Best place to retire, USNEWS

Best Places to Retire Best Places to Retire: Bozeman, Montana By Alison Go Posted September 20, 2007 The people of Bozeman, Mont., don't want this story to be published. They want the writers and photographers out, and they want the media to forget that their beautiful, once little town exists. "There's the idea that 'foreigners,' as we call them, are going to destroy old-time Montana," says Connie Lord, a longtime Bozeman resident and native of the state. When Lord returned to Big Sky Country after moving away for work, she discovered a transformed city. "What happened to my sleepy little town?" she wondered. Partners Connie Lord and Shon Wedde try out salsa steps at Wild Joe's Organic Coffee & Tea House in Bozeman. Partners Connie Lord and Shon Wedde try out salsa steps at Wild Joe's Organic Coffee & Tea House in Bozeman. (Kevin Horan–Aurora for USN&WR) Related News * More About Bozeman * Best Places to Retire * Find Your Best Place * Photo Gallery * Video: RLTV * Special Report: Best Places to Retire Bozeman—an outdoorsy sanctuary tucked within the Rocky Mountains, just 93 miles north of Yellowstone National Park—anchors Montana's fastest-growing county. Bozeman is home to Montana State University, but it has also become a mecca to vacationers and tech-industry workers, along with retirees looking for peace, quiet, culture, community, and the great outdoors. Winters in Bozeman offer excellent skiing at the nearby glitzy Big Sky Ski Resort and local favorite Bridger Bowl Ski Area. For the warmer months, hiking trails snake through the foothills and canyons in every direction, while the Gallatin, Yellowstone, and Madison rivers, less than an hour's drive away, are teeming with avid fly fishers (fish, too). A historic downtown boasts cafes and boutiques and serves as the venue for a seemingly endless number of art fairs and music festivals. Opportunities abound for horseback riding, and dude ranches outside town attract tourists and sometimes even locals. The university, the Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture, and the Museum of the Rockies add their own energy, culture, and academic pedigree to the scene. For Lord, who works at the university as a research technician, life revolves around ballroom dancing and the active two-step scene in Bozeman. She meets with her partner and other dancers from all over the county several times a week to practice, a time when sprightly senior citizens can mambo with 14-year-olds. Outsiders have found the area hard to resist, and fewer and fewer do. Bozeman has attracted plenty of wealthy retirees who gravitate toward pricey real estate on the outskirts of the city. And the influx of all those well-heeled seniors has made living in what some have jokingly renamed "Boz Angeles" nearly unaffordable. New, reasonably priced housing does exist—a three-bedroom house could go for $275,000—but for natives whose wages have not increased to match, the transformation is often startling. Change at the Bozeman Hot Springs mirrors the town's metamorphosis. The once dingy gathering spot has recently been transformed into a ritzy spa featuring nine pools filled with hot springs water, a fitness center, and a sauna. Yet as corners of the town are upgraded and reimagined to the chagrin of some locals, Bozeman's core appeal remains the same: a sense of community that's obvious in the city's many groups and meetups dedicated to skiing, hiking, painting, and knitting, to name a few. And as long as newcomers respect Bozeman's natural beauty and small-town feel, they're sure to feel welcome. The locals are a very nice bunch, really. Just don't tell them you're a reporter. ABOUT BOZEMAN, MONT. Population: 33,535 Median home price: $279,300 January average temperatures (high/low): 33/14 July temperatures: 82/52

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Bozeman Quick Facts, U.S. NEWS

Search U.S. News * Nation & World * Health * Money & Business * Education * Opinion * Science * Photo * Video * Rankings Best Places to Retire * Article Index * Subscribe US News Current Issue Home > Money & Business > Best Places to Retire > Listings Close * Social Web * E-mail * del.icio.us * Digg * Facebook * Netscape * Yahoo! My Web * Technorati * Google Bookmarks * Newsvine * BlinkList * reddit * Blogmarks * ma.gnolia * Windows Live * Tailrank E-mail It * To Address: * Your Name: * Your Address: * 3008950 Kevin Horan/Aurora for USN&WR — VIEW GALLERY | VIDEO 3 4 5 6 7 See homes for sale in Bozeman Editors Pick * Print | * Share Bozeman, Montana Total population 33,535 Median home price $ 279,300 Average January/July temperatures 23.7° / 66.9° Annual Precipitation 19.29 in. /yr. Bozeman, Montana Map data ©2008 Tele Atlas - Terms of Use View Full Map This city is the home of Montana State University. Climate Bozeman receives significantly higher rainfall than most of Montana. Cultural Attractions Bozeman's annual events include the American-Indian Council of MSU Pow-Wow and the Farm and Blue Grass Festival. Geography Bozeman is located in the Gallatin Valley, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Historical For thousands of years, Native Americans, including the Nez Pierce, Blackfeet, and Sioux, called this area their home, although no one tribe permanently held the Gallatin Valley region. Recreation Bozeman has at least 23 trails for hiking activities, as well as some of the best fly-fishing in the world. U.S. News profile of Bozeman Location Details Weather Average January high/low temperature (?) 33.4 ° / 13.9 ° Average July high/low temperature (?) 81.8 ° / 51.9 ° Precipitation (?) 19.29 in. /yr. Index score for various storm types (?) 5 Cost of Living Median home price (?) $ 279,300 Median household income (?) $41660.0 Maximum state income tax (?) 6.9 % State sales tax (?) 0 % Recreational & Cultural Activities Area of square miles of parkland/greenspace (?) N/A Number of public golf courses within the county (?) 7 Number of private golf courses within the county (?) 4 Number of sports teams within the county (?) 0 Number of movie theaters within the county (?) 6 Number of libraries within the county (?) 11 Number of museums within the county (?) 7 Number of college and universities that reside within the county (?) 1 Population & Demographics Total population (?) 33,535 Population density (?) 860 people/mi.² Population trends (Percentage growth/decline of the 55+ population) (?) 137.2% growth Population over 55 (?) 5,392 people Education (?) 43 % have a college degree Health Number of hospitals within the county (?) 8 Number of clinics within the county (?) 21 Number of elder care facilities within the county (?) 4 Copyright © 2007 On Board LLC. Information is represented by On Board LLC as reliable but not guaranteed.

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