Yellowstone TV Series Fuels Surge in Bozeman Population and Tourism

Bozeman, Montana, is experiencing a significant surge in new business, tourism, and its population, which have ushered in both opportunities and challenges.
Bozeman had some 59,050 residents during the first quarter of 2023 compared to 37,300 residents in 2010, which is a 56 percent increase, according to real estate data.
Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone” was created by Taylor Sheridan and, up until recently, starred Kevin Costner, 69, as John Dutton. Costner portrayed the aging father of a wealthy family of Montana ranchers.
Both Costner and Sheridan declined to comment.
In addition, health, fitness, access to nightlife and bars, jobs, and walkability are some of the top quality-of-life factors attracting newcomers to Bozeman, according to research by foot traffic analytics company Placer.ai and Niche Neighborhood Grades.
“Bozeman is practically unrecognizable from what it was years ago,” Hollywood film producer and Montana native Scott Duthie told The Epoch Times. “Change and development were going to happen regardless.”
Duthie, who produced “Pure Country 2: The Gift” starring George Strait, credits Montana Film Commissioner Allison Whitmer for tax incentives that forged a path for enticing “Yellowstone” and other TV and movie productions to film in Montana.
Whitmer did not respond to requests for comment.
“Yellowstone” isn’t the first Hollywood production to establish itself in Bozeman. Robert Redford’s “A River Runs Through It” was filmed there in 1992, along with “The Horse Whisperer” in 1997.
The final episodes of “Yellowstone” will air in November.
Bozeman’s ski hills and rivers make it an intriguing place to live, but more infrastructure and affordable housing are needed.
Placer.ai and Niche Neighborhood Grades research estimate that the median household income as of March 2024 is $76,000.
Located near some of the best skiing in the country, Bozeman is a major tourism destination because of its fly fishing on the Gallatin and Madison rivers and access to Yellowstone Park through Big Sky and Paradise Valley.
On the upside, the Bozeman police force is expanding to accommodate the rise in crime.
“Yellowstone definitely gave the entire state a shot in the arm and increased tourism, but it’s not the cause of crime and the other issues that come with overpopulated areas,” Duthie added. “Bozeman was already popular.”