Montana Land Watch (2024)

FAQs

How much does 1 acre of land in Montana cost? ›

Average and median per acre prices (for unimproved land) have remained fairly constant from 2020 – 2022 with an average per acre price of $4,000+ and a median per acre price of approximately $2,000, both values notably higher from the two previous years (2018-2019).

RELATED: Ted Turner explains his diagnosis in 2018 while taking “CBS Sunday Morning” on horseback across his 113,000-acre ranch near Bozeman, Montana. The interview also explores his commitment to the environment, bison and living.

Dan Wilks and his brother Farris are the largest landowners in Montana, and Idaho.

Though several supplementary laws have been passed since the 1862 act, homesteading is still legal in Montana.

The cheapest land in the United States is located in New Mexico, Arizona, Michigan, Colorado, and Texas. However, it's important to note that the price per acre of a piece of property is dependent on several factors, including location and the type of land.

Montana's economy grows faster than the national average and has been doing so since the early 2000s. This is partly due to the state's top exports being cattle and calves. The available plots of farm or ranch land average over 2,000 acres in size, leaving you plenty of space to begin your ranching career.

The annual Land Report 100 list recently came out, ranking the largest private land owners in the country. Several of those filthy rich tycoons own land, and lots of it, right here in Montana. The Wilks brothers, Dan and Farris, are the largest private land owners in the state.

In the news

Choteau made national news in the U.S. because it is the town nearest to a 2,700-acre (11 km²) ranch that David Letterman purchased in 1999 as a vacation home. Letterman has talked about the ranch on his late-night show and showed photos of a black bear invading the place in September 2003.

Beaverhead Ranch

Beaverhead Ranch is a 113,000-acre working ranch in southwest Montana, with grazing rights on another 226,000 acres. The property was purchased by Rupert Murdoch in 2021 from the founder of Koch Industries, making it the biggest ranch sale in the state's history.

The largest landowner in the world currently is King Charles III of England. How much land does the Royal Family own? He and the British Royal Family own more than 6,600,000,000 acres of land around the world. They technically own many territories around the globe, amounting to 1/6 of the surface of the planet.

What is the largest privately owned ranch in the United States? ›

King Ranch is the largest ranch in the United States. At some 825,000 acres (3,340 km²; 1,289 sq mi) it is larger than both the land area of Rhode Island and the area of the European country Luxembourg. It is mainly a cattle ranch, but also produced the racehorse Assault, who won the Triple Crown in 1946.

Montana does not require a building permit for a single-family dwelling; however, most cities and towns in the state do require a local building permit for residential construction. So be sure to check with the municipal government where you plan to build for any permit regulations and fees.

The Homestead Act of 1862 enabled thousands to claim land in Montana. This act offered 160 acres of public land to US citizens on the condition that they live on, cultivate, and improve it. They could then "prove up" and obtain a deed after five years. The first homestead claim was made near present-day Helena in 1868.

The Homestead Act of 1862 enabled thousands of individuals and families to claim land in Montana. The act offered 160 acres of land to United States Citizens on the conditions that they live on the land, cultivate it, and preform improvements to the land.

An acre of land is about the size of a football field. The value of an acre of land varies quite a bit depending on a number of factors. The average cost of land in the contiguous United States is about $12,000 per acre.

Montana has approximately 23,000 landowners who own nearly 64 million acres of private land, much of which offers excellent hunting opportunities.