Montana Summary

Below you will find county-by-county maps and tables that illustrate the data in this study.

Click on chart for a larger version below.

Our research found that:

• Of the 11 western states, Montana has the third largest area of undeveloped, forested private land bordering fire-prone public lands, and ranks fifth among western states in the amount of forested land where homes have been built next to public lands.
• Montana has over 3,000 square miles of forested private land bordering public land, of which 91 percent has not yet been developed.
• Housing in Montana's wildland urban interface consume a whopping 6.1 acres per person, compared to the 0.5 acres per person average on other private lands in the West.
• Montana has 31,394 residences in its wildland urban interface, of which 24 percent are seasonal homes or cabins.
• Montana ranks sixth among western states in the number of homes built in forested areas next to public wildlands, and seventh in the percentage of those homes that are only seasonally occupied.

Most counties in western Montana have large areas of undeveloped, forested private land abutting wildlands. This is especially true in Northwestern Montana. Within Montana, Flathead County ranks highest in terms of existing wildfire risk (number of square miles of the wildland urban interface with homes now). Lincoln and Missoula Counties rank highest in terms of future potential risk (number of square miles of wildland interface that remains undeveloped). Nearly 150 square miles of Montana's forested private lands next to public wildlands are already developed in these three counties combined, and together they contain more than 900 square miles of undeveloped wildland interface where homes could likely be built in the future, increasing risks to human life and property as well as the financial burden on taxpayers.

Existing Risk Map - Click to Zoom
Yellow areas on the map illustrate existing development in fire-prone areas (forested areas adjacent public lands that have been developed); all other development is shown in red; public lands are shown in green.

Montana Summary Statistics
West-Wide		3,290.0	20,350.1	14.0%	915,071	21.0%
Montana		273.7	2,751.0	9.0%	31,394	24.0%
Top 10 Counties in Montana Ranked by Existing Risk Counties are ranked by the number of square miles of developed land in the wildland interface
Flathead County	Montana	60.6	223.2	21.0%	7,846	24.0%
Lincoln County	Montana	53.7	348.5	13.0%	3,936	15.0%
Missoula County	Montana	34.2	350.6	9.0%	5,109	13.0%
Sanders County	Montana	16.4	251.3	6.0%	1,434	15.0%
Lake County	Montana	16.1	98.8	14.0%	2,288	36.0%
Ravalli County	Montana	15.3	66.8	19.0%	1,854	21.0%
Lewis and Clark County	Montana	12.1	156.0	7.0%	1,745	27.0%
Mineral County	Montana	10.6	105.6	9.0%	1,316	12.0%
Deer Lodge County	Montana	8.6	33.4	20.0%	292	70.0%
Gallatin County	Montana	8.1	67.5	11.0%	1,791	33.0%
Top 10 Counties in Montana Ranked by Potential Risk Counties are ranked by the number of square miles of undeveloped land in the wildland interface.
Missoula County	Montana	34.2	350.6	9.0%	5,109	13.0%
Lincoln County	Montana	53.7	348.5	13.0%	3,936	15.0%
Sanders County	Montana	16.4	251.3	6.0%	1,434	15.0%
Flathead County	Montana	60.6	223.2	21.0%	7,846	24.0%
Lewis and Clark County	Montana	12.1	156.0	7.0%	1,745	27.0%
Powell County	Montana	1.1	115.5	1.0%	66	23.0%
Mineral County	Montana	10.6	105.6	9.0%	1,316	12.0%
Madison County	Montana	0.6	101.7	1.0%	46	65.0%
Granite County	Montana	6.5	101.6	6.0%	789	58.0%
Lake County	Montana	16.1	98.8	14.0%	2,288	36.0%

Click on column headers to see all data in the West sorted by that column.

West | Arizona | California | Colorado | Idaho | Montana | New Mexico | Nevada | Oregon | Utah | Washington | Wyoming