New Data Reveals Where Montana’s Transplants Are Coming From

More People Are Moving to Montana From Blue States Than Red States

One of the most common complaints about people moving to Montana is that they're coming from places like California and bringing their liberal politics with them.

Well, new data suggest there's something to that idea, at least when it comes to where people are moving from. But that doesn't necessarily tell us how they're voting.

Montana Ranks Third Among Republican-Leaning States for Migration

From January through August 2026, MovingPlace analyzed nearly 1.6 million moves between states. They then looked at how those states leaned in recent presidential elections and grouped them accordingly.

Montana had a net migration rate of 2.54 moves per 1,000 residents, ranking third among Republican-leaning states.

Here's where things get interesting. Montana saw 4,044 moves from Democratic-leaning states, compared to 3,604 moves from Republican-leaning states. The top three states people moved here from were Washington, California, and Colorado, all of which are solidly blue states.

So what does this mean for Montana politics? Well, we've actually covered the political leanings of people moving to Montana before.

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Why Migration Numbers Don't Automatically Reveal Political Affiliation

Back in 2024, we shared a story from the Montana Free Press that looked at identifiable voters who relocated to Montana. That analysis found that nearly three Republicans moved to Montana for every two Democrats.

The important thing to remember is that these two studies measure different things. The Montana Free Press looked at the political affiliations of identifiable voters, while MovingPlace looked at the political leanings of the states people moved from.

Basically, we can't assume someone moving here from California is a Democrat, just like we can't automatically assume someone moving here from Texas is a Republican.

Still, with Montana leaning more Republican in recent elections, these latest numbers from Moving Place offer an interesting look at where the people moving here are coming from.