely.

What are some of the most recent online grumblings? Take a look:

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• "There are no concerts here, no night clubs, no malls, no real good shopping, no sports teams (unless you dig college sports), and no big events."
• "Working class people can't get ahead. The costs are rising too quickly."
• "Properties are bought up and used as rentals so housing prices are fuk'd"
• "We used be fairly normal, rational people but so many folks have moved here lately with their tinfoil hats screwed on to tight or huge "Yellowstone" hats. Or escaping whatever. The place is starting to look like the Idaho panhandle wack a doodle club. And did I mention the trophy ranches?"