Affordable Missoula Storage Units

Moving and storage go hand in hand. Whether traveling across town or the country, moving is an exciting and fresh start. While Storage Rentals of America is here to help you with all your storage needs, we also want to help you get familiar with the area. That's why we put together this resource guide for Missoula.

About Missoula, MT

Missoula is the county seat of Missoula County, Montana. The city’s name is a Native American word meaning “a place of frozen water.” The population is 73,289 (2020 U.S. Census). Missoula is considered part of the sunbelt in Montana because of its beautiful springs and summers. However, the winters are usually frigid and harsh. The Clark Fork River runs through the town, and parts may freeze during the winter.

Historically, the area contains an archeological record that shows the first humans lived in the Missoula Valley around 12,000 years ago. Ancient settlements have been unearthed that were carbon-dated to 3,500 BCE.

This town is best known for being a stopover for the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1805 and 1806. The major industries that built up the city were mining, logging, and creating lumber. In contemporary times, it is the site of the first state college, the University of Montana.

What to do in Missoula, MT

Missoula is an interesting combination of a western town with a laidback country lifestyle and a college town with lots of fun things for young adults to enjoy.

• Shopping: The shopping malls are Eastgate Center, Holiday Village Shopping Center, Southgate Mall, and Russell Square Shopping Center.
• Destination: The Snowbowl recreational area is just 20 minutes from downtown. It covers 900 acres and has 2,600 vertical feet of ski slopes. There are hiking trails everywhere in and around the city that are good for cross-country skiing during winter.
• Features: A lovely feature is A Carousel for Missoula. It is an old-style merry-go-round. The wooden horses are unique works of art that were hand-carved and then brilliantly painted by volunteers. The Aerial Fire Depot and Smokejumper Center is a specialty museum. It shows the history of firefighting and how the smokejumpers work to put out fires. There is a Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, a military outpost from 1877, with fascinating exhibits and restored buildings.

Working in Missoula, MT

The local economy depends on health care, education, hospitality/food service, and forestry_._ The unemployment rate is 4.4%, compared to the national average of 3.5% (July 2022). The median household income is $41,968 per year. The predicted job growth rate over the next ten years is 33%, compared to the national average growth rate of 33.5%. The average commute time is 17 minutes.

The most popular industries are education (13.6%), hospitality/restaurants (10.0%), health care (9.5%), professional, scientific, technical services (6.6%), construction (5.7%), finance/insurance (4.5%), and administrative support and waste management services (3.4%).

Missoula, MT Neighborhoods

This city has nice neighborhoods with some areas that cater to college students.

The nicest apartment complexes, condominiums, luxury houses, and country-style ranch homes are found in these neighborhoods:

• University District: This area is near the University of Montana and is popular with college students. The median home price in this area is $827,532. This amount is nearly twice the cost of an average home in America of $423,600 and more costly than 96.9%^ of the other parts of the state. Many homes are rental properties. You will find medium-sized homes mixed with apartment buildings. The average rent is $1,462, with a vacancy rate of 5.3%, so you may have to hunt to find a suitable place to rent.
• Lower Rattlesnake: This neighborhood is popular with owners and renters. The median home price is $608,053. The average rent is $1,516. The vacancy rate is 8.1%. This rate may make finding a nice place to rent easier than the area closer to the university.
• Lolo Hot Springs/Lothrop: The natural hot springs are a big tourist attraction. Many come to this area for wintertime recreation and to enjoy the hot springs. The median home price is $603,547. The average rent is $1,252, with a vacancy rate of 9.1%, making it fairly easy to find a place to rent.

Missoula, MT School District

The public school district is the Missoula County Public Schools. The district spends around $18,227 per student yearly, higher than the statewide average of $16,694. The student-to-teacher ratio is an outstanding 14 to one, meaning the class size is small and individual students get more attention from the teacher’s.

There are 14 private schools in the area. The best-ranked ones are St. Joseph School (PK to 8th grade), Missoula International School (PK to 8th grade), and Valley Christian School (PK to 12th grade).

For higher education, the University of Montana is in the heart of the city. There are also 20 more colleges and universities within 50 miles.

Moving to Missoula, MT

Here is some community information and how to turn on utilities.

The City of Missoula offers water and sewer service. Republic Services offers garbage pickup and recycling. Missoula Electric Cooperative provides electricity. NorthWestern Energy provides natural gas and electricity. TV, telephone, and Internet connections are provided by many companies, including Spectrum, CenturyLink, Starlink, and others.

The City of Missoula Parks & Recreation Department manages the public parks and recreational areas.

The municipal government consists of an elected mayor and 12 elected members serving on the city council. There are six city wards and two council members from each ward.

Missoula, MT Housing

The median home price in this area is $600,000, trending up by 20.2% year-over-year. The high home prices, which are 16% above the national average, drive the cost of living in this area up, even when offset by lower costs for utilities and transportation. The cost of living is 3% higher when compared to other communities in the state and 1% higher than the national average.