‘Yellowstone’: Why Kevin Costner Series Is Creating Division in Montana
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The success of Yellowstone might be great for the Paramount Network, but it’s not necessarily such welcome news for the citizens of Montana.
One of the hottest shows on streaming, Yellowstone has attracted millions of viewers with its ranch-set drama starring Kevin Costner, most of which is filmed in Montana. The show’s cinematography highlights the area’s sweeping vistas, snow-covered mountains, and charming small towns, and this has made it an attractive destination for newcomers.
While the show has provided millions of dollars to the state’s economy, with production spending $72 million in the area for Season 4, it has also had a big impact on housing prices. More wealthy folk are moving to Montana and said to be pricing out families who have lived in the state for generations.
Life-long Montana resident Ginger Rice told CNBC that Yellowstone is both a blessing and a curse. “My daughter says we’ll never be able to afford a house,” Rice said, revealing that her family could only find two-bedroom apartments at three times the cost of their house. “We tried to save, but everything’s going up and up and up.”
“If it wasn’t for a family member who’s letting me live on his property, I would really have to think hard about moving out here,” veterinarian Chris Kimbrell told CNBC. “Rent and housing is becoming extremely expensive.”
According to the Daily Mail, average house prices in Darby, where Yellowstone is filmed, rose from $550,000 in 2019 to more than $774,000 as of April 2022, a nearly 24 percent increase year-over-year. There have been similar house price increases in cities such as Bozeman and Kalispell.
Habitat for Humanity has tried to urge lawmakers to create better affordable opportunities for lifelong residents. “Montana has quickly become inaccessible to those who live and work here, let alone those seeking to ‘come home,'” the group said regarding Gov. Greg Gianforte’s push for former residents to move back to the state.
Yellowstone, which deals with conflicts along the shared borders of a large cattle ranch, an Indian reservation, and land developers, was renewed for a fifth season in February.
Yellowstone, Season 5, Premieres, November 13, 2022, Paramount Network
TV Guide Magazine’s Yellowstone Special Collector’s Issue is available nationwide on newsstands now.
