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WHY POCATELLO?

Photo from Inkom Pass near Pebble Creek Ski Area - looking toward Pocatello

ART GALLERIES & ARTISTS are plentiful in our region due to the level of natural inspiration, in my belief. Visit Bartist for a varied online gallery of art from Southeast Idaho. Try my personal website at Peter Rust Barton to view pieces that I've created over the years. Click here for more information about art, local galleries in Pocatello and Southeast Idaho.

The photogenic qualities around Southeast Idaho are inspiring for any artist!
(Photo from Peter Rust Bartons Gallery of Functional Art)

ATTRACTIONS are unusual, unique and abundant in these parts. From hot springs to geysers, to lava formations, volcanic cones and other rare geological formations, Southeast Idaho is a very interesting and exciting place to live and explore. Lava Hot Springs is a great place to start. Just down the road from there, try visiting a little known geyser in Soda Springs. You can find many more area attractions on the Spirit of Pocatello website or the Pocatello Chamber of Commerce Website.

Soda Springs has the only captive geyser in the world! (Photo from their website)

CITY AND GOVERNMENT OFFICES - from animal control to the city clerk, the City of Pocatello website has links to every local government office and more.

Old Town Pocatello - Photo Courtesy of the City of Pocatello Website

ECONOMY, TAXES & COST OF LIVING in pocatello is all in surprisingly excellent condition for a smaller town nestled in the scenic Rocky Mountains:

• Economy - with lots of great larger corporations ( Simplot, ON Semiconductor, Portneuf Medical Center, Heinz, HOKU Materials ... ) medium sized businesses, local shops and a major University (ISU), the economy in Pocatello and all of Bannock County holds very strong.
  
  
• Taxes - Taxes are low here in Bannock County Idaho. I've lived in and paid taxes in many other cities throughout or nation and find Pocatello to have the lowest burden of all of them!
  The following information regarding our taxes in Bannock County is provided by the Bannock County Development Web Site:
  "The state of Idaho maintains principles of tax diversification and equity, yet it has the lowest overall tax burden of any neighboring states. The many services delivered by Idaho's state and local governments are funded by a tax structure designed to raise sufficient revenue to finance above-average public services, without unfairly impacting any single segment of the state. This structure depends mainly on three tax sources: personal and corporate income taxes, sales tax and property tax.
  Idaho's tax structure has been called one of the most balanced and progressive tax systems in the nation, and it's per capita state and local taxes, and per capita property tax are among the lowest of all western states.
  Per Capita State & Local Taxes
  • Idaho $2,428
  • Arizona $2,561
  • Utah $2,567
  • Oregon $2,574
  • Nevada $2,925
  • Colorado $2,987
  • Washington $3,148
  • California $3,167"
    
    
• Cost of Living - this subject is also covered in my tax note a bit, but to reiterate, our overall cost of living in Bannock County, Idaho (which includes Pocatello and surround cities) is the lowest that I've ever experienced... and I've lived in about a dozen cities to date! Heck, the average price of a real nice home here is only about $150,000! People complain about the pay scale being too low in Pocatello but quite frankly, pay is directly proportional to the cost of living. You may not get paid as much here, but you have a lot more spending power! For more information on the cost of living statistics, visit this demographics link on the Bannock County Development Web Site.

HOSPITALS AND DOCTORS - given that Pocatello is college town with a major university, ISU, it enjoys the benefits there of, such as excellent hospitals and medical facilities. They not only have the typical services that most hospitals offer, but the Portneuf Medical Center even owns and operates one of the fastest rescue helicopters in the business!

The lifeflight crew and helicopter - courtesy of Portneuf Medical Center

INSIDE POCATELLO MAGAZINE
Learn everything about Pocatello with this resource. You can view the magazine online or pick up a hard copy at most retail outlets in town.

Cover Art of Inside Pocatello Magazine

MAP OF POCATELLO, IDAHO - Pocatello is located in the Southeast quadrant of the beautiful state of Idaho. For an interactive map, click on the map below.

Map of Pocatello, Idaho - courtesy of greenwichmeantime.com

MUSEUMS - Named after Chief Pocatello of the local Bannock Indian Tribe, history is very interesting in Pocatello. From the times of the giant reptiles and volcanic activity to the indigenous people (Indians), settlers (white man), railroads and modern day Pocatello, the museums here cover it all. Three that I recommend are The Idaho Museum - Natural History, Bannock County Historical Museum and for everything you ever wanted to know about our home grown tuber, the potato, there is of course the Idaho Potato Museum! For a comprehensive list of all museums in the area follow this link to Google.

The prehistoric past of Idaho - photo courtesy of The Idaho Museum

NEWS AND MEDIA - Pocatello has a major TV network broadcasting facility (Local News 8) and we also receive signals from a number of other Television networks including KIDK 3. Pocatello and the surrounding area also enjoys various radio stations (KWIK 1240AM, KSEI 930AM, KPKY 94.9 FM...) and we rely on our local newspaper, the Idaho State Journal , for local, national and international updates and current events.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE is easily accessible in Pocatello and Southeast Idaho. Did you know that a 15 minute drive from the center of Pocatello will put you right smack dab in the middle of some of the nations most beautiful wilderness?! Spotting a moose, mule deer or coyote is very common and if you're really lucky, you may even spot an elusive mountain lion! For more information on our great outdoors, from backpacking to mountain biking, hunting, fishing, skiing and everything in between, visit my outdoor adventure page.

