Signature · 1 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)
Chouteau County, MT
Chouteau County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 49.6% low-access.
- 49.6%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 9.4%
- on SNAP
- 6K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Chouteau County, MT
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 49.6% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +27.5 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.4% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Powder River County (+ 2.8 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Chouteau County sits in the upper national band (49.6%, #210 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.
- #210
- national by low-access %
- #17
- in MT
- 2
- 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: 1 LILA tracts (50% of tracts) .
How Chouteau County compares nationally
Chouteau County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 49.6% low-access share outpaces 93% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #210 most-affected nationwide.
Chouteau County's elevated USDA tier split
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 2 of Chouteau 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.
Chouteau County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Montana, not a full county-board reprint
- Wibaux
Wibaux 100%
100 % low-access
- Richland
Richland 53.8%
53.8 % low-access
- Hill
Hill 53.5%
53.5 % low-access
- Dawson
Dawson 52.5%
52.5 % low-access
- Powder River
Powder River 52.4%
52.4 % low-access
- Chouteau
Chouteau 49.6%
49.6 % low-access
- Ravalli 2.7
Ravalli 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 5,813 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,881 |
| Low-Access Share | 49.6%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,306 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,906 |
| Median Household Income | $58,218 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 204 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.4% |
Slim SNAP store book in Chouteau County
Chouteau County has 4 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 1 locations (25% of the total), followed by large grocery store.
Where the store book sits, by town
3 towns share the 4 authorized stores; Fort Benton holds 50% of them. 1 of the 3 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Geraldine.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Benton | 2 | 1 |
| Big Sandy | 1 | 1 |
| Geraldine | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 1
- joyco, fort benton
Large Grocery Store · 1
- the grocery store, big sandy
Small Grocery Store · 1
- fresh start cooperative association, geraldine
Supermarket · 1
- river market, fort benton
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 Chouteau 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%). Chouteau County, at 49.6%, runs 27.3 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 Chouteau County, MT are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 30015. 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.