Signature · 5.1% SNAP (27th pct in MT)
Jefferson County, MT
Jefferson County sits in the upper national band on low-access (30.3%, +8.2 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 30.3%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 5.1%
- on SNAP
- 13K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Jefferson County, MT
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 30.3% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +8.2 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 5.1% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Madison County ( -0.1 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Jefferson County sits in the upper national band (30.3%, #910 of 3,079).
- #910
- national by low-access %
- #30
- in MT
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- 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: 5.1% SNAP (27th pct in MT) (-7 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Jefferson County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Jefferson County's 30.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 71% of them and ranked #910 most-affected nationwide.
Jefferson County's elevated USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 3 of Jefferson County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Jefferson County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Montana, not a full county-board reprint
- Wibaux
Wibaux 100%
100 % low-access
- Musselshell 31.9
Musselshell 31.9%
31.9 % low-access
- Sanders 31.1
Sanders 31.1%
31.1 % low-access
- Jefferson 30.3
Jefferson 30.3%
30.3 % low-access
- Madison 30.2
Madison 30.2%
30.2 % low-access
- Glacier 28.1
Glacier 28.1%
28.1 % low-access
- Ravalli 2.7
Ravalli 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 11,406 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,452 |
| Low-Access Share | 30.3%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,238 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 12,774 |
| Median Household Income | $95,490 |
| Poverty Rate | 5.7%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 257 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.1%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.0%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.2% |
SNAP retailers in Jefferson County
Jefferson County has 6 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 2 locations (33% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
2 towns share the 6 authorized stores; Boulder holds 50% of them. Every one of these towns has at least one grocery-grade outlet (2 across the county).
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Boulder | 3 | 1 |
| Whitehall | 3 | 1 |
Combination Grocery/Other · 2
- family dollar 11120, whitehall
- family dollar 13546, boulder
Convenience Store · 2
- town pump of boulder 0310, boulder
- town pump of whitehall 1401, whitehall
Supermarket · 2
- jefferson iga, whitehall
- l & p grocery inc, boulder
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 Jefferson County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →
Counties near Jefferson County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Jefferson County (5.1%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Montana.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MT (30.3% here).
- Kalamazoo County, MI · 30.3% low-access
- Ware County, GA · 30.3% low-access
- Bartow County, GA · 30.3% low-access
- Hutchinson County, TX · 30.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MT (5.1% here).
- Calvert County, MD · 5.1% SNAP
- Chatham County, NC · 5.1% SNAP
- Dare County, NC · 5.1% SNAP
- Noble County, IN · 5.1% 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%). Jefferson County, at 30.3%, runs 8.0 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 Jefferson County, MT are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 30043. 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.