The name Montana is originally from the Spanish montaña, which means mountain or mountainous region. And what an apt name it is. Yellowstone National Park, located, in part, in southern Montana, was the first national park established in the United States. The fourth largest U.S. state by area, Montana is also one of the country’s least densely populated states, with an average of just six people per square mile.

This gorgeous state has an average elevation of 3,400 feet and is home to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, which memorializes the historic 1876 battle between the Sioux tribe and U.S. Army, often referred to as Custer’s Last Stand. 

The first inhabitants and frequent visitors of the area were Native American tribes, which include the Crows in the south central region, the Cheyenne in the southeastern part of the state, the Blackfeet, Assiniboine, and Gros Ventres in the central and north-central areas, and the Kootenai and Salish in the western sector. The Pend d'Oreille were found around Flathead Lake, and the Kalispel occupied the western mountains.

The first group of white explorers to cross Montana was The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806. Next, the fur trappers and traders arrived, bringing with them. alcohol, disease, and a new economic system to native populations. After the 1840’s, Roman Catholic missionaries established Saint Mary's Mission in the Bitterroot Valley, which is widely believed to have been the first permanent settlement in Montana. The missionaries promoted agriculture and built a sawmill.

The discovery of gold brought prospectors into the area in the 1860s, and Montana followed a nonlinear path to statehood when it became a territory in 1864. The almost instantaneous pouring in of people led to boomtowns that exploded and then shrank just as quickly when the gold dried up.

As more white people came into the area, tribes lost access to their traditional hunting lands, and after 1870, open-range cattle enterprises formed across the high plains, followed by 1880s railroads, criss-crossing the territory. Finally, Montana became a state in 1889, at around the same time that hardrock mining also began. The passage of the Enlarged Homestead Act in 1909 enabled tens of thousands of homestead farmers coming into the state to claim land. Then, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal brought post-war relief to the state in the form of architectural and engineering feats, like the building of Fort Peck Dam.

After 1945, Montana shifted from relying on the extraction of natural resources to an economy that is service-based, and agriculture became Montana's mainstay. After 1970, tourism became the state's second-largest industry, as the state's transportation system finished pivoting from railroads to cars, trucks, and highways.

With a population of 1.03 million, Montana is fourth biggest state in the country in terms of size only, but its low and spread-out population statistics are a testament to its landscape and geography: for every square mile of land, there is an average of just 6.86 people in this sprawling and gorgeous area.

In terms of age, Missoula and Bozeman are home to a concentrated population of people in their twenties. 19% and 21% of their populations, respectively, are twenty-somethings, compared to 14% nationally, and it’s because of their flagship state universities and high rates of in-migration, Rural Montana counties, on the other hand, usually have gaps when it comes to young adults. For example, in Teton County, northwest of Great Falls, only 9% of residents are in their twenties. In Granite County, 21% of residents are in their sixties, by contrast. And still by greater contrast, Montana counties that overlap with American Indian reservations typically have more children; in Glacier County, which runs through Cut Bank and most of the Blackfeet Reservation, almost 19% of residents are under 10. As a comparison, nationally that number is 13%.

Separated by the Continental Divide, the eastern and western regions of Montana experience really different climates. In general, both regions of the state tend to be hot and dry in summer, and cold with snow in winter. However, because of the Divide, the western regions typically have a milder climate than the east, with milder winters, cooler summers, and less harsh winds. In the western parts, the rainfall is also more evenly distributed throughout the year. On average, the east tends to have less humidity than the west,in addition to enjoying more sunny days. Chinook winds in the east frequently give some respite from the cold Montana winters with their warm, windy spells, which can last for a few days at a time. From November to March, Montanans throughout the state see the heaviest snowfall. Mountain trails close during the winter because of intense cold, as they gather vast amounts of snowfall – often up to 300 inches, and most cities receive an annual average of 30 to 50 inches. Though usually pretty light, rainfall comes between May and July, with an average annual rainfall of 15 inches.

January is the coldest month, while in June the temperature hovers at around a perfect 70F.

With 429 total school districts, Montana has 435 elementary schools, 217 middle schools, and 171 high schools. Altogether there are around 823 schools, and the  Montana University System collectively enrolls over 40,000  students across 16 Montana colleges and universities. 

According to U.S. News & World Report, the two largest universities in the state, Montana State University and the University of Montana, offer some of the most innovative agriculture and wildlife studies degree programs. 

MSU is also ranked among the top public universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, and earned the top Montana spot in quite a few categories in College Factuals, including best psychology bachelor’s degree school; best liberal arts/sciences and humanities school; best biological and biomedical sciences school;and  best liberal arts general studies school.

Musings From A Montanan 

Life in Montana is steeped in the rich history of the American West and was made by and for hard workers, big dreamers, and roaming spirits. If that doesn’t explain the advantages of Montana real estate, there’s another side to this land that will strike and inspire you with awe – the breathtaking sunsets. You haven’t seen a sunset until you’ve gaze at the wide, Montana sky painted a luscious orange, while you stand there (with your jaw on the floor) and dream of the western adventures and sights of your days here. Only then will you truly understand why they call Montana Big Sky Country.

High value at a low cost

Major upside and appreciation potential

Montana offers ideal terrain

Successful business culture that favors business growth

Wonderful communities to live