Montana Exodus: 40K Flee the State, California Top Destination

If you have spent any time at a local "watering hole" or even just the bus stop, chances are you have heard someone complain about "those darn Californians buying up all the property in Montana." It has been a topic of conversation for decades but has become an issue with many people ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

READ MORE: IS MONTANA REALLY NOT AS POPULAR AS IT ONCE WAS?

It's true, that many Californians and Washingtonians have decided to make Montana home over the last few years.

According to Montana Free Press

After years of new arrivals swelling Montana’s population and straining its housing supply, new data released Dec. 19 by the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that the volume of net migration into the state has declined. As of July 1, 2023, the federal demographics agency estimates Montana had 1,132,800 residents. That’s about 9,900 more than a year prior, or a 0.9% increase.

It appears Montana has sprung a leak. Almost as many people moving into the state, are also choosing to leave Big Sky Country.

247WallSt.com looked at data from 2022 and discovered that nearly 40,000 people moved out of Montana. (38,483 to be exact.)

Of those nearly 40k people, 7% chose California as their new home.

WHY?

It is probably safe to assume Montana's economy and house availability have a lot to do with the exodus. Property values and median household income are just not meshing as well in Montana as it could be elsewhere. People can simply earn more money and afford a larger home in other states.