Population 447 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Petroleum County
Household size in Petroleum County
| Period | Petroleum County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.11 | 2.41 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.22 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.22 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.02 | 2.44 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.09 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Petroleum County are small: just 2.02 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.11 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next. Only one other Montana county has smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Petroleum County
| Period | Petroleum County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.6 | 39.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.3 | 40.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 51.8 | 41.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 51.6 | 41.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +10.0 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 51.6, Petroleum County is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Petroleum County is older than the great majority of Montana counties.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Petroleum County
| Period | Petroleum County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.7% | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 9.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.3% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.2% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Petroleum County: 3.2% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Few Montana counties have a lower share of single-parent households: only five of 56.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Petroleum County
Renters in Petroleum County
| Period | Petroleum County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.4% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.0% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.5% | 31.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.1% | 30.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.3 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Petroleum County rent their homes (27.1%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 65.2% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Petroleum County
| Period | Petroleum County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.7% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 34.1% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 32.5% | 14.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.9% | 12.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 28.9% of the housing in Petroleum County, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Of Montana's 56 counties, only five have a higher vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Petroleum County
| Period | Petroleum County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1966 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1962 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +17 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Petroleum County are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1983, versus 1980 nationally. Petroleum County has newer homes than most Montana counties.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Petroleum County
| Period | Petroleum County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $708 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $770 | $775 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $490 | $870 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $800 | $1,189 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$92 | +$487 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Petroleum County costs $800 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 19.2% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Petroleum County
Bachelor's degrees in Petroleum County
| Period | Petroleum County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.8% | 28.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.0% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.6% | 32.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 30.8% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +17.0 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
About three in ten adults 25 and older in Petroleum County (30.8%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. Compared with other Montana counties, though, Petroleum County has a higher share of college graduates than most.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Petroleum County
| Period | Petroleum County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.2% | 91.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.6% | 92.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.9% | 93.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.9% | 94.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Petroleum County: 98.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Only one other Montana county has a higher share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Petroleum County
| Period | Petroleum County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.1% | 5.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.9% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.0% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
The survey found almost no one in Petroleum County out of work and looking, against 5.4% of the labor force nationally. Of Montana's 56 counties, only two have lower unemployment. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Petroleum County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petroleum County | 2.02 | 51.6 | 3.2% | 27.1% | 28.9% | 1983 | $800 | 30.8% | 98.9% | 0.0% |
| Fergus County | 2.17 | 44.9 | 9.6% | 36.6% | 12.1% | 1969 | $940 | 23.8% | 95.2% | 4.2% |
| Garfield County | 2.50 | 43.3 | 3.0% | 27.8% | 40.8% | 1978 | $725 | 21.0% | 96.2% | 0.0% |
| Judith Basin County | 2.25 | 46.2 | 5.6% | 27.3% | 27.3% | 1967 | $497 | 31.1% | 92.9% | 0.1% |
| Meagher County | 2.15 | 53.5 | 0.8% | 24.6% | 36.3% | 1974 | $1,244 | 30.7% | 91.9% | 0.3% |
| McCone County | 2.07 | 51.5 | 1.6% | 10.2% | 25.4% | 1964 | $552 | 23.5% | 97.7% | 1.8% |
| Cascade County | 2.37 | 40.5 | 10.3% | 31.5% | 10.3% | 1971 | $1,089 | 28.5% | 94.6% | 3.2% |
| Prairie County | 2.24 | 57.8 | 6.6% | 16.1% | 20.7% | 1957 | $627 | 26.9% | 96.5% | 0.9% |
| Dawson County | 2.39 | 42.5 | 8.8% | 28.1% | 17.8% | 1964 | $801 | 22.0% | 93.7% | 3.1% |
| Lewis and Clark County | 2.40 | 42.2 | 9.0% | 29.9% | 8.4% | 1984 | $1,193 | 42.7% | 95.0% | 3.3% |
| Wibaux County | 2.52 | 41.0 | 5.4% | 27.5% | 22.5% | 1973 | $963 | 22.5% | 96.0% | 1.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Harney County, OR · Schleicher County, TX · Sargent County, ND · Sanborn County, SD · San Saba County, TX · San Miguel County, CO · San Juan County, CO · San Augustine County, TX · Saguache County, CO · Sac County, IA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Petroleum County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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