An independent nonprofit research group says Montana is losing its open space.
Headwaters Economics analyzed home construction for the state and laid out the numbers from county to county from 1990 to 2016 in a study titled Montana Losing Open Space. During that period, the study said the number of single-family homes in the state grew from roughly 224,000 homes to 337,000 homes.
Gallatin County was No. 1 for new homes constructed during the 26-year period with 17,300. Flathead County trails closely behind with about 17,100 new homes and Yellowstone County added about 13,400.