homestate montana
By Ben Everidge for Thomas
Photo Credit: Visit Montana
montana at the Crossroads: 10 Issues That Define the big sky state’s Future
“Montana still feels the freedom. Wide, wild, and wonderfully untamed. But the question now is whether the last best place can stay that way when everyone else finally discovers it.”
- Ben Everidge
Montana has always symbolized the American frontier. Vast, wild, and fiercely independent. But that frontier is changing. The Big Sky State, once defined by ranches and resource towns, is now home to booming tech startups, rising housing costs, and cultural tension between newcomers and locals. Its breathtaking landscapes and rugged individualism remain, yet Montana faces a defining question: how to welcome growth without losing the soul that made it special in the first place.
1. Population Growth and the New West
In the past decade, Montana’s population has surged as remote workers, retirees, and investors relocate from coastal cities. This migration has driven economic activity but also strained housing, schools, and infrastructure, and sparked cultural clashes between Montanans and newcomers.
2. Housing Affordability and Local Displacement
From Bozeman to Missoula, skyrocketing home prices have pushed out working families and young residents. Balancing open-space preservation with responsible development is now one of the state’s most urgent challenges.
3. Economic Diversification and Job Creation
Montana’s traditional industries – agriculture, mining, and timber – still matter, but growth is shifting toward tech, tourism, and renewable energy. Building an economy that can provide stable, year-round jobs is critical to long-term sustainability.
4. Energy Policy and Environmental Stewardship
Coal and oil remain politically powerful, but the potential for renewable energy, from wind to hydro and solar, is vast. Montana must navigate the energy transition carefully, balancing economic needs with the conservation values that define its landscape.
5. Water Rights and Resource Management
As droughts worsen across the West, Montana water resources are becoming increasingly precious. Fair allocation among farmers, tribes, developers, and neighboring states will test both governance and goodwill.
6. Education and Workforce Retention
Montana’s rural schools face teacher shortages and declining enrollment, while college graduates often leave for higher-paying jobs elsewhere. Expanding apprenticeships, university research, and broadband access could help keep talent close to home.
7. Healthcare Access and Rural Survival
Many rural hospitals face closure or consolidation, leaving vast regions without adequate care. Innovative telehealth systems and regional partnerships are essential to keeping rural communities viable.
8. Tourism, Land Use, and Quality of Life
Tourism brings billions to Montana each year, but overtourism and short-term rentals threaten local housing and natural preservation. The future of tourism will depend on protecting the very landscapes that draw people here.
9. Political Identity and Independent Thought
Montana remains one of the most politically independent states in America. Home to both libertarian conservatism and populist progressivism. The growing influence of independents may redefine how the state balances freedom with fairness.
10. Climate Change and the Western Wildfire Frontier
Hotter, drier summers and longer wildfire seasons are shaping Montana’s ecology, economy, and insurance markets. Building climate resilience while preserving rural livelihoods will be a generational challenge.
Montana stands as both a refuge and a revelation. A reminder of what America still loves about itself, and what it risks losing: the Big Sky State’s next chapter will depend on balance between past and progress, solitude and growth, preservation and prosperity. If Montana can manage that balance, it won’t just survive the New West, it will define it.
To learn more about Montana’s issues, read: