By Charlie Anderson
Shortly after our move from Seattle to Butte, Montana, I began to understand why Montanans cherish the phrase “The Last Best Place” to describe their state. Montana is the fourth largest state in the nation, but the 2017 estimated population is only 1.05 million. Butte’s density is 74 people per square mile. By comparison, Seattle’s density in 2016 was 7,962 persons per square mile. The spaciousness and size of the wilderness areas is part of Montana’s charm, but there is so much more we find attractive about life here.
The hunting, fishing and hiking culture is so widespread in Montana that it may be one explanation for the reason so many businesses are closed on Fridays year-round. This includes contractors, electricians, plumbers, painters, furnace/AC installers, roofers, and even many medical and dental practices. Consequently, skilled workers are in high demand and heavily scheduled. Things we planned to have done this year are now on the list for Spring 2018.
Montana has the highest per capita number of veterans of any state in the U.S., and the degree of patriotism here reflects this. From the crowds at various memorial functions, both national and local, it is clear many residents honor and support veterans. Many houses display the flag on holidays and a fair number are visible on homes and businesses year-round. There are monuments in cemeteries for the Korean War and the Vietnam War and many VA grave markers in special veteran’s sections. If you can prove veteran status, you can get license plates including the word “Veteran” and your choice of service branch emblem. Your driver’s license can read “Veteran” as well, helping get discounts in many stores offering veteran discounts. I see multiple ball caps with various veteran logos on them. The American Legion and the Marine League are the big things in Butte; the VFW has a much smaller profile.
Parking is a pleasure in Butte. The streets are wide and parking lanes have probably four feet or more clearance by the street lane if you park against the curb. There are very few places, even in the center of town, with paid parking spots, although there are some two-hour limits at places like the Court House. There is no parking garage, although one is under construction in the central business district. So far, parking has never been a problem. Even in residential areas we find the same very wide streets with wide parking lanes.
Median income in Butte is about 54% lower than in Seattle. This impacts things such as home prices, where it is possible to find homes on the Flat with three times more space and one-third the cost of similar houses in Seattle. Real estate taxes are significantly lower than Seattle. With the exception of utilities, all the other cost-of-living indices are lower than in Seattle. There is no sales tax, but there is a state income tax.
On the down side, Butte can have some brutal winters. The average temperature in December 2016 was 12 degrees with a mean minimum of -22 degrees. This is somewhat mitigated by lower humidity so you feel less cold at 12 degrees than you would in Seattle at the same temperature. And when you walk out in the morning to fetch the local newspaper, there is a wonderfully clear and clean smell to the air. Although there is a fair amount of snow, because of the lower humidity frequently it is a drier snow which often blows away or melts in between heavier days of snow. So far, it has not been a serious problem for us.
We had a bad weather period this summer due to an unusually heavy period of forest fires, making it the most expensive forest fire-fighting period in history. Even though the burns never approached Butte, the air quality from the drifting smoke fell into the unhealthy level a number of times. I hear Seattle had some similar times from fires in British Columbia. We spent a good part of those weeks indoors. Still, the air didn’t seem to bother most Butte residents. It didn’t prevent them from going to various outdoor festivals.
There are little things that required adjustment. For example, we’ve nearly given up on hard boiling eggs. At this altitude, this is a very random event. You’re never sure what you will get. Other cooking often needs some adjustment in times/temperatures because of the altitude. Primary care doctors are limited and many do not accept new patients. Most specialties are represented in Butte with at least one physician. Some people drive to Bozeman or Helena for more specialist options. Quite a few residents use the “doc-in-a-box” approach at places like ExpressCare.
There are no “big box” stores like Costco or Sam’s Club in Butte. For those you need to drive to Helena, Missoula, or other larger cities. There is a Walmart’s and a fascinating store called Three Bears Alaska. The latter is a combination of small big box, hunting (including guns and ammo), fishing, grocery, wine and beer shop plus pharmacy. So far it fills close to all of our needs and is about five minutes from our house.
Eating out in Butte is a real experience. Probably because of its Western history, meals are gargantuan. My first cheeseburger in a Butte restaurant nearly covered a dinner plate.
This Mac & Cheese is a single serving.
Order sausage for breakfast at Gamer’s Café and you get a pancake sized sausage—home grown—definitely not Jimmy Dean. Many main dishes are enough to serve two “foreigners” like us. But the prices tend to be much less than in most Seattle restaurants.
The friendliness of the people struck us almost immediately. It is not uncommon at all for strangers, men mostly, to say something like, “How you doing?”, “Hey there” or something similar when you pass them on the street or in a store. The pharmacist at Three Bears on my second visit not only recognized me but had pulled my prescription from the shelf when he saw me walking up.
Before our move, I was a bit concerned about the change from sea level to the mountains. Butte is surrounded by mountains and our house sits at 5, 516 feet. On my one visit before the move I definitely felt the difference. However, within one day of our move, I had acclimated to the altitude.
This photo is the view from our back deck looking towards the East Ridge on the Continental Divide. The white object is Our Lady of the Rockies, a 90-foot statue dedicated to the Virgin Mary, built by volunteers, lit at night and standing at 8,510 feet above sea level.
There is a wealth of social opportunities—clubs of all sorts, festivals galore, including Evel Knievel Days—and a restored 1923 theatre which gets Broadway traveling stage productions.
Best of all, Butte has a true small-town character, which reminds me in many ways of the small town I grew up in in Missouri. The move was a very good decision for us, and we are having a great time here.