Petroleum County, Montana

County Distress Index: Normal · 47.9 | 554 people · 19th most distressed in Montana
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Petroleum County, MT falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 47.9 — 1758th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Montana, it ranks 19th of 56 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Petroleum County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 93.1 — worse than roughly 93% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 93.1
Unemployment Rate 89
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 95
Business Formation Rate 95
Income & Poverty 62.7
Poverty Rate 46
Income vs. State Median 85
Child Poverty Rate 57
Housing Cost Burden 42.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 72
Homeownership Rate 35
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95
Debt & Delinquency 23.1
Debt in Collections 18
Medical Debt 48
Student Loan Delinquency 19
Auto Loan Delinquency 16
Credit Card Delinquency 16
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 21
Community Vulnerability 18.0
Uninsured Rate 31
Disability Rate 5

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Petroleum County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Petroleum County
Petroleum County, MT 47.9 Normal —
Rosebud County, MT 57.6 Elevated +9.7
Musselshell County, MT 56.7 Elevated +8.9
Garfield County, MT 47.8 Normal -0.0
Fergus County, MT 45.0 Normal -2.9
Phillips County, MT 44.1 Normal -3.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Petroleum County
Alpine County, CA 47.9 Normal +0.0
Cheyenne County, KS 47.9 Normal +0.0
Garfield County, MT 47.8 Normal -0.0
Ritchie County, WV 47.9 Normal +0.0
Sutton County, TX 47.8 Normal -0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Petroleum County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Petroleum County

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State Bar of Montana Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of Montana Lawyer Referral Service 406-442-7660

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Petroleum County residents at no cost.

Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) 1-800-666-6899

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Petroleum County, Montana?

    Petroleum County has a County Distress Index score of 47.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,758th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 19th in Montana out of 56 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Petroleum County?

    The primary driver of distress in Petroleum County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 93.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Petroleum County compare to neighboring counties?

    Petroleum County (47.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Rosebud County, MT (57.6); Musselshell County, MT (56.7); Garfield County, MT (47.8).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Petroleum County?

    Petroleum County, Montana has a population of approximately 554 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.