Signature · 14.7% SNAP (96th pct in MT)
Blaine County, MT
Blaine County stands out on SNAP (14.7%, +2.6 pts vs U.S.) with 34.0% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 34.0%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 14.7%
- on SNAP
- 7K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Blaine County, MT
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 34.0% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +11.9 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 14.7% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 25% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Wheatland County (+ 0.5 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Blaine County sits in the upper national band (34.0%, #663 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.
- #663
- national by low-access %
- #27
- in MT
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- 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: 14.7% SNAP (96th pct in MT) (+2.6 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Blaine County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Blaine County's 34.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 79% of them and ranked #663 most-affected nationwide.
Blaine County's elevated USDA tier split
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 4 of Blaine County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Blaine County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Montana, not a full county-board reprint
- Wibaux
Wibaux 100%
100 % low-access
- Phillips 36.1
Phillips 36.1%
36.1 % low-access
- Sheridan 35.2
Sheridan 35.2%
35.2 % low-access
- Wheatland 34.5
Wheatland 34.5%
34.5 % low-access
- Blaine 34
Blaine 34%
34 % low-access
- Musselshell 31.9
Musselshell 31.9%
31.9 % low-access
- Ravalli 2.7
Ravalli 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 6,491 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,208 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.0%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,196 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 6,949 |
| Median Household Income | $64,813 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.3%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 336 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.6%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.8% |
SNAP retailers in Blaine County
Blaine County has 8 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Medium Grocery Store lead with 2 locations (25% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
4 towns share the 8 authorized stores; Chinook holds 38% of them. Every one of these towns has at least one grocery-grade outlet (4 across the county).
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Chinook | 3 | 1 |
| Harlem | 3 | 1 |
| Dodson | 1 | 1 |
| Hays | 1 | 1 |
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- martins grocery, hays
- red paint creek trading post, dodson
Combination Grocery/Other · 1
- family dollar 13139, harlem
Convenience Store · 1
- town pump of chinook inc 1600, chinook
Large Grocery Store · 1
- finleys food farm, chinook
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- bear paw meats llc, chinook
Small Grocery Store · 1
- little river trading post llc, harlem
Supermarket · 1
- albertsons 0832, harlem
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 Blaine County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →
Montana among Mountain states
Montana ranks 7th of 8 Mountain states by population-weighted low-access (22.3%). Blaine County, at 34.0%, runs 11.7 pts above the Montana rate.
- New Mexico 31.7%
- Wyoming 29.7%
- Arizona 26.8%
- Idaho 25.8%
- Utah 23.9%
- Nevada 23.0%
- Montana 22.3%
- Colorado 21.5%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Blaine County, MT are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 30005. 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.