County food-access profile · Montana
Lincoln County, MT
Most of Lincoln County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 7.5%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 12.2%
- on SNAP
- 21K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
7.5% of Lincoln County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 534
- food-desert residents
- 6.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.4%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Lincoln County fares better than most: just 7.5% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 5 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 1,476 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 534 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 Lincoln County compares nationally
Food access in Lincoln County compares favorably nationally: its 7.5% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 14% of them (rank #2,679).
Lincoln County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 5 census tracts in Lincoln County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Lincoln County vs. other Montana counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Montana
- Lincoln 7.5
Lincoln County, MT
7.5 % low-access
- Beaverhead
Beaverhead County, MT
20.1 % low-access
- Big Horn
Big Horn County, MT
42.5 % low-access
- Blaine
Blaine County, MT
34 % low-access
- Broadwater 15.4
Broadwater County, MT
15.4 % low-access
- Carbon 14.9
Carbon County, MT
14.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 19,687 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,476 |
| Low-Access Share | 7.5%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 534 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 21,175 |
| Median Household Income | $47,143 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.4%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,112 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.2%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.4%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
About 12.2% of Lincoln County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 7.5% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,112 households here.
- 6.4% 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 Lincoln County
below the national share
1 of Lincoln County's 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.
An estimated 1,476 residents, roughly 7.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 534 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (80.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Lincoln County
Lincoln County has 25 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 10
- bears quik stop, libby
- heavens peak organic market, libby
- heavens peak organics, eureka
- ksanka store, eureka
- libby qwik stop, libby
- save rite south, libby
- save rite west, libby
- town pump of eureka 2300, eureka
- town pump of libby 4201, libby
- town pump of troy 4100, troy
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- dollartree 8568, libby
- dollar general 24650, eureka
- dollar general 25010, libby
- dollar general 30869, troy
- family dollar 12575, libby
- rosauers 114, libby
Farmers' Market · 3
- eureka farmer's market, eureka
- farmers market at libby, libby
- troy farmers market, troy
Supermarket · 3
- libby empire foods llc, libby
- montana market, eureka
- steins troy market, troy
Large Grocery Store · 1
- wgg store #104 llc, eureka
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- farm to market store, libby
Small Grocery Store · 1
- fortine merc llc, fortine
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Montana
Compare Lincoln County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →
Food access nationally, Montana in context
Lincoln County sits inside Montana (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Lincoln County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Lincoln County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Lincoln County? ▼
Is Lincoln County a food desert? ▼
What share of Lincoln County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.