Small-town Montana

If you're thinking of relocating to "the last best place," don't overlook the small towns that dot Montana's map. The many towns with 5000 residents or fewer showcase a way of life that is distinctly Montanan: a combination of community life and individualism, hard work and the enjoyment of Montana's great outdoors. In her guidebook, Montana, Norma Tirrell writes: "for a deeper understanding of what it is like to live in a rural Western state, look to the smaller towns, like Libby, Browning, Wolf Point, and Roundup." You can begin to look into some of these small towns by finding their statistics on www.moving.com . Take a close look at the state map, and the natural features that will govern the way of life in these towns. For example, if you would absolutely love to live near Glacier National Park, you'll find on the map that there are numerous towns within a short drive of the park, varying in population from Bigfork (1421 inhabitants) to Whitefish (12,627; 5032 in the town proper). The average home sale price in Whitefish is $276,487. In Montana as a whole, the average home sells for $172,838, and there are many opportunities for purchasing beautiful real estate in other small towns throughout the state.