Hollywood celebrities are flocking to idyllic Montana town where house prices have DOUBLED in six years – as some unhappy locals dub it ‘Boz Angeles’

Montana has become a hotspot for celebrities looking to escape the chaos of New York and Los Angeles.

Some celebrities, such as Glenn Close and Michael Keaton, have lived in the idyllic state for decades, while others, like Paris Hilton, are new to the area.

However, the influx of new, expensive residents has also led to skyrocketing house prices, leaving some residents less than impressed with the state’s growth.

Justin Timberlake and his wife Jessica Biel are often seen in Bozeman, which is about an hour’s drive from the gated community in Big Sky where the Hollywood couple lives with their two children.

“They are really down to earth and respectful. We often see them out with their kids or getting coffee in town,” said one resident.

“They can live a fairly normal life here and the locals don’t bother them. The only people who ever make a problem of it are the celebrity-obsessed tourists.”

One celebrity who recently made waves was Jason Momoa, who went to Belgrade for a meet-and-greet to promote his new line of vodka.

Lines to meet the Aquaman star wrapped around the block, with many locals sharing stories of the selfies they took with the star in the days that followed.

Besides the modest lifestyle that Montana has to offer to celebrities, some stars are also drawn to the opulence of the famous Yellowstone Club.

Located about an hour from Bozeman, the Yellowstone Club spans 15,200 acres in Big Sky and is known for its exclusivity, privacy and luxury amenities.

Members include Bill Gates, former US Vice President Dan Quayle, Tom Brady, Paris Hilton and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

In 2018, the initial membership fee was $400,000, in addition to the annual membership fee of $40,000. However, it is believed that this price has increased since then.

Members must also purchase a home in the club, the value of which can range from around $4 million to $25 million and more.

There is also a cap of 864 members to ensure exclusivity, with more members coming from the business and tech sectors than from Hollywood.

“They are more business leaders than celebrities,” one member said The San Francisco Standard“It’s just too expensive.”

For those stars who don’t want to shell out millions to live in the Yellowstone Club, there are still plenty of picturesque places in Montana for A-listers to call home.

Michael Keaton has owned a 1,000-acre estate in the small town of Big Timber since the early 1990s.

Bill Pullman also has his own ranch in Boulder Valley, while John Mayer has his own place in Paradise Valley (which inspired his 2013 album of the same name).

Glenn Close has lived in Bozeman on and off since the early 1980s and currently lives there permanently in a ranch house with her family. Her daughter, Annie Starke, films her Magnolia Network series, The Mountain Kitchen, there.

At one point, Glenn and her sister Jessie even co-owned a local coffee shop in downtown Bozeman.

Kelly Clarkson and her then-husband Brandon Blackstock bought a $10.4 million ranch in 2018.

Although the American Idol winner dreams of living on the ranch permanently, she can only visit the property once a month because she is filming The Kelly Clarkson Show in New York.

When asked what makes the state — nicknamed “America’s Last Best Place” — so special, real estate agent Elizabeth Dellwo of The Agency Bozeman said its proximity to nature was a major factor.

“Montana offers some of the best outdoor recreation in the United States,” Elizabeth told DailyMail.com.

“When you live in Bozeman, you have so many things right on your doorstep that give you a better work-life balance and improve your quality of life in general. That’s why everyone wants to live here.”

The influx of celebrities and coastal residents has put a strain on the state, particularly in Bozeman. During the pandemic, many big-city residents fled to the freedom-loving red state.

Many movers from California and New York have more money to spend on real estate than locals, which has caused housing prices to rise and many permanent residents to be priced out of the market.

In the past six years, home prices in Bozeman have nearly doubled. The average price for a single-family home now sits at about $737,000, after peaking at a whopping $795,000 last year.

The trendy town is now derisively referred to as “Boz Angeles” by some residents, and debate is growing over whether the once-quiet enclave has gone woke.

While it’s easy to blame recent moves on the cost of living and increased traffic, the problem is actually decades old.

A 1992 article in the Chicago Tribune about celebrities—including Mary Hart, Ted Turner and Brooke Shields—who moved to Montana, described the concerns of the local community.

“What people here feel is not so much resentment, but fear of losing their city. Is it going to be a place we want to live?” one resident told the publication at the time.

“The celebrities pretty much fit the bill,” he continued. “I think there’s more concern about Californians in general, who have come here and driven up housing prices. Housing prices have been up 2 percent a month since 1990.”

While some Montanans are still wary of outsiders, many Montana business owners have benefited from the increase in relocation and tourism.

Brett Ashley McMillan, owner of Juniper Face + Figure medispa in Bozeman, says she’s one of many local businesses being positively impacted by all the new faces in town.

“Small businesses like mine serve Montanans from all over the state, but we also benefit from seasonal tourism and newcomers who want to make Bozeman and Big Sky their new home,” she said.

“At Juniper Face + Figure, I’ve helped all kinds of people, from local Montanans to transplants, tourists, athletes, influencers, and even a few cast members from the TV show Yellowstone!”

She continued, “I would say my business has grown due to population growth, especially since some of my treatments, like cosmetic injectables and vaginal rejuvenation, may be a new concept here in the Wild West.

“But the transplant patients who come here often come from places like New York and California, where facials and body treatments are more normal and accepted. So for me, it’s great.”