5 Reasons People Say They Moved Out of Montana in 2023

Things seem to be calming down in Montana.

We watched as 'Yellowstone' fervor swept the country and home prices skyrocketed as more and more people wanted to move to the Treasure State. But now, data from United Van Lines suggests that more people moved out of Montana in 2023 than moved in.

• Inbound: 46.4%
• Outbound: 53.6%

Related: Is Montana Really Not as Popular As it Once Was? 

Where are Montanans Moving?

Moving in and out of Montana isn't anything new--there's even a "Marshmallow" theory that says people who move away from Missoula, Montana always move back. But the places where people are moving make a lot of sense, too. The top places include states that are close by, states with job opportunities, and states that are popular with people from all over the country.

Before we talk about why Montanans are leaving, let's take a look at the top 10 places where they are going:

Top 5 Reasons Montanas Left

The most recent data from United Van Lines about people who moved out of Montana showed some interesting reasons why people left. Surprisingly, one big reason wasn't on the list. 

#5 People Left  Montana Because of Their Health

1.6% of people moving out of Montana said it was for their health. That could be because some studies have shown that other states have better healthcare options than Montana does.

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#4 People Left Montana For Retirement

Even though Montana ranks in the Top 10 places in the United States to retire, 11.5% of people share that retirement was the reason they were moving out of Montana.

Read More: 8 Places That Might Be Better for Retirement Than Montana 

#3 People Left Montana Because of the Lifestyle

If you don't like the outdoors, you might not like Montana. But other lifestyle features may motivate someone to leave Montana too, like a lack of shopping, dining, and entertainment options. 14.8% of people who left in 2023 cited 'lifestyle' as the reason why they left.

#2 People Left Montana Because for a Job

This is probably one of the most common reasons people move from anywhere and 21.3% of people who left Montana last year did so because of a job. Interestingly, for people who were coming to Montana, 29.2% said they came for a job.

#1 People Left Montana Because of Family

With 31.1%, the largest group to give a reason for leaving Montana said it was because of family. This could be grandparents moving closer to grandchildren, or children moving to care for parents.

The missing reason: Cost

Though Montanans have talked about moving away because the costs were too high, 0% of people in this particular survey said it was the reason why they left. 1.5% of people arriving said it was the reason why they came.