Montana has seen somewhat of a popularity boost following the release of Yellowstone starring Kevin Costner. The show follows a rancher (Costner) and his family as he struggles to maintain control over his enormous cattle ranch in Montana as wealthy parties from out of state attempt to move in and take over. While fictional, the general premise is not so far away from reality. Montana is indeed becoming a haven for millionaires and billionaires from around the country who can scoop up lots of land when they otherwise would not have been able to in densely populated cities such Los Angeles and New York. That’s not all Montana is all about though, read on to learn 5 fascinating facts about Montana.
5 Montana Facts
- Montana is home to seven Indian reservations. (source) Native Americans make up more than a tenth of the state’s population and two thirds live within the state’s reservations.
- Montana was was part of a large territory colonized by France. (source) The entire territory was purchased from France by the United States of America for $15 million as part of the Louisiana Purchase.
- Montana’s name comes from the Spanish word “montaña,” meaning mountain. (source) It was originally proposed for the territory that is now the U.S. state of Idaho but was rejected.
- Real estate in Montana has become over 50% more expensive over the past 5 years (2018-2023). (source) This is largely due to the region’s popularity with wealthy land buyers moving in from other states.
- There is a larger cattle population than humans in the state of Montana. (source) Cattle outnumber people by a ratio of nearly 2-to-1!
If you have any other Montana facts to share, please comment below!
