Signature · 7.2% SNAP (55th pct in MT)
Beaverhead County, MT
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Beaverhead County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 20.1%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 7.2%
- on SNAP
- 10K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Beaverhead County, MT
LA-ELEVATED · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 20.1% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -2.0 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.2% SNAP
- VEH-OK 0.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Missoula County ( -0.5 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Beaverhead County ranks #1,676 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #42 of 56 counties in MT (20.1% low-access).
- #1,676
- national by low-access %
- #42
- in MT
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 660
- food-desert residents
Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA).
Signature read: 7.2% SNAP (55th pct in MT) (-4.9 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Beaverhead County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Beaverhead County's 20.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 46% of them and ranked #1,682 most-affected nationwide.
Beaverhead County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Beaverhead County has 1 urban and 2 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Beaverhead County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Montana, not a full county-board reprint
- Wibaux
Wibaux 100%
100 % low-access
- Yellowstone 21.3
Yellowstone 21.3%
21.3 % low-access
- Beaverhead 20.1
Beaverhead 20.1%
20.1 % low-access
- Missoula 19.6
Missoula 19.6%
19.6 % low-access
- Custer 19.5
Custer 19.5%
19.5 % low-access
- Powell 19.2
Powell 19.2%
19.2 % low-access
- Ravalli 2.7
Ravalli 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 9,246 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,856 |
| Low-Access Share | 20.1%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 660 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 9,713 |
| Median Household Income | $61,268 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.4%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 304 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.2%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 0.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.6% |
SNAP retailers in Beaverhead County
Beaverhead County has 8 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 4 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 4
- ralphs exxon, lima
- the mini, dillon
- town pump of dillon #1 2601, dillon
- town pump of dillon 2 0360, dillon
Combination Grocery/Other · 2
- dollar tree 7512, dillon
- family dollar store 10686, dillon
Super Store · 1
- town & country foods 5, dillon
Supermarket · 1
- safeway 1581, dillon
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Montana
One of 55 counties in Montana, 6 are shown here.
Compare Beaverhead County vs Big Horn County → · All Montana counties →
Food access nationally, Montana in context
Beaverhead County sits inside Montana (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Beaverhead County, MT are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 30001. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.