Petroleum County, Montana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Petroleum County, MT Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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N/A
Health Not enough data
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 85% of counties in Montana
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 80% of counties in Montana
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Petroleum County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 447 | 1,116,812 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 0.3 | 7.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.18% | 1.09% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 51.9 | 40.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 221 | 458,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Petroleum County declined by 12.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 447 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Petroleum County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 28.5% of residents. That is 9.0 points above Montana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 52 11.7% -9.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 83 18.6% -1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 127 28.5% +9.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 104 23.3% +3.9 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Montana, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 46.3% of the people living in Petroleum County and men 53.7%.
- Women 46.3% Montana 49.4%
- Men 53.7% Montana 50.6%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Petroleum County
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Economy
Petroleum County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Petroleum County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,208 | $72,476 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 7.55% | 5.17% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.0% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Petroleum County is about 17% lower than in Montana.
Housing
| Metric | Petroleum County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | — | $249,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $799 | $1,081 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.9% | 69.2% | 65.2% |
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Petroleum County spend about 17 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 71 hours, about 3.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Petroleum County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 8.6 | 16.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 17.2 | 32.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 71 | 134 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,215 | $4,143 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.3% | 12.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 2,162 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 81 | 403 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Montana:
Treasure County (7.2 min), Rosebud County (8.2 min), Fallon County (8.4 min).
Slowest:
Broadwater County (30.3 min), Stillwater County (27.8 min), Granite County (23.3 min).
The average commute time in Petroleum County is 9 minutes, shorter than the 16 minutes in Montana.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Petroleum County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Petroleum County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.4% | 31.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.02 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Montana:
Gallatin County (0.4), Missoula County (0.3), Lewis and Clark County (0.3).
Lowest:
Liberty County (0.2), Toole County (0.2), Wheatland County (0.2).
Health
| Metric | Petroleum County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | — | 79.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.8% | 14.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.3% | 18.8% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Montana:
Gallatin County (0.8), Missoula County (0.8), Granite County (0.8).
Lowest:
Glacier County (0.7), Big Horn County (0.8), Roosevelt County (0.8).
Petroleum County, MT Compared With Nearby Counties
How Petroleum County, MT compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petroleum County, MT | 447 | $60,208 #2/2 | — | 8.6 min #1/2 |
| Yellowstone County, MT | 168,956 | $77,024 | $232,715 | 16.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Petroleum County, Montana.
How many people live in Petroleum County, Montana?
About 447 people live in Petroleum County, Montana, in 221 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 51.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 15 years.
Is Petroleum County, Montana urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Petroleum County, Montana has 0 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 0% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is unemployment high in Petroleum County, Montana?
Unemployment in Petroleum County, Montana is only 1.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Petroleum County, Montana?
22.4% of adults in Petroleum County, Montana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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