Real Estate Directory -Montana

Population: 917,621 (All 2003)
Capital city/population: Helena 26,718
Largest cities/population:

  • Billings - 95,220
  • Missoula - 60,722
  • Great Falls - 56,155

Montana is the fourth largest state, with a total area of 147,046 square miles and 22,512,000 square acres of forested land. The Rocky Mountains have a strong effect on the weather; west of the mountains, winters are mild, with cooler summers. In the eastern part of the state, cold fronts can sink temperatures to
-50ºF in the winter. Temperatures above 90ºF occur infrequently. Precipitation ranges from 10” – 45”. Montana was admitted to the Union on November 8, 1889. Forty-six of Montana’s fifty-six counties are considered “frontier counties” with an average population density of six or fewer people per square mile.

HOUSING

Billings – Prices in the real estate market have moved steadily upward. Average home sales price is $178,777, with average days on the market at 44. Homes are selling at about 97% of their asking price. There is a nice inventory, allowing home buyers a good selection. This community is close to the mountains, with many outdoor recreational activities and wonderful vistas.

Missoula – This community is experiencing a strong market, with a good supply of homes. There are over 300 properties for sale in the $100,000 - $300,000 range, all at a steady appreciation rate. This growing area is a nice place to live, with many restaurants, sporting arenas, and recreational opportunities.

Great Falls – Home sales are up slightly from the same time last year; median home price is $189,000 with a good inventory available, providing for a good home buyers market. Out-of-state buyers represent almost 1/3 of this market. In the rental sector, prices remain stable, with the majority of units being two bedrooms.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

Primary industries include agriculture, timber, mining, tourism, oil, and gas. Manufactured goods include food products, wood/paper products, metals, printing/publishing, petroleum, and coal products. Agricultural outputs include wheat, barley, sugar beets, hay, and oats. Total state product for 2003 was $26 billion, with a per capita income of $25,405.

SCHOOLS

The Montana Board of Public Education was created by the Montana Constitution of 1972, formed to exercise overall supervision of K-12 schools. They are charged with adopting accreditation standards, effecting teacher certification, administering aid, adopting policies for special education students, and acting as the governing agency for the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind. In the public sector, student-teacher ratio for 1994 was 16:3, with an average teachers’ salary for 1995 of $29,364.

The Montana University System, organized in 1913, operates six units: The University of Montana - Missoula; Montana State University - Bozeman; Eastern Montana College - Billings; Northern Montana College -Havre; Western Montana College - Dillon; and Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology - Butte. Other institutions of higher learning are Carroll College - Helena; College of Great Falls; Rocky Mountain College – Billings, and several two-year community colleges.

HISTORY

Most of Montana was inhabited by the Blackfoot, Sioux, Shoshone, Arapaho, and Cheyenne tribes. Exploration of the area began once the area was bought under the Louisiana Purchase. Rivers were important means of travel for inhabitants as well as explorers, and fur traders used rivers extensively for trapping and trade routes. A gold rush in 1852 brought many people to mining camps, and after the Civil War, the extensive grasslands attracted ranchers. Ranching was not a safe livelihood; in 1876 at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Sioux forces defeated Colonel George A. Custer in an important fight for land. Afterward, ranches spread across the plains, and the development of railroads encouraged the growth of cities.

Mining dominated the economy into the 20th century. Silver, copper, and other deposits led to a battle over control of land and politics. By the 1990s, mining was producing less than 10% of the state’s revenue, and in cities where operations had shut down, growth stagnated.

A diversified economy has seen growth in manufacturing, tourism, and coal mining.

RELIGION (2004)

  • Christian – 82%
    • Protestant – 55%
      • Lutheran – 15%
      • Methodist – 8%
      • Baptist – 5%
      • Presbyterian – 4%
      • United Church of Christ – 2%
      • Other Protestant or general Protestant – 21%
    • Roman Catholic – 24%
    • Mormon – 3%
  • Other Religions – <1%
  • Non-Religious – 18%

DEMOGRAPHICS (2004)

  • White - 89.5%
  • Native American - 6.2%
  • Hispanic - 2.0%
  • Asian - 0.5%
  • Black - 0.3%
  • Mixed race - 1.7%