PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Montana

Cascade County, MT

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Cascade 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).

26.3%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
10.4%
on SNAP
85K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MT

The food-access picture

26.3% of Cascade County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 22 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

9
low-access tracts
8K
food-desert residents
6.0%
households, no vehicle
13.1%
below poverty line

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, 1-and-10-mile measure).

USDA data puts Cascade County's low-access share at 26.3%, above the national share. 9 of the county's 22 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 21,360 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 8,026 low-income residents.

How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts

The USDA measures food access by distance to the nearest supermarket. A census tract is "low-access" when a meaningful share of residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than ten miles in rural areas. A tract becomes a "food desert" only when it is both low-access and low-income, because distance is far harder to overcome for households without a car or a cushion in the budget. Counts on this page are aggregated from the tract level, where the federal data is actually published, so a single county figure can hide neighbourhoods that are much better or much worse served than the average. Distance also does not capture everything that shapes whether a family eats well: the presence of a full-service grocer rather than a convenience store, public transit, food pantries, and the price and quality of what is on the shelf all matter beyond the radius the Atlas can draw.

How Cascade County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Cascade County's 26.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 62% of them and ranked #1,198 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Cascade County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 22 census tracts in Cascade County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Cascade County, MT USDA-defined food-access tiers: 13 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 6 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 22 tracts evaluated. 13 tracts adequate (59.1%) 6 tracts limited (27.3%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (13.6%) Adequate 59% Limited 27% Severe 14% Food-access tier distribution: Cascade County, MT
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Cascade County vs. other Montana counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Montana

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

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Cascade County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts22
Atlas Population (2010 basis)81,327
Low-Access Tracts9
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population21,360
Low-Access Share26.3%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population8,026

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Cascade County
IndicatorValue
Population84,606
Median Household Income$67,690
Poverty Rate13.1%near the national average
SNAP Households3,704
SNAP Participation Rate10.4%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.0%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.3%
SNAP participation in Cascade County 10.4%

About 10.4% of Cascade County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 26.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,704 households here.
  • 6.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).

USDA low-access figures reflect the 2019 Atlas (2010 tract populations); socioeconomic context is the latest Census ACS 5-year (2024).

What the food-access data shows for Cascade County

above the national share

3 of Cascade County's 22 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 13.6% of all its tracts.

A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.

An estimated 21,360 residents, roughly 26.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 8,026 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 13 tracts (59.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Cascade County

Cascade County has 55 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 31 locations (56% of the total), followed by super store.

Convenience Store · 31

  • brake time 253819, great falls
  • brake time 253820, great falls
  • brake time 253821, great falls
  • brake time 253822, great falls
  • cenex zip trip 45, great falls
  • conoco on your way, great falls
  • gas n shop 2 #2, great falls
  • gas n shop 3 gns #3, vaughn
  • gas n shop inc #101, great falls
  • glacier gateway, vaughn
  • great falls 6 flying j 4730, great falls
  • holiday 2746730, great falls
  • holiday stationstore 2746010, great falls
  • holiday stationstore 2746059, great falls
  • holiday stationstore 2746273, great falls
  • keiths country store no, great falls
  • kernaghans pik & pump, great falls
  • love's travel stop 789, great falls
  • noons 571, great falls
  • noons 572, great falls
  • noons 574, great falls
  • on your way #3 3, great falls
  • poppys mini mart, great falls
  • schultes 38th st store, great falls
  • town pump of great falls 7 7033, great falls
  • the little store llc, great falls
  • town pump great falls #4 1515, great falls
  • town pump of great falls #5 1007, great falls
  • town pump of great falls 170 0170, great falls
  • town pump of great falls 2400, great falls
  • town pump of great falls 3 1015, great falls

Super Store · 6

  • sam's club 6379, great falls
  • smiths food & drug center 166, great falls
  • super 1 foods 7055, great falls
  • target stores t- 0253, great falls
  • walmart 7199, great falls
  • walmart sc 2455, great falls

Combination Grocery/Other · 5

  • cvs pharmacy 8624, great falls
  • dollar tree 2947, great falls
  • dollar tree 3070, great falls
  • walgreens 10083, great falls
  • walgreens 10859, great falls

Supermarket · 3

  • 2js natural foods inc, great falls
  • albertsons 0035, great falls
  • albertsons 0037, great falls

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • franz bakery outlet 9079, great falls
  • papa murphys take n bake pizza, great falls

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • central avenue meats, great falls
  • discount meats, great falls

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • 468 market, cascade
  • big sky grocery downtown, great falls

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • belt valley grocery llc, belt
  • big sky deli and bakery, vaughn

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • everyday iga north, great falls

Military Commissary · 1

  • malmstrom afb commissary 1234, malmstrom a f b

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Montana

Beaverhead County
20.1% low-access · 7.2% SNAP
Big Horn County
42.5% low-access · 17.5% SNAP
Blaine County
34.0% low-access · 14.7% SNAP
Broadwater County
15.4% low-access · 3.5% SNAP
Carbon County
14.9% low-access · 6.1% SNAP
Carter County
100.0% low-access · 5.3% SNAP

Compare Cascade County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →

Food access nationally, Montana in context

Cascade County sits inside Montana (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Cascade County has low food access? ▼
26.3% of residents in Cascade County, MT live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Cascade County? ▼
10.4% of households in Cascade County receive SNAP, covering 3,704 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Cascade County? ▼
The poverty rate in Cascade County, MT is 13.1%, with a median household income of $67,690 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Cascade County a food desert? ▼
3 of Cascade County's 22 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Cascade County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.0% of households in Cascade County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
Data Sources & Methodology

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019): low-access and food-desert tract classifications, low-access population, and low-income low-access counts. ers.usda.gov/food-access-research-atlas

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates: population, median income, poverty, SNAP participation, vehicle access, and group quarters. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs

Low access is defined as living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket; a food desert adds a low-income condition. Read the full methodology →

Data current as of (most recent source-data vintage; figures reflect the 2019 USDA Atlas and 2024 Census ACS).

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.