County food-access profile · Montana

Meagher County, MT

Meagher County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

Compiled by Plainfoodaccess, Food Access Editorial Process · June 23, 2026

100.0%
low-access pop.: 1
food-desert tracts: 8.6%
on SNAP: 2K
residents (ACS 2024)

USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MT

The food-access picture

100.0% of Meagher County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 1 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts: 776
food-desert residents: 0.5%
households, no vehicle: 12.4%
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).

Meagher County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 100.0% is well above the national share. 1 of the county's 1 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 1,891 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 776 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 Meagher County compares nationally

Meagher County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 100.0% low-access share outpaces 98% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #49 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Meagher County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 1 census tracts in Meagher County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Meagher

100
Beaverhead

20.1
Big Horn

42.5
Blaine

34
Broadwater

15.4
Carbