Best state to take up residency

South Dakota based on your thoughts of all things hunting especially turkeys ( the black hills are top notch turkeys destination country wide) you can hunt whitetail, mule deer, antelope. Pheasant and grouse hunting is great and waterfowl hunting is top notched. We regulate the numbers of NR waterfowl hunters so it isn’t talked about much. We have elk but it is basically a once in a lifetime tag. But WY is our neighbor to cure that itch.
 
I live outside of Bozeman in a smaller town. Small enough to not make you feel congested. If you have children that have special needs there is great support here and lots of programs. No shortage of outdoor activity if you like skiing, hiking, power sports, Hunting, fishing. Been here 2 years now and frankly the people are polite, not the easiest to make friends especially if you rent a place cause people come an go a-lot. Depending on where you are coming from, housing prices are not cheap. If your wanting a 1500sq ft place plan on spending over 325,000, or go with a condo/townhouse at just under 290,000 for the bigger ones. Sounds like you do remote work so you will be fine. Median household income at least in Belgrade just outside of Bozeman is just under 50,000 so that means pay can be tough for some people. If you were to look at Helena or Billings it is a little cheaper for housing. I'm enjoying Montana and I think we will be here for a long time.
 
In terms of opportunity, AK is the best, followed by CO, MT, and WY in some order. Lot's of good options though depending on your preferences. Good luck deciding! That is a good problem to have.
 
You have to look at sales tax and property taxes along with income taxes to get a real sense of your tax burden. AK would be the best, then WY, WA, and NV.
Agree with A, however, I was only addressing the hunting states the OP was considering
 
Career opportunities would be a factor. Ignoring that as not being impacted by where you move then for elk hunting on quality hunts most years would put WY first then MT then CO and that would be the only states I would consider for residency if want to hunt elk a lot.

I split time between WA and AZ but mostly am in WA. WA hunting is not good but is great for my career and I really like the lack of a state personal income tax. AZ is better for winters when are old and want to breath easy and not slip on ice and have a some top-notch medical specialists on hand which is in my near future so will be living in AZ in a few years.
 
Not sure if your work requires it but internet service is a huge issue. A few towns like Bozeman have good service but a ton of the west is terrible. My mom can only get 28mbps and there is one provider, my in-laws don’t have access to a cable so it’s all satellite and is stupid slow. When I visit and have to work I have to remote in using my as a hotspot.
 
Wllm1313 - I read the attached article you posted and it pretty much paints a picture of what my fears would be haha. Your post hit the nail on the head with the comparisons and everyday life issues I will need to consider. Seeing as how I’m not making a living from hunting everyday, I will still need to deal with everyday life as well and raising a family and that will always come first.
 
“The West” is rapidly changing with all the people flocking here in droves. Don’t count on hunting or the outdoors remaining the way it’s been for much longer, resident or no. It’s not sustainable at the current rate of growth.

Lots of truth here. Lately it seems it's 3 post a week on here just like this one. The grass isn't always greener on the other side. I love the West but don't ever foresee me moving there.
 
The west cannot infinitely grow. There are a lot of logistical reasons why its current rate is unsustainable. It might take a decade or two but somewhere else will become the new cool place to live. It was the pacific northwest for the decade or two prior. Watch out Maine.
 
South Dakota based on your thoughts of all things hunting especially turkeys ( the black hills are top notch turkeys destination country wide) you can hunt whitetail, mule deer, antelope. Pheasant and grouse hunting is great and waterfowl hunting is top notched. We regulate the numbers of NR waterfowl hunters so it isn’t talked about much. We have elk but it is basically a once in a lifetime tag. But WY is our neighbor to cure that itch.

We looked at the Black Hills several years ago but people from Denver are buying up all of the decent property and as a result the prices are sky high. A million won't get you much. The weather totally sucks unless you like being snow bouhd often. The property taxes and sales tax are very high. Crossing that one off of the list was a no brainer for us.
 
We looked at the Black Hills several years ago but people from Denver are buying up all of the decent property and as a result the prices are sky high. A million won't get you much. The weather totally sucks unless you like being snow bouhd often. The property taxes and sales tax are very high. Crossing that one off of the list was a no brainer for us.
. Most time I am hunting deer in the hills in a hoody onThanksgiving day. 6% sales tax with no income tax. My dad lives in the Hills on 4 acres will be selling in the next few years his place appraised at 415,000 4 bedroom 3 bath built in 2001. Dont know how you came across your info but it sounds a bit out in left field.
 
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. Most time I am hunting deer in the hills in a hoody onThanksgiving day. 6% sales tax with no income tax. My dad lives in the Hills on 4 acres will be selling in the next few years his place appraised at 415,000 4 bedroom 3 bath built in 2001. Dont know how you came across your info but it sounds a bit out in left field.

I grew up in South Dakota. The kids are in Central South Dakota. Relatives and friends in Rapid City. We sold our ranch near the river 2 years ago. The fuel tax is also sky high. Yea right, no income tax but everybody pays for it and then some. Ok. Hunting in a hoody after 8 feet of snow fell maybe. Not bad if you like skiing on Memorial day. If a property lists for less than 500k it is a place that I wouldn't want to live in. Slim pickens left over from the Denverites. Call a realtor and see for yourself.
 
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Wyoming, Idaho, Montana would be my 3 choices if I did not already live in Idaho.
Matt

AK #1, and then Matt’s list in that order.

The amount of opportunity WY has for residents is wild. That’s where I’d go.

I’m a real estate appraiser. Homes are a fortune. The problem with Boise is we’re coming up on 710k people in the valley and our grid/traffic system is not setup for it like some of the other cities. Horrendous traffic.
 
I notice no one really mentions New Mexico. It seems it’s a high hopes go to every year when applying for elk for most people and residents get allocated minimum 84% of tags. Is there something about that state that makes it less desirable? I know I asked for everyone’s top pick but just curious why it’s never mentioned.
 
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