There is a portion of the population of Montana that isn't real fond of people not from Montana, however, how many people living in Montana are actually from Montana?  I think that's a fair question and one that we should look into.

As far as population ranks, Montana has one of the lowest coming in at 44th out of 50, with just over a million people in a state that is the 4th biggest in size. So when folks say "we're full" or "there's no room", technically, that's not true.

So, how many "Montanans" are actually from Montana?

According to the Montana Free Press, maybe not as many as you think, at least in the western part of the state. Let's look at the fastest-growing county in the state, shall we?  Gallatin County is not only booming, but it's also the most expensive county in Montana to live in.  So how many people living in Gallatin County are actually from Montana?

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34 percent or one-third of the population.

Well, ok, that makes sense because Gallatin County has Bozeman and all of those "Californians" that keep moving there and "jacking up the prices".  So, how about we take a look at a few other places?  I'm afraid it doesn't get much better.  Yellowstone, Missoula, and Flathead Counties have all been overrun with folks from other places.

In fact, all three of those counties range between 35 to 50 percent of actual Montanans.

For those of you that are born and raised here and looking to escape from all of us transplants, there are some places in the state that have a very high population of Montana Born.  Big Horn County and Glacier County to name two. Big Horn County comes in at 73 percent "Real Montanans" while Glacier County has 76 percent "Real Montanans"

As far as cities go, there's a higher population of Montana-born folks in Butte, Great Falls, Miles City, and Harve. So, there are options for those looking for them. If we're being honest here, we all know that people are going to continue to move here, especially the western part of the state.

Places like Bozeman, Missoula, and up around Flathead Lake are very desirable areas. From outdoor activities to fine dining and high-end shopping, folks with money and those looking for adventure will continue to flock to Montana, no matter how many times they're told "we're full, go back where you came from".

The best that we can all hope for is that those moving here embrace the state and the way Montanans do things.

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