As you read this, thousands of American families are considering a move to less densely populated areas. Towns and cities within the Rocky Mountain states — Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, specifically — are seeing unprecedented population growth as the idea of living in rural and suburban areas gains interest among residents of the country’s more populated regions.
Popular opinion in these scenic areas attribute the migration to three major factors: social unrest in urban areas, prevalence of COVID-19 cases, and the ability for more people to telecommute. The owner of a moving company in Cody, Wyoming, noted that they had relocated a dozen families from California in May alone. Counter to what would be expected during a recession, real estate prices are rising. Similar stories come from Montana.