Which Counties Have The Most Local Montanans?

Montana is a beautiful state—no doubt about it. That’s a big reason so many people want to move here. But with outsiders deciding to make this their new home, it’s definitely shaken up the way of life for those born and bred here.

If you’ve never lived in Montana, here’s the skinny on how locals feel about transplants setting up camp in Big Sky Country… DON’T. Most Montanans aren’t big on change, and with the influx of new residents—especially during COVID—there’s been a whole lot of it. That’s why you’ll hear plenty of "Get Out" and "Don't Come Here" from the locals.

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I’m not here to argue with how locals feel—I get it. I watched it happen in my own hometown, where so-called "progress" stripped away much of its original charm.

That got me thinking—where in Montana are the true born-and-bred Montanans still holding strong? It’s definitely not the big cities like Bozeman and Missoula were finding a local feels like searching for a needle in a haystack. 

Here are the TOP 5 COUNTIES in Montana with the LARGEST MONTANAN POPULATION.

#5. Hill County

• Population: 16,238
•  Born in Montana: 12,818 (78.9% of population)
•  Born in a different state: 3,189 (19.6% of population)

#4. Roosevelt County

• Population: 10,799
• Born in Montana: 8,536 (79.0% of population)
• Born in a different state: 2,145 (19.9% of population)

#3. Glacier County

• Population: 13,781
• Born in Montana: 11,057 (80.2% of population)
• Born in a different state: 2,453 (17.8% of population)

#2. Liberty County

• Population: 1,993
• Born in Montana: 1,610 (80.8% of population)
• Born in a different state: 344 (17.3% of population)

#1. Blaine County

• Population: 7,030
• Born in Montana: 5,946 (84.6% of population)
• Born in a different state: 963 (13.7% of population)

Credit: Stacker