PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Montana

Gallatin County, MT

Gallatin 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.

16.6%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
2.8%
on SNAP
124K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MT

The food-access picture

16.6% of Gallatin County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 22 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
2.4%
households, no vehicle
9.5%
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).

Gallatin County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.6% per the USDA Atlas. 7 of the county's 22 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 14,863 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,909 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 Gallatin County compares nationally

Gallatin County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.6% low-access share that beats 37% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,983).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Gallatin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 22 census tracts in Gallatin 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 Gallatin County, MT USDA-defined food-access tiers: 15 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 6 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 22 tracts evaluated. 15 tracts adequate (68.2%) 6 tracts limited (27.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (4.5%) Adequate 68% Limited 27% Severe 5% Food-access tier distribution: Gallatin County, MT
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Gallatin 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 Gallatin County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts22
Atlas Population (2010 basis)89,513
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population14,863
Low-Access Share16.6%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,909

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Gallatin County
IndicatorValue
Population124,074
Median Household Income$93,528
Poverty Rate9.5%below the national average
SNAP Households1,448
SNAP Participation Rate2.8%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.4%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.6%
SNAP participation in Gallatin County 2.8%

About 2.8% of Gallatin County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 16.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 2.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,448 households here.
  • 2.4% 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 Gallatin County

near the national share

1 of Gallatin County's 22 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 4.5% of all its tracts.

A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 14,863 residents, roughly 16.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,909 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 15 tracts (68.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Gallatin County

Gallatin County has 62 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 33 locations (53% of the total), followed by supermarket.

Convenience Store · 33

  • blue basket markets, bozeman
  • brake time 251718, bozeman
  • brake time 253823, bozeman
  • cenex zip trip 46, bozeman
  • grantree conoco 1, bozeman
  • holiday stationstore 2746305, bozeman
  • holiday stationstore 2746506, belgrade
  • maverik, inc 767, belgrade
  • pop's country store, belgrade
  • spfstore #9, gallatin gateway
  • spfstore 1, bozeman
  • superpumper 80201, bozeman
  • superpumper 80202, bozeman
  • superpumper 80203, bozeman
  • superpumper 80205, bozeman
  • superpumper 80206, gallatin gateway
  • superpumper 80209, gallatin gateway
  • thriftway super stops 12, manhattan
  • thriftway super stops 15, three forks
  • thriftway super stops 8, bozeman
  • town pump belgrade #3 307, belgrade
  • town pump bozeman #5 1915, bozeman
  • town pump of belgrade #1 8400, belgrade
  • town pump of belgrade #2, belgrade
  • town pump of belgrade 4, belgrade
  • town pump of bozeman #2 1083, bozeman
  • town pump of bozeman #2 8927, bozeman
  • town pump of bozeman 0317, bozeman
  • town pump of bozeman 7 7002, bozeman
  • town pump of bozeman #1 1080, bozeman
  • town pump of bozeman #10 5402, bozeman
  • town pump of bozeman #6 2215, bozeman
  • town pump of bozeman 1096, bozeman

Supermarket · 13

  • albertsons 0006, bozeman
  • albertsons 0009, belgrade
  • co-op downtown, bozeman
  • food roundup supermarket, west yellowstone
  • l&f market, llc, manhattan
  • market place, west yellowstone
  • safeway 2999, bozeman
  • safeway 5802, bozeman
  • town & country foods, bozeman
  • town & country foods, belgrade
  • town & country foods 1, bozeman
  • town & country foods 8, bozeman
  • winco foods 160, bozeman

Super Store · 7

  • community food coop, bozeman
  • costco wholesale 0096, bozeman
  • roxy's market, big sky
  • smiths food & drug center 170, bozeman
  • target stores t- 1237, bozeman
  • walmart sc 2084, bozeman
  • whole foods market 10786, bozeman

Combination Grocery/Other · 4

  • cvs pharmacy 8621, bozeman
  • dollar tree 4897, bozeman
  • family dollar 10895, belgrade
  • rosauers 140, bozeman

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • papa murphy's pizza mt015, belgrade
  • papa murphy's take-n-bake pizza mt003, bozeman

Farmers' Market · 2

  • gallatin valley farmers' market nafmnp, bozeman
  • manhattan farmers market, manhattan

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • country market of big sky, big sky

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 Gallatin County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →

Food access nationally, Montana in context

Gallatin 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 Gallatin County has low food access? ▼
16.6% of residents in Gallatin 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 Gallatin County? ▼
2.8% of households in Gallatin County receive SNAP, covering 1,448 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Gallatin County? ▼
The poverty rate in Gallatin County, MT is 9.5%, with a median household income of $93,528 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Gallatin County a food desert? ▼
1 of Gallatin 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 Gallatin County households lack a vehicle? ▼
2.4% of households in Gallatin 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.