Photo atop Inkom Pass - where do you want to go?

PHILANTHROPY - Pocatello and Southeast Idaho has a very helpful community to those in need. Volunteers and philanthropists are abundant, giving their time and money to local nonprofit organizations and community help projects. Click here for more information about local philanthropy and nonprofit organizations in our area.

PARKS - Did you know there are over 30 parks in Pocatello? For a town of just over 50,000 residents, that's amazing! The local favorite seems to be Ross Park which offers swimming, skate park, zoo, rock climbing, picnic areas and more. For more information and a list of parks and their locations, start with the Pocatello Parks and Recreation and Trails.com.

Ross Park Water Rec Area - photo courtesy of yourinidahofalls.com

RESTAURANTS are everywhere in Pocatello. From the standard quick meals at Sonic Drive-in, McDonalds or Wendy's and more.... We have great lunch places like Red Hot Roasters, Applebees, Chili's, Sizzler, Texas Roadhouse and more.... We have formal sit-down meals at Senang's, The Bistro, The Grecian, Olivers, Sandpiper and more.... The local bars and grills like The Portneuf Brewery, The Press Box, Goodies, First National, Sand Trap and more.... Coffee shops and cafe's like Mocha Madness, College Market, Starbucks, Snake River Coffee and more... there's a great meal to appease anyone's pallet!

SCHOOLS - The Pocatello/Chubbuck School District is home to 13 elementary schools, a preschool program for developmentally delayed students, 3 middle schools, 1 middle school alternative program, a teen parent program, 1 high school alternative program and 3 high schools. The Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 website has lots of great information on our local schools. Check out all of the school's websites here.

Photo Courtesy of the Century High School Website

SHOPPING is even more accessible than the great outdoors in Pocatello. That's the best part about this place - it has everything close by! From the big boys like WalMart, Cosco, Sears, Lowes, Home Depot, WinCo, Fred Meyers, Albertsons to the small hometown shops and antiques stores like the Eastside Antique Mall, Pocatello offers up something for everyone.

SPORTS - The locals take their sports seriously here in Pocatello. The Holt Arena is host to most big sporting events. Keep up to date on the Bengals on their athletics web page.

The Holt Arena at ISU - photo courtesy of www.isu.edu

STATISTICS & DEMOGRAPHICS - Pocatello has a more diverse population than you'll find in most Idaho towns and cities. Our population is currently over 50,000 residents. That doesn't include the seasonal exchange of students at ISU. For all demographics and statistical information about Pocatello, go to city-data.com. Also, check out the Pocatello Chamber of Commerce Website or Inside Pocatello for more information.

THEATRE AND THEATERS are abundant in Pocatello. It's not hard to find good sit down entertainment. We have live music and theatre at the Stephens Performing Arts Center, the Mystique, ISU Theatre, Westside Players and more.... We have many movie theaters too such as the Reel Theatre, Regal, Carmike and more....

Photo Courtesy of the Stephens Performing Arts Center

TRANSPORTATION - from local bus lines to national bus lines, from trains to planes and automobiles, Pocatello offers everything to the modern traveler but a monorail!

• Airports: For business or pleasure, the Pocatello Regional Airport is a great place to start or end your big trip. Or, if you need to book a private plane or service your plane, visit the Pocatello AV Center website.
• Bus Lines
  • Local - Pocatello Regional Transit
  • National - Rocky Mountain Trails
  • Salt Lake - The Salt Lake Express
  • More bus line listings on Yellowpages.com
• Taxis - There are plenty to choose from - go to LiveSearch for a complete listing of Taxi Service Providers.
• Rental Cars - A complete list of car rental properties on Yellowpages.com.
• Car Pooling - Ride Link
• Local Maps - Here's a direct link to Google maps of Pocatello
• Road Reports - Idaho Department of Transportation
• Movers - A comprehensive list of movers in Pocatello.
• Moving Equipment - Trucks, boxes, storage....

WEATHER - Pocatello Weather Forecast, ID (83201)

ZOO - Lions and Herons and Bears, oh my! No way, Pocatello even has a zoo? Really, but it's not your typical zoo. The Pocatello Zoo displays animals indigenous to our region to help educate and inform people of the wildlife in our own backyards... or back wilderness anyway.

Laci the Bobcat - Photo courtesy of the Pocatello Zoo

Peter Barton, REALTOR(R) RE/MAX Country Real Estate, Inc. 812 East Clark Street | Pocatello, Idaho 83201 Cell: (208) 201-2715 | Office: (208) 234-4444 | Fax: (208) 232-4242 eMail: myagent@pocatellopeter.com Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated Privacy Statement: your e-mail address and personal information is always kept confidential with Peter Barton. Copyright(C) September 16, 2009 - all ideas, concepts, information and images in this publication, and existing in each forwarded or copied publication, are the sole property of Peter Rust Barton, REALTOR(R). Any re-use of this information must be made exclusively permissible by Peter Rust Barton, REALTOR(R). If you insist on steeling my ideas, you could at least send $1 (one US dollar) anonymously to Peter Rust Barton at 812 E. Clark St., Pocatello, ID 83201, and you'll be forgiven of all your guilt.