What's Moscow like?

I'm looking for a place to do a university degree which is a safer sort of state but not overly Mormon.

Safer sorts of states are all over the country.

Idaho is not necessarily my first pick, I just want to be in a state where I feel safe and cost of living isn't outrageous.

Carrie, where are some places that you would really *like* to live? Another factor is the cost of schooling. You want to keep your student loans (if necessary) to a bare minimum.

Various places in Oregon and Washington come to mind

Carrie,

Your post makes it sound like you don't care about the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition, or aren't aware that there can be such a difference.

Moscow is a small college town 8 miles east of Pullman/WSU. Very safe as its in the middle of the Palouse. Average to above average party school. Good engineering & law school. Closest large town is Spokane. I know a few grads. All pretty happy with their degrees.

Best years of my life. Good place for an education. Rent is a little high in some spots, but not horrible.

I go to WSU in Pullman about 8 miles from Moscow. From what I can tell, Moscow doesn't have a very high Mormon population (they seem to prefer southern Idaho). Some of my friends went to U of I and liked it.

I have two kids who graduated from there. It was the right size for them. Not very many Mormons. Lots of partying apparently.

They both landed good jobs. They liked it OK. They are glad they didn't have to go to BYU like their parents!

I can't say it is anything special. However, for Idaho residents, it was reasonable and an overall good decision.

Most college towns are reasonably safe places. Just avoid urban schools if safety is a concern.

I would worry more about fellow students, especially if I were a woman. I would definitely stay away from frat or jock parties.

Frat parties are fine as long as you stay in the general living areas and avoid going upstairs or to bedrooms. Also avoid the punch (this goes for any college party,) and stick with the keg or unopened cans or bottles. Always keep your drink in your hand (this is common sense that goes for bars as well.)

Walk with a friend if you are in a really desolate part of campus or late at night. This is any campus, anywhere. Many campuses will have escort services for women returning to dorms from the library at night.

Well as an old timer who went there clear back in the late 60's, I can say that I really liked it there. It was a party school back then but I steered clear of all that since I was still pretty molly mormon.

The winters are cold there, though.

I always felt very safe on campus but again, that was 50 years ago so I don't know if that has changed.

I stayed in Moscow years ago when I was installing computer systems at WSU in Pullman.
I wasn't impressed.
And it was cold (January).

Know several people who work for the school and they love it. Love the school and the area. Not too Mormon either.

I live in Moscow, ID. We moved here in 1990. I worked full time for CES until 2002, when I quit the church and CES on the same day. I served on a couple of High Councils, bishoprics and served as a bishop here too. So I have a pretty good idea (or did) of churchy stuff around here. My neighbor is one of the Institute fellows who took my place at Pullman, WA Institute when I quit (as Director of the Institute). He and I still visit and he tells me that attendance at both institutes (Moscow and Pullman is way down). (yay)

The Mormon population is about 5% give or take. So of a population of roughly 25,000 residents in Moscow, and 30,000 in Pullman, WA (those two towns constitute the Palouse), there are a couple of thousand Mormons. Of course, if you count all that are baptized Mormons, they number a few thousand if you count both Moscow and Pullman. But a lot of folks are not active, as is true elsewhere outside SE Idaho and Utah. A good number of UI and WSU professors are active members. I always thought that was weird. I expected them to be liberal (I was). Politics and town activities are in no way dominated by Mormons. Not even close.

North Idaho (Moscow in particular) is beautiful. Lots of hiking, hunting fishing, boating (Snake River) a few miles away. There are beautiful rolling hills that produce 80% of the lentils consumed in the U.S. and wheat that have never experienced a crop failure as long as data have been recorded (my ag econ professor friend tells me). And there are some of the most beautiful cedar stands around here. Moscow Mountain is forested and beautiful and fun to hike, mountain bike and camp in.

The two universities (Washington State U, and U of Idaho) share over 500 classes because both are land grant universities with similar missions. A trolley takes students back and forth between the two campuses daily (about 8 miles from campus to campus). Both have excellent reputations as research universities. Plus WSU has an excellent veterinary school. Much is made about "partying" at the two schools. It's probably normal for most universities. No better - no worse. It's fun to spend a Saturday attending a PAC 12 football game at WSU or a Big Sky conference game in the Kibbie Dome (indoor stadium) at the U of I.

Old railroad beds were bought and have been converted into paved biking, jogging, walking, hiking paths. If you get on your bike in Pullman, you can ride all the way through Moscow to a little logging town called Troy, ID. That's a 22 mile ride. If you ride back to Pullman, of course you get in 44 miles. The trails are awesome! Soon the trail will extend to Julietta and Kendrick, ID for an even longer ride for the die hards. The work out facilities at both universities are good but WSU's where I work out daily are some of the finest west of the Mississippi according to me! That place is the Taj Mahal of non student athlete facilities (according to me).

The cost of living is okay. Housing in both Pullman WA and Moscow ID is expensive. It has been since we moved here and still is. We're moving into town in two weeks and to get into a home as nice as we have in the county (Latah County Idaho) is a difference of about $75,000 - meaning it costs more to live in town. Once you buy, you can count on your home to appreciate nicely from year to year, even in big economic downturns that hurt other parts of the country.

There are always sporting and cultural things to do because of the two universities separated by 8 miles. My daughter (music major from U of I) sings in the Washington - Idaho chorale. There is a WA - ID symphony. And there are always plays, entertainment, events at the two universities, and events in both Pullman and Moscow.

Though Idaho is extremely conservative, Latah County and Moscow in particular are liberal and always vote Democratic. But there are plenty of debates ongoing in the local news paper. As mentioned previously, Mormons in no way dominate.

I used to know every Mormon in town because I was an Institute guy and Stake CES Coordinator. In fact I knew most Mormons from south of here (Grangeville, Kamiah, Kooskia, Lewiston, Clarkston WA, Troy, Deary etc.) to north of here in Washington state. But I rarely if ever cross paths or even see any of them when in town. Maybe they are tucked securely away in church, meetings, and cleaning toilets both weekdays and weekends. I still like and converse with some of them when I see them (and can catch them running away) but it is rare to see them.

I hope that helps. If you need anymore information I am only too happy to share. I love this little corner of Idaho we call home. There is an upside and a downside to every location and it depends on who you are, to determine if there is more upside than downside in cities and towns.

One more thing. The winters can be tough some years, but recently we have had very mild ones.

Thanks for that good information!

Glad you quit CES. Must have been a rough time since it was your actual job.

You live in a nice town!