BOZEMAN – It’s no secret that Gallatin County is growing every year. In fact, it’s the fastest growing in the state, according to a new study released by Headwaters Economics on Wednesday.
"Well, we’re the fastest growing county in the state, we’re outperforming every single county in the state, and we’re responsible for a third of all of the job growth in the state,” said Ray Rasker, Executive Director at Headwaters Economics.
Gallatin County’s employment, population, and personal income have all increased at a higher rate than any other county in Montana over the past 15 years.
Headwaters believes there’s a big reason for this: people simply want to live here.
"Most of the growth is from people moving here, so it’s from in-migration, so we’ve clearly been discovered, and people are moving here,” Rasker said.
Since 2001, the population of Gallatin County has grown by 49 percent, employment has increased by 55 percent, and personal income has jumped 111 percent.
The tech, real estate, and healthcare industries are booming. But with extreme growth comes challenges. The study found that farming was the only sector that lost jobs in the past 15 years.
Rasker said with the increased demand for housing and space, the temptation is there for farmers to sell their land for development.
“As a consequence, we’re also losing a lot of open space, we’re losing more open space than any county in the state,” said Rasker. From 1990 to 2016, the study said 93,440 acres were converted from open space to housing, typically to large lot developments of ten-plus acres.
“The value of open lands for this county cannot be underestimated,” said Kelly Ramirez, Managing Partner at Pulse Checker. “Open lands means working lands, multigenerational family farms, critical wildlife habitat, trails, parks and a place where people can learn without limitations,” she said.
While there will always be some struggle with growth, Rasker said this study aims to shed a little light on that, and explore some of the tools available to residents.
"Making sure people understand where the growth is coming from, and the consequences of that growth and that they have options for managing growth,” said Rasker.
Some of those tools include voter-approved open space levys and bonds, and conservation easements.
To view Headwaters Economics full study, visit their webpage.
