Here's What Real Montana Residents Think About Yellowstone
The economy is thriving, but so are the stereotypes.
We live in a time when the first thing most people associate with the word 'Yellowstone' is not a national park, but the show. And of course, one of the show’s main attractions is its setting, as the action takes place in Montana's Paradise Valley, amid picturesque mountains, meadows and spring creeks.
Yellowstone's ratings are so high that it attracts millions of tourists to Montana every year. But what do locals think, and how does Yellowstone's popularity affect the state?
State Recreational Revenue
Big Sky Country's economy is primarily based on agriculture, including ranching, but in recent years, with the release of the Yellowstone series, the state's budget has been supplemented by revenue from huge tourist inflows. According to a study conducted by the University of Montana, in 2021 alone, about two million tourists visited the state and spent about $730 million.
Residents' opinion
Many Montanans are generally positive about how Yellowstone has made the state more popular, as tourists invest in local establishments. But the show has also created some misconceptions.
According to Nathan St. Goddard, a member of the Blackfeet tribe, the show portrays Montana as if it were some kind of Texas without showing the toughest days for locals in the worst weather.
'One thing I've noticed is that Yellowstone was only shot in the summer so people are blown away that it's cold, that the wind blows up here. It looks like it's 80 degrees and perfect temperatures in Yellowstone,' he noted.
Not all ranchers are happy with the show's popularity. According to Mark Greeno, who has lived with his wife on the Nine Quarter Circle Ranch for several years, 'the show has given our ranchers a bad name.' Yellowstone romanticizes Montana life as if it were the Old West, with archetypal cowboys, casual violence, and the regular dumping of enemy corpses at the 'train station'.
Negative Impact
The series does a good job of portraying many issues in Montana that affect local communities. First and foremost is the skyrocketing price of real estate and housing, which is becoming unaffordable. Given the popularity of Yellowstone and the growing attention of the show's audience to the state, it's only a matter of time before there is an even greater influx of wealthy people from other states buying up land and buildings and making life more difficult for locals.
In addition to unaffordable housing, tourists put increased pressure on infrastructure and the environment. In the case of the latter, tourists can get into life-threatening situations and disrupt the local ecology.
Still, many locals are happy to have the visitors, their exposure to Montana's wilderness and life outside the big cities.
Source: University of Montana, The Washington Post.