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Montana sees high population growth rate; western part of state bears brunt
Montana ranks fourth in the nation for the highest rate of people moving here since the pandemic (the net in-migration rate), with many of them young and working.
And western Montana is where most people are moving and also where housing affordability is most acute, according to the state’s annual Labor Day Report.
“The state’s population grew by 4.7% from 2020 to 2023 due to in-migration, translating to an additional 51,000 people,” wrote state economist Amy Watson in the report. “Most of the in-migration has occurred in the western portion of the state since the pandemic.”
About 73% of people who recently moved to the state are either employed or actively seeking work, which is higher than the labor force participation rate of existing residents, she added.
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