ExecutivePulse
Official Federal Data

Petroleum County, Montana

FIPS 30069 · Population 447
7 Sources Updated June 22, 2026
$60,208
Median Income
$80,734 national
4.5%
Unemployment
4% national
$23M
GDP
30.8%
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Small population: 447 residents. These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates, which carry a wide margin of error for places under 20,000 people. Read each value as an approximate range, and treat year-over-year changes as indicative rather than exact. A small shift can reflect survey sampling, not a real change on the ground.

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$60,208
Per Capita
$39,919
Mean Household
$78,436
Poverty Rate
8.1% approx.
Median Income Comparison
Petroleum County$60,208
Montana$72,509
National$80,734

Population Profile

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 28.2% (126 residents) 55-64: 17% (76 residents) 35-54: 31.1% (139 residents) 18-34: 8.9% (40 residents) Under 18: 14.8% (66 residents) 52 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 14.8%
18-34 · 8.9%
35-54 · 31.1%
55-64 · 17%
65+ · 28.2%
Race & Ethnicity
White98.9%
Black or African American0%
Asian0.7%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)0%
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
98.9%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +9.3 pts
30.8%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 4.9 pts
10.6%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 3.5 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
447
Population
235
Labor Force
Employed
235
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
4.5% ▲ +0.7 pts YoY
Mean Commute 26 min below national avg
0.0 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
15.3%
Key Takeaways
  • Income gap: Households earn meaningfully less than the national median, which directly affects retail demand, housing absorption, and tax base.
  • Aging population: Median age of 52 is materially above the U.S. norm; succession planning and senior-services demand are real factors.

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$201,400
Median Home Value vs 2019
$800
Rent/Mo
72.9%
Owner-Occ
28.9%
Vacancy
3.3x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents

Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$1,160/mo
1 Bedroom
$1,208/mo
2 Bedroom
$1,548/mo
3 Bedroom
$2,139/mo
4 Bedroom
$2,503/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,505/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
  • In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.3x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
  • High home ownership: 72.9% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
  • Elevated vacancy: 28.9% vacancy rate. In resort, rural, and seasonal markets much of this is recreational/seasonal (second homes), not available supply; confirm the vacancy-by-reason split before treating it as a redevelopment opportunity.
  • Affordable rent tiers: 2 of 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$1,505/mo).
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
255
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 26 min below national avg
0.0 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
15.3%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
87.1%
of prime-age population
Labor force participation rate: 61.7% of working-age population (18-64) 62% Participation
▼ vs 2019

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
30.8%
HS Diploma+
98.9%
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
8,624/yr
Montana State University 3,536/yr
The University of Montana 3,194/yr
Montana State University Billings 795/yr
The University of Montana-Western 425/yr
Montana Technological University 381/yr
Flathead Valley Community College 293/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
29.8%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
39.1%
Service
7.2%
Sales & Office
17.4%
Construction / Maint.
28.5%
Production / Transport
7.7%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 235 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Succession risk is real: 29.8% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
  • Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 7,525 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.

AI Insights

AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 7 federal data sources

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example

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Data Sources

Updated from official federal government data.

Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for Petroleum County, Montana, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Petroleum County, Montana?

447 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the median household income in Petroleum County, Montana?

$60,208 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Petroleum County, Montana?

4.5% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Petroleum County, Montana?

$23M (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).