As entrepreneurs, telecommuters and retirees look for a better quality of life closer to the outdoors, rural counties with recreation-based economies are booming.
Every year, more people are moving to small towns tucked in the Flathead Valley so they can choose from a range of outdoor activities — camping, hiking, riding their bikes, even kayaking or skiing — throughout the year. Flathead County first hit 100,000 residents last year, after growing by about 10 percent since 2010, according to U.S. census estimates. It’s the state’s second-fastest growing county, after Gallatin County, home of Montana State University, and one of the fastest-growing rural counties with populations over 25,000 in the United States. (more)
Source: Outdoor Recreation Driving Population Boom in Rural Areas
