PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Montana

Lewis and Clark County, MT

Lewis and Clark 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.

17.1%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
7.8%
on SNAP
73K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MT

The food-access picture

17.1% of Lewis and Clark County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
5.3%
households, no vehicle
8.1%
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).

Lewis and Clark County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.1% per the USDA Atlas. 7 of the county's 14 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 10,825 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,705 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 Lewis and Clark County compares nationally

Lewis and Clark County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.1% low-access share that beats 38% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,937).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Lewis and Clark County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 14 census tracts in Lewis and Clark 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 Lewis and Clark County, MT USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 6 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 14 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (50.0%) 6 tracts limited (42.9%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (7.1%) Adequate 50% Limited 43% Severe 7% Food-access tier distribution: Lewis and Clark County, MT
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Lewis and Clark 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 Lewis and Clark County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts14
Atlas Population (2010 basis)63,395
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population10,825
Low-Access Share17.1%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,705

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Lewis and Clark County
IndicatorValue
Population73,464
Median Household Income$78,237
Poverty Rate8.1%well below the national average
SNAP Households2,432
SNAP Participation Rate7.8%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.3%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.2%
SNAP participation in Lewis and Clark County 7.8%

About 7.8% of Lewis and Clark County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 17.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 7.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,432 households here.
  • 5.3% 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 Lewis and Clark County

near the national share

1 of Lewis and Clark County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.1% 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 10,825 residents, roughly 17.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,705 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Lewis and Clark County

Lewis and Clark County has 44 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • b & b market, helena
  • canyon ferry mini basket, east helena
  • cenex zip trip 42, helena
  • cenex zip trip 43, helena
  • dave's express lube, helena
  • friendlys inc, helena
  • holiday stationstore 2746270, helena
  • maverik, inc 731, helena
  • south country store, helena
  • thriftway super stops 9, helena
  • town pump of east helena #2 8303, east helena
  • town pump of helena #2 2810, helena
  • town pump of helena #6 8917, helena
  • town pump of helena 3 2920, helena
  • town pump of east helena #1 1177, east helena
  • town pump of east helena 1 2100, east helena
  • town pump of helena #5 8959, helena
  • town pump of helena 1, helena
  • town pump of helena 8 1255, helena

Combination Grocery/Other · 7

  • cvs pharmacy 4278, helena
  • cvs pharmacy 8617, helena
  • dinners done right, helena
  • dollar tree 2880, helena
  • family dollar 13446, helena
  • heritage food store, east helena
  • walgreens 10084, helena

Super Store · 5

  • costco wholesale 0633, helena
  • super 1 foods 3350, helena
  • target stores t- 1282, helena
  • town & country foods, helena
  • walmart sc 1872, helena

Supermarket · 5

  • albertsons 4008, helena
  • real food store, helena
  • safeway 1486, helena
  • vitamin cottage natural food market u062, helena
  • winco foods 152, helena

Bakery Specialty · 3

  • franz family bakery outlet 9064, helena
  • papa murphy's take n bake pizza 10369, helena
  • papa murphys take n bake pizza 1, helena

Farmers' Market · 1

  • helena farmers market, helena

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • d & d foodtown, lincoln

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • tizer meats, helena

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • bobs valley service inc, helena

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • allens manix store, augusta

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 Lewis and Clark County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →

Food access nationally, Montana in context

Lewis and Clark 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 Lewis and Clark County has low food access? ▼
17.1% of residents in Lewis and Clark 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 Lewis and Clark County? ▼
7.8% of households in Lewis and Clark County receive SNAP, covering 2,432 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Lewis and Clark County? ▼
The poverty rate in Lewis and Clark County, MT is 8.1%, with a median household income of $78,237 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Lewis and Clark County a food desert? ▼
1 of Lewis and Clark County's 14 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 Lewis and Clark County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.3% of households in Lewis and Clark 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.