T-Inman, I'm two miles east, in Stevensville itself. I have a friend who lives on South Kootenai. (Bryan S.)
I'm loving the area, but the taxes on my retirement hit us hard compared to Idaho. Lots of nice people here, but it is too crowded for me. I'm just amazed at all the private property compared to SE Idaho.
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The OP said he had kids. Look at Dillons schools and see how they do with academics and sports and how Salmon's schools do. I was in Salmon Saturday night. Town seemed slow except for the bars. I guess you could go stand shoulder-to-shoulder and fish for steelhead in Shoup with everyone else. (I don't know how to insert a smiley face here.)
In Idaho you about a 50/50 chance to draw a cow tag down there (IIRC), or can put in for a 1 in 4 bull tag, or hunt spikes for a week. Or, if you live in Montana, you can hunt branched bull or cow with an over the counter tag for five weeks west on Dillon.
Don't get me wrong, I really like Idaho. But...

My oldest boy Friday, west of Dillon, OTC tag: (5x2 non-typical.)
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The never-ending flight
Of future days.
Paradise Lost. Book ii. Line 221