Is Montana Really Not As Popular As It Once Was?

The increase of Montana's population has been a big topic over the past few years. There has been a lot written about the subject. During the pandemic We learned that Montana was the number one "move to" destination during the pandemic. Looking back, for me, it is hard to believe that the pandemic started over four years ago. Fast forward to today and there is a report that shows that Montana may not be as popular as just a few years ago for people who are moving.

Montana May Not Be As Popular As It Has Been Recently

According to a report from United Van Lines, the moving van company, Montana may not be as popular as it recently was. Montana didn't make the top 10 list of states where people are moving to. According to their data, Montana actually saw more people move away from the state than moved to the state.

Montana Didn't Make the Top 10

United Van Lines has tracked the moving patterns of people across the United States since 1977. According to their data for 2023, Montana saw 46.4% inbound movers and 53.6% of movers leaving the state. According to United Van Lines the top states, including Washington D.C., where people are moving to are:

1. Vermont
2. Washington D.C.
3. South Carolina
4. Arkansas
5. Rhode Island
6. North Carolina
7. South Dakota
8. Alabama
9. New Mexico
10. West Virginia

The top 8 states that people are moving from are:

1. New Jersey
2. Illinois
3. North Dakota
4. New York
5. Michigan
6. California
7. Massachusetts
8. Kansas

They also studied reasons for moving since 2018. The top two reasons for moving over the past five years have been people have gotten new jobs and wanting to be closer to their family members.

Will This Be A Trend for Montana?

While these aren't official numbers from the U.S. Census, they could still be following a a trend happening in Montana. Maybe we are seeing less people moving to our state that what we have been seeing in our recent past. For the people who feel that Montana is overcrowded as it is, they may see this report as some good news.