leifw

Specifically, Coldwell Banker looked at a 2,200-square-foot house with 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, a family room and a two-car garage. The neighborhood - a more subjective measure - is one "typical for corporate middle-management transferees."

What does this really mean? Well, Bozeman's price is higher than every other city in MT by a significant factor.

• Great Falls ($130,525)
• Billings ($134,650)
• Helena ($158,100)
• Kalispell ($159,684)
• Bozeman ($256,499)

Furthermore, Bozeman's housing market is more expensive than:

• Tacoma, WA
• Denver, CO
• New Orleans, LA
• Orlando, FL
• Anchorage, AK
• Des Moines, IA
• Rochester, MN

But it's not as bad as:

• Any town in California
• Any town in Connecticut
• Any town in Massachusetts
• Seattle, WA
• Portland, OR
• Minneapolis, MN

Finally, it's noteworthy that Butte, MT, did not make CNN's list. At last count, I believe Butte, which has been in decline for decades and stands now at something like a third of its all time maximum population, still had a larger citizenry than Bozeman. However, nobody cares about Butte and people are fleeing the Mining City in droves. Perhaps those in support of Montana's inglorious I-147 should consider the causes of the waning of Butte and the waxing of Bozeman when they cast their votes.

posted by Leif Wickland @ 2:37 AM