Are you looking to relocate for your retirement, but don't want to go with the flow to the Sun Belt? Lots of retirees don't, and Montana's becoming a major attraction. Here are some benefits to spending your retirement underneath Montana's Big Sky Country.
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- It's Not Crowded - If peaceful solitude is your thing, it's easy to find under the Big Sky. With 1.02 million people living in 145,529 square miles, that equates to fewer than 7 people per square mile. A short drive out of town can get you all the solitude you want. "Huge swaths of land are populated only by herds of elk, deer and other wildlife," according to MarketWatch.com. Bring your hunting rifle, or your camera.
- Veterans Receive Good Care - WalletHub rated Montana as the second-best state in the nation in 2015 for retired vets, behind only Wyoming, and first in healthcare for veterans. There are Veterans Affairs medical and service facilities all around the state. Montana ranked second in the proportion of veterans to the total population, and first in the proportion of veteran-owned businesses. Montana's biggest veterans' community in in the town of Great Falls, home to Malmstrom Air Force Base. Veterans who retire there say they immediately feel welcome.
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- Highly Rated Health Care - The Billings Clinic hospital system – it's Montana's major employer – is based in Montana's largest city but has branch facilities in other cities. It was ranked No. 1 by Consumer Reports. CNNMoney notes the regional medical center serving the Kalispell-Whitefish resort area is ranked as "one of the country's top hospitals."
- It Can Be Affordable If You Choose Wisely - It's no secret land prices in Montana can be on the high side, especially in the places everyone wants to go. However, there are still relative bargains. The university town of Bozeman, for example, made U.S. News & World Report's list of "Affordable Mountain Towns for Retirees." University towns especially offer lots of educational and cultural diversions, often for free. Buying a house in the resort area of Whitefish can set you back $300,000 or so. However, head to Butte or Great Falls and you can find prices that come in at a third of that.
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