Ok Boomer- How Many Montana Voters Are Baby Boomers?

One third of Montana voters are Baby Boomers. I found that statistic very interesting as I was chatting off air with Evan Wilson on Tuesday morning.

Evan Wilson is a prominent Montana pollster who has worked on several political campaigns. He's also the son of the late, great Dr. Craig Wilson from MSU-Billings. Wilson is the Vice President of Moore Information Group and recently conducted a poll of Montanans for the Montana Chamber of Commerce.

What were some of the biggest takeaways from the Montana Chamber of Commerce poll?

Not only are property taxes the top concern facing Montanans, but Montanans in big numbers also see a need to reform our entire property tax system.

Here's a couple of highlights from the poll:

Close to 60% of Montana voters identified three issues as their top priority for the next Legislature to address: Rising property taxes (20%), controlling government spending (19%) and increasing funding for K-12 education (18%).

Fully two-thirds (68%) of voters in Montana believe the state’s current tax structure – one that relies heavily on property and income taxes – to be out of whack and in need of reform. In fact, the Chamber polled this same issue back in February, 2020 and found a statistically significant decline in the percentage of voters (-9%) who believe the state’s tax structure is “fair and reasonable” (27% today vs. 36% in 2020) and a coinciding increase (+12%) in the percentage who believe it is need of reform (68% today vs. 56% in 2020).

Here's what else is interesting, especially given the influx of folks fleeing other states to move to Montana post COVID-19:

There is a sharp uptick in the percentage of Montana voters who consider themselves renters (28%) versus homeowners (76%). Three years ago, the percentage of voters who considered themselves renters was ten points lower – indicative that the relatively high cost of living in Big Sky Country continues.

Keep an eye on our On Demand page for audio of our full conversation.