County food-access profile · Montana
Fergus County, MT
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Fergus 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).
- 39.4%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 7.3%
- on SNAP
- 12K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
39.4% of Fergus County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 2 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 9.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.1%
- 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 Fergus County's low-access share at 39.4%, above the national share. 2 of the county's 2 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 4,563 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,381 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 Fergus County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Fergus County's 39.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 87% of them and ranked #421 most-affected nationwide.
Fergus County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 2 census tracts in Fergus County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Fergus County vs. other Montana counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Montana
- Fergus
Fergus County, MT
39.4 % low-access
- Beaverhead
Beaverhead County, MT
20.1 % low-access
- Big Horn
Big Horn County, MT
42.5 % low-access
- Blaine
Blaine County, MT
34 % low-access
- Broadwater 15.4
Broadwater County, MT
15.4 % low-access
- Carbon 14.9
Carbon County, MT
14.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 11,586 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,563 |
| Low-Access Share | 39.4%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,381 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 11,687 |
| Median Household Income | $63,706 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.1%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 389 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.3%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.4%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.6% |
About 7.3% of Fergus County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 39.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 389 households here.
- 9.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Fergus County
above the national share
1 of Fergus County's 2 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 50.0% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 4,563 residents, roughly 39.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,381 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
SNAP retailers in Fergus County
Fergus County has 6 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 1 locations (17% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 1
- family dollar 12629, lewistown
Convenience Store · 1
- town pump of lewistown 3000, lewistown
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- custom cuts, lewistown
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- big sky grocery, moore
Super Store · 1
- town & country foods lewistown 6, lewistown
Supermarket · 1
- albertsons 0019, lewistown
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Montana
Compare Fergus County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →
Food access nationally, Montana in context
Fergus County sits inside Montana (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Fergus County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Fergus County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Fergus County? ▼
Is Fergus County a food desert? ▼
What share of Fergus County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.