Community News

February is the traditional month of love, and though Valentine’s Day has passed, I want to share some of the reasons I love Bozeman and Southwest Montana.  And it appears I am not alone.  Population growth in our area continues at a steady pace with Bozeman’s estimated 2012 numbers at 38,695 (up 3.8% from 2010) and Gallatin County at 92,614 (up 3.5% from 2010).  Projections show these figures should continue to trend upward.  So why do I, and 38,694 “neighbors”, choose to call this home?  I think some of the national and local news sums up the overall feeling of affection for our area. 

An interesting list where we appeared recently is MovieMaker’s 2014 Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker.  Bozeman was ranked #4 in the town division (pop. 100,000 and under) with the six criteria of film production, film community and culture, access to equipment and facilities, tax incentives, cost of living, and general features such as lifestyle, weather, and transportation.  MSU’s film department and the area’s amazing natural beauty played key roles in this distinction.

Further, kudos go to Montana State University for finding itself on November 2013’s list of America’s Best College Towns by TRAVEL LEISURE magazine.  Ranked at #18, the blurb commended the blending of “laid-back downtown” and the “great outdoors” in one fabulous town.

In October of last year, Livability.com noted Bozeman as the most livable city in Montana as well as #22 nationwide in cities with a population of 25,000 to 350,000.  Only two other towns in our state, Missoula (#60) and Helena (#95) were also included on the list.  Eight criteria were used for the rankings, and Bozeman shone in the areas of health care, social and civic capital, and education.  We should truly count our blessings to be respected in those categories which truly make Bozeman a quality place to live.

FindTheBest.com conducts research on almost any product or service you can imagine. But the one that caught my attention was U.S. ski resorts, with our very own Big Sky topping the list.  The researchers picked the top 17 ski resorts and put them head to head in a “five-round death match” with measurable criteria of skiable acres, vertical drop, average snowfall, longest run, and number of trails.  Big Sky won by a notable margin.

Sunset Magazine kindly included Bozeman among the West’s Best Places to Live and Work cities and gave further designation as the winner of “best place to reboot your life.”  So whether your idea for a fresh start is defined by more time spent in nature or exciting job ventures on a less hectic scale, Bozeman could be just the place for you.

A final note is not in terms of a ranking but a general feel-good article published in the February 2014 edition of TRAVEL LEISURE titled “My Own Private Montana.” Author Reggie Nadelson paints a lovely picture focusing on Chico Hot Springs in Paradise Valley but touching the bigger picture of our area with mentions of Big Sky, Bozeman, Livingston, Big Timber, and Red Lodge. From soaking in the hot springs to dining to dog-sledding adventures, she comes here because she states, “For me, Montana is the very meaning of getting away, of the what the French call dépaysement.” A beautiful word that conveys a lovely sentiment.

So yet again, our very own Bozeman and Southwest Montana prove that we are more than just a pretty picture… we have the substance to back it up.