Signature · 8.2% SNAP (65th pct in MT)
Custer County, MT
Custer County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 19.5%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 8.2%
- on SNAP
- 12K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Custer County, MT
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 19.5% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -2.6 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 8.2% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Missoula County (+ 0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Custer County ranks #1,718 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #44 of 56 counties in MT (19.5% low-access).
- #1,718
- national by low-access %
- #44
- in MT
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 531
- 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: 8.2% SNAP (65th pct in MT) (-3.9 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Custer County compares nationally
Custer County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.5% low-access share that beats 45% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,727).
Custer County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Custer County has 5 urban and 1 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.
Custer 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 | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 11,699 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,285 |
| Low-Access Share | 19.5%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 531 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 11,961 |
| Median Household Income | $70,605 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 415 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.2%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.0% |
SNAP retailers in Custer County
Custer County has 6 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 4 locations (67% of the total), followed by super store.
Convenience Store · 4
- cenex zip trip 59, miles city
- cenex zip trip 75, miles city
- franks short stop, miles city
- town pump of miles city #1 8300, miles city
Super Store · 1
- walmart 2608, miles city
Supermarket · 1
- albertsons 0039, miles city
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 Custer County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →
Nationwide peers for Custer County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Custer County (8.2%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Montana.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MT (19.5% here).
- Lafayette County, MO · 19.5% low-access
- Lafayette County, MO · 19.5% low-access
- Grant Parish, LA · 19.5% low-access
- Grant Parish, LA · 19.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MT (8.2% here).
- Camden County, MO · 8.2% SNAP
- Camden County, MO · 8.2% SNAP
- Dodge County, NE · 8.2% SNAP
- Dodge County, NE · 8.2% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, Montana in context
Custer 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 Custer County, MT are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 30017. 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.