Signature · 4 LILA tracts (80% of tracts)

Big Horn County, MT

Big Horn County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 4 LILA tracts (80% of the book) alongside 42.5% low-access.

42.5%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
17.5%
on SNAP
13K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MT

USDA FARA access plate

County Big Horn County, MT

LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE

  • LA-SEVERE 42.5% low-access
  • ABOVE-NATIONAL +20.4 pts vs US
  • LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-HEAVY 17.5% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 6.9% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-DENSE 80% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Valley County ( -0.6 pts)

Upper-band low-access

Big Horn County sits in the upper national band (42.5%, #329 of 3,079) with 4 LILA tracts.

#329
national by low-access %
#19
in MT
4
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents

Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.

Signature read: 4 LILA tracts (80% of tracts) .

How Big Horn County compares nationally

Big Horn County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 42.5% low-access share outpaces 89% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #332 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Big Horn County's elevated USDA tier split

5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for Big Horn County, MT USDA-defined food-access tiers: 1 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 5 tracts evaluated. 1 tracts adequate (20.0%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (80.0%) Adequate 20% Limited 0% Severe 80% Food-access tier distribution: Big Horn County, MT
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Big Horn County has 0 urban and 5 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.

Big Horn County vs nearby high low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Montana, not a full county-board reprint

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

FARA 2019 · elevated low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Big Horn County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts5
Atlas Population (2010 basis)12,865
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population5,471
Low-Access Share42.5%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,045

ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Big Horn County
IndicatorValue
Population12,891
Median Household Income$58,750
Poverty Rate22.1%well above the national average
SNAP Households671
SNAP Participation Rate17.5%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.9%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.6%

SNAP retailers in Big Horn County

Big Horn County has 12 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 6 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 6

  • crow nation express cne1, crow agency
  • custers last camp, busby
  • good 2 go store 808, hardin
  • l & b last stop, hardin
  • love's travel stop 679, hardin
  • town pump of hardin 1710, hardin

Combination Grocery/Other · 3

  • dollartree 8843, hardin
  • dollar general 30273, hardin
  • family dollar 10512, hardin

Farmers' Market · 1

  • river valley farmer's market, hardin

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • 3bell inc, lodge grass

Super Store · 1

  • lynn's superfoods- hardin, hardin

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 Big Horn County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →

Counties near Big Horn County's elevated low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Big Horn County, both outside Montana so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.

Similar low-access share

Nearest low-access rates outside MT (42.5% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside MT (17.5% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Big Horn County inside a higher low-access state context

Big Horn 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 Big Horn County, MT are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 30003. 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.