Income needed to buy a home

Petroleum County, MT

$68,493

a year in household income to buy the typical Petroleum County home with 10% down.

The monthly math

Typical home value$210,872
Down payment (10%)$21,087
Loan$189,785
Principal and interest (7.40%)$1,314/mo
Property tax (0.57% a year)$100/mo
Homeowners insurance (estimate)$105/mo
Mortgage insurance$79/mo
Total monthly cost$1,598/mo

Income needed keeps housing at 28% of gross income, the lender rule of thumb.

What locals earn

A stretch

The typical household here earns $60,208 a year, 88% of what it takes.

In Montana

Petroleum County ranks #10 of 56 for the income a home takes, from least to most.

Easiest to afford in Montana

CountyTypical homeIncome needed
Prairie County$133,878$43,122
Roosevelt County$151,704$49,849
Glacier County$166,389$53,581
Carter County$173,474$54,097
Daniels County$170,973$58,434

Typical home value from the Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026. Rate is the Freddie Mac 30-year average for Oct 8, 2026. Property tax rate is total taxes paid divided by total home value in the county (U.S. Census, ACS 2020-2024). How it works.