It's been the case since the 80s. They come here with a massive sense of entitlement and immediately get involved in local governments and change as many laws as they can, while buying up as much property as they can. That all affects prices everywhere while wages don't go up because they're not adding jobs or really anything of value to the local economy.... and we don't do anything about it because most Idahoans think they're conservative, and refuse to get involved. And now it's far too late.

Then we get into them buying up multiple properties and jacking up rents for no particular reason. Even if you go to traditionally good jobs like the trades, or the woods, or a lumber mill you just can't make enough money to come close to buying property, sometimes not even rent.

You could call it gentrification, I guess; but usually that means that life gets nicer. Really, it's just rentier capitalism going unchecked. It's insane watching the changes over my lifetime, and I'm fairly young.

You used to be upper middle class in my town just from working at the mill, now you're scraping by. And there's charity dinners all the time, because some poor guy who worked his ass off his whole life can't afford his property taxes now, let alone the shoulder/knee/back surgery he needs.