PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Montana

Flathead County, MT

Flathead 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.

12.9%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
6.5%
on SNAP
111K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MT

The food-access picture

12.9% of Flathead County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
4.2%
households, no vehicle
9.3%
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).

Flathead County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 12.9% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 19 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 11,714 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,705 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 Flathead County compares nationally

Flathead County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.9% low-access share that beats 27% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,281).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Flathead County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 19 census tracts in Flathead 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 Flathead County, MT USDA-defined food-access tiers: 14 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 19 tracts evaluated. 14 tracts adequate (73.7%) 3 tracts limited (15.8%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (10.5%) Adequate 74% Limited 16% Severe 11% Food-access tier distribution: Flathead County, MT
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Flathead 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 Flathead County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts19
Atlas Population (2010 basis)90,928
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population11,714
Low-Access Share12.9%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,705

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Flathead County
IndicatorValue
Population110,695
Median Household Income$73,925
Poverty Rate9.3%below the national average
SNAP Households2,870
SNAP Participation Rate6.5%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.2%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.3%
SNAP participation in Flathead County 6.5%

About 6.5% of Flathead County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 12.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 6.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,870 households here.
  • 4.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Flathead County

near the national share

2 of Flathead County's 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 10.5% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 11,714 residents, roughly 12.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,705 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 14 tracts (73.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Flathead County

Flathead County has 65 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 27 locations (42% of the total), followed by super store.

Convenience Store · 27

  • alpine village market, whitefish
  • appleway conoco, kalispell
  • bitterroot quick stop, marion
  • brar food store, kalispell
  • brians 76 1, kalispell
  • brians conoco 2, kalispell
  • cenex zip trip 39, kalispell
  • cenex zip trip 40, kalispell
  • cenex zip trip 41, kalispell
  • cenex zip trip 69, whitefish
  • cenex zip trip 71, hungry horse
  • evergreen gas & deli, kalispell
  • glacier gas n go, kalispell
  • junction gas, columbia falls
  • michaels west, kalispell
  • papa's market, bigfork
  • town pump of kalispell #3 0316, kalispell
  • town pump of kalispell 7 2310, kalispell
  • town pump of columbia falls #1 1145, columbia falls
  • town pump of columbia falls 2 8910, columbia falls
  • town pump of kalispell #5 159, kalispell
  • town pump of kalispell 2 8916, kalispell
  • town pump of kalispell 6, kalispell
  • town pump of whitefish #2 1398, whitefish
  • town pump of whitefish 2 4150, whitefish
  • vic's market, whitefish
  • woodland qwikstop, kalispell

Super Store · 9

  • costco wholesale 1746, kalispell
  • smiths food & drug center 168, columbia falls
  • smiths food & drug center 172, kalispell
  • super 1 foods 2650, kalispell
  • super 1 foods 4720, kalispell
  • super 1 foods 7050, columbia falls
  • super 1 foods 7875, whitefish
  • target stores t- 1540, kalispell
  • walmart sc 2259, kalispell

Combination Grocery/Other · 8

  • dollar general 24789, columbia falls
  • dollar tree 3146, kalispell
  • dollar tree 6015, whitefish
  • family dollar 12447, kalispell
  • m & s meats, rollins
  • rosauers 137, kalispell
  • walgreens 09242, kalispell
  • walgreens 12347, whitefish

Supermarket · 7

  • albertsons 0018, kalispell
  • bigfork harvest foods, bigfork
  • blacktail grocery, lakeside
  • canyon foods, hungry horse
  • markus market, llc, whitefish
  • safeway 2106, whitefish
  • vitamin cottage natural food market u067, kalispell

Farmers' Market · 5

  • bigfork village market, bigfork
  • columbia falls community market ffab, columbia falls
  • kalispell farmers market ffab, kalispell
  • whitefish farmers market ffab, whitefish
  • wicked good produce, whitefish

Bakery Specialty · 3

  • franz family bakery outlet 9063, kalispell
  • papa murphys take n bake pizza, kalispell
  • papa murphys take n bake pizza mt017, kalispell

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • mountain valley foods, kalispell
  • third market llc, whitefish
  • witheys health food, kalispell

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • the apple barrel, kalispell

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • perfect cuts, columbia falls

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • deli of europe, kalispell

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 Flathead County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →

Food access nationally, Montana in context

Flathead 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 Flathead County has low food access? ▼
12.9% of residents in Flathead 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 Flathead County? ▼
6.5% of households in Flathead County receive SNAP, covering 2,870 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Flathead County? ▼
The poverty rate in Flathead County, MT is 9.3%, with a median household income of $73,925 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Flathead County a food desert? ▼
2 of Flathead County's 19 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 Flathead County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.2% of households in Flathead 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.