Yellowstone TV Series Fuels Surge in Bozeman Population and Tourism

(L-R) Actor Kevin Costner, producer/writer Taylor Sheridan, and actors Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, and Gil Birmingham of 'Yellowstone' speak onstage during the Paramount Network portion of the 2018 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 15, 2018. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

While “Yellowstone” is airing its final episodes this year, the city in which it has filmed since 2020 is just getting started.

Bozeman, Montana, is experiencing a significant surge in new business, tourism, and its population, which have ushered in both opportunities and challenges.

“There has been economic growth and more job opportunities but the city is grappling with rising crime, traffic congestion, and public health issues like fentanyl use,” Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Tourism and Sales Director Briana Wolfe told The Epoch Times. 

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.

That’s partly due to film commission tax credits and the “Yellowstone” TV series, which has successfully created more than 10,000 jobs and brought $730 million in spending to the state’s economy since the pandemic, according to a University of Montana economic report.

“Our growth seems to be related to many factors including quality of life, opportunities for outdoor recreation, beautiful scenery, abilities to work remotely, and the increased attention brought to the area by many different forms of media, including Yellowstone,” Bozeman Police Chief Jim Velkamp told The Epoch Times.

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.

Producer Scott Duthie on set (Heidi Houston/Courtesy of Angry Monkey Entertainment)

Whitmer did not respond to requests for comment.

“Bozeman used to be a little secret gem that no one knew about,” Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer told The Epoch Times. “That is not the case in the last 15 to 20 years.”

“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.

“Previous shows certainly brought more attention to our area, but it seems that Yellowstone has brought more awareness due to being seen by a wider audience,” Velkamp said.

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.

“Bozeman’s infrastructure is under strain,” Wolfe added. “Traffic congestion has become more common, especially during peak hours, and the existing roadways are struggling to accommodate the increased number of vehicles.”

Gallatin County encompasses the city of Bozeman, where a Bozeman Real Estate Group market report found that the median price for a single-family home is $940,000. 

Placer.ai and Niche Neighborhood Grades research estimate that the median household income as of March 2024 is $76,000.

“Gallatin County and Bozeman are expensive places to live,” Velkamp said. “It is very difficult for our first responders and other vital positions like teachers to make ends meet here.”

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.

The Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce reports that the airport recorded more than 2.26 million passengers, a significant increase in tourism from 1.3 million passengers in 2018.

“The amount of growth we have seen has contributed to an increase in the number of a wide variety of crimes commensurate with the population,” Velkamp added. “Our crime rate has risen a bit, but the main issue has just been the increases in crime associated with more people living here, going to school here, and visiting here.”

The Bozeman Police Department reported 29 percent more felony cases to the local County Attorney’s Office than in 2023. Those cases included requests for prosecution and cases in which a felony arrest had already been made.

“We certainly are heavily affected by illegal immigration on the southern border including fentanyl and illegal immigrants, so we’re impacted by all the same problems as everyone else in the world,” Springer added. “It’s just a matter of scale.”

Sheriff Dan Springer (Tom Pallach/Courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff's Office)

On the upside, the Bozeman police force is expanding to accommodate the rise in crime.

Velkamp disclosed that nine additional police hires were authorized since 2020, four of which were authorized in July but have yet to be filled. 

“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.”