The mayor of Montana’s most populous city, Billings, says some people have moved from coastal states to the area because they want to be around other conservatives.
Bill Cole told TIME magazine that he believed three major factors had brought newcomers to the city: affordable housing, people prioritizing their family and community over their work, and politics.
“We see it — people coming from California, maybe parts of Washington, the Seattle area, larger cities. Places like Montana are going to be perceived to be further to the right, more red, and that has certain attractions for some,” Cole said, per TIME.