Signature · 53.5% low-access (95th pct)
Hill County, MT
Hill County sits in the upper national band on low-access (53.5%, +31.4 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 53.5%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 13.1%
- on SNAP
- 16K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Hill County, MT
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-SEVERE 53.5% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +31.4 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-TYPICAL 13.1% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 8.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 17% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Richland County (+ 0.3 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Hill County sits in the upper national band (53.5%, #167 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.
- #167
- national by low-access %
- #14
- in MT
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- 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: 53.5% low-access (95th pct) (+31.4 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Hill County compares nationally
Hill County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 53.5% low-access share outpaces 95% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #167 most-affected nationwide.
Hill County's elevated USDA tier split
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Hill County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (3 rural, 3 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 3 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Hill County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Montana, not a full county-board reprint
- Wibaux
Wibaux 100%
100 % low-access
- Garfield
Garfield 55.3%
55.3 % 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
- Ravalli 2.7
Ravalli 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 16,096 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,611 |
| Low-Access Share | 53.5%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,446 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 16,155 |
| Median Household Income | $52,798 |
| Poverty Rate | 20.7%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 810 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.6%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.0% |
SNAP retailers in Hill County
Hill County has 15 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 9 locations (60% of the total), followed by super store.
Where the store book sits, by town
2 towns share the 15 authorized stores; Havre holds 80% of them. Every one of these towns has at least one grocery-grade outlet (5 across the county).
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Havre | 12 | 4 |
| Box Elder | 3 | 1 |
Convenience Store · 9
- c & c market 1, box elder
- cenex zip trip 48, havre
- cenex zip trip 49, havre
- emporium food & fuel store, havre
- holiday stationstore 2746272, havre
- jitter bugs, box elder
- mcleans grocery, havre
- stromberg sinclair, havre
- town pump of havre 2700, havre
Super Store · 2
- gary & leos fresh foods, havre
- walmart sc 4247, havre
Combination Grocery/Other · 1
- dollar tree 5458, havre
Large Grocery Store · 1
- c&c market - firehouse, box elder
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- bear paw meats llc, havre
Supermarket · 1
- stokes havre inc, havre
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 Hill County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →
Counties near Hill County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Hill County, both outside Montana so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MT (53.5% here).
- Riley County, KS · 53.5% low-access
- Sussex County, VA · 53.5% low-access
- Putnam County, NY · 53.6% low-access
- Logan County, OK · 53.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MT (13.1% here).
- Phelps County, MO · 13.1% SNAP
- Warren County, MS · 13.1% SNAP
- Monroe County, MS · 13.1% SNAP
- Lowndes County, MS · 13.1% 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.
Montana among Mountain states
Montana ranks 7th of 8 Mountain states by population-weighted low-access (22.3%). Hill County, at 53.5%, runs 31.2 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 Hill County, MT are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 30041. 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.