LIVINGSTON, Mont. — The Park County Community Foundation will host its inaugural "We Will" summit this week, bringing community leaders and subject-matter experts together to discuss ways to improve livability across Park County.
Watch our full story below:
Housing affordability is among the issues highlighted by the initiative. Park County Community Foundation Program Manager Keva Ward said the organization has spent years gathering community input and analyzing data to better understand residents’ concerns.
“We got a great response, and from that we were able to generate this report and understand what people are really concerned about in the community,” Ward said.
The foundation’s 2026 We Will report identifies five priority areas informed by community feedback: landscapes and natural amenities, small-town and rural lifestyle, economic performance, housing and affordability and health, safety and education.
According to figures shared by the foundation, median annual household income in Park County is just over $70,000, while the estimated annual cost of living is more than $104,000.
Ward said the gap reflects challenges that extend beyond housing costs.
“Can I find healthcare for my elderly parents and for myself and my family for that matter? Can I find childcare that allows both parents to work?” Ward said.
The summit aims to move the initiative from identifying challenges to developing practical, locally driven solutions.
Ward said bringing people together to share ideas and work collaboratively is an important next step.
“We can collect data, and we can collect opinions all day long, but until we get real human beings in a room together and start putting our collective thinking to these things, we felt like it was just time,” Ward said.
The summit will follow a free public keynote presentation Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Livingston Depot Center. Kristin Smith, Ph.D., a researcher at Headwaters Economics, will present “The State of Park County’s Economy: A Livability Perspective.”
A welcome reception begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the keynote at 7 p.m. No registration is required to attend Wednesday’s event.
The foundation says the broader "We Will" initiative is intended to help residents and local leaders identify shared priorities and work together to strengthen the community’s long-term livability.
For more information about the summit and the We Will initiative, click here.
