Want The Truth? The Facts Behind All of Those Montana Transplants

If you want to spark a heated conversation with a local Montanan in a matter of moments, all you have to do is talk about all of the folks moving here from different states.  In particular those "horrible" red states like California, Oregon, Washington, and wherever else "have those liberal agendas".

Some folks tend to forget that Montana has a pretty good mix of both red and blue, especially in cities like Bozeman and Missoula, and like it or not, both cities are huge factors in the state's economy, so we can't be "banishing" them anytime soon.

So what does all of this have to do with the transplants moving here?

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Well, it's been wildly reported over the last few years about the huge influx of people coming to Montana, and while there is certainly truth to that, that's not exactly the whole truth.

Sure, there are many areas of the state that have more transplants than actual locals.  In fact, a lot of Western Montana is that way.  Take Gallatin County for instance, only around 30 percent or so of the people living within the county are actually Montana born. While other Montana counties have about a 50/50 split between locals and transplants.

So yes, a lot of folks have moved here, but there's a twist. You see stats show that for as many people that have been moving to Montana, a whole lot of people are actually leaving the state as well. So this idea that Montana is full, is not correct.

Sure, the population has increased over the last few years, but when you consider the fact that Montana is the 4th largest state by size and barely has over a million people living here, I would say that's hardly a problem of overpopulation.

So what exactly do the numbers say? Let's take a look.

Prior to the pandemic, the percentages were pretty close compared to the number of people moving to Montana vs the number of people moving away.  Once Covid hit, those numbers changed a bit, and according to movebuddha, for every 200 people that move to the state, 100 people leave.

Oh and remember that part about the folks from California, Oregon, and Washington? That's actually true, and you can also throw in Arizona, Texas, and Florida.

However, for all of you that can't stand the idea of more out-of-staters moving here, you will be pleased to know that the rate of transplants is dropping.  For a couple of years, Montana was ranked 1st, however, last year we went from 1st to 4th.

So, not a huge drop, but, hey it's progress, right?