Move over, “Yellowstone”—real-life New Yorkers take notes on a new drama that takes them to the mountains of Montana.
Taylor SheridanThe latest show, “The Madison” plays Michelle Pfeiffer again Kurt Russellfollows a New York family that moves to Montana.
The show is set mostly in the Madison River Valley, near Ennis, MT, a town of 615 people.
The median listing price in Ennis is $742,000, which is 49.9% higher than it was before the pandemic in February 2020.
Over the past six years, Montana has experienced the highest growth in listings of any state in the US, according to the report. Hannah Jonessenior economic research analyst at Realtor.com®.
Chase Heilandreal estate agent from Montana and Keller Williams, says “Madison” can be a story of art imitating life-because he saw a lot of interest in the area from New Yorkers.
“I had clients from New York who bought property in Ennis with plans to build their retirement home there one day,” Heiland told Realtor.com.
He adds that New Yorkers are drawn to the state for its open spaces, farm lifestyle, and recreational activities such as skiing and fly fishing.
“You have to put in a good amount of outdoor recreation to go full-time to be sane—other than that, you’re well-rounded in the winter,” he says. “In the colder months, many New Yorkers enjoy skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice fishing and hunting.”
Heiland says his East Coast customers love Ennis’s small-town charm. “It’s what you can think of as an old cattle town,” he explains.
Heiland had New York clients interested in basic residences, vacation homes, farms, and land to build on in both Ennis and nearby Three Forks, where parts of “The Madison” were also filmed.
Heiland says Three Forks — about 30 minutes west of Bozeman — is where the Missouri River begins, formed by the confluence of the Madison, Gallatin, and Jefferson rivers.
The town’s population is 2,034—and the median listing price is $596,225, 50% higher than it was in February 2020.
This nature lover’s paradise has campsites, hiking trails, and plenty of fishing and boating opportunities.
“Madison” is a bit shot in Bozeman, where the median list price is currently $754,000—$250,250 more than it was in February 2020.
“Bozeman is considered the ‘Big City’ in Montana,” Heiland said. “It has more art, culture, and restaurants than small towns, but it’s slower than New York City.”
According to Jones, interest from New York City viewers checking out Montana listings on Realtor.com peaked in 2021, making up 5.1% of total viewers.
But with the buzz surrounding “Madison” that trend may be about to change.
The ‘Yellowstone’ Effect
Another Taylor Sheridan juggernaut, “Yellowstone,” has attracted many out-of-state buyers to Montana in the past few years, Heiland explained. “I remember getting calls from people who said, ‘I saw Yellowstone, I want to move there,’ and when I asked them if they had been here before, they said no,” he said.
The series began in 2018 — a few years before Montana’s housing market boomed during the pandemic.
“The acceleration of home prices and significant growth has characterized Montana’s housing market since the pandemic began,” Jones said. “Homebuyers are looking for value and views along with a great location, fueled by a job shift that is cutting high-paying jobs out of coastal suburbs.”
Most of “Yellowstone” was shot at the beautiful King Joseph Ranch in Darby, MT.
It is a working cattle ranch five hours’ drive from Yellowstone National Park in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley.
For guests eager to experience Montana life firsthand, the ranch offers two rental cabins that sleep up to eight guests, with nightly rates ranging from $1,400 to $1,700.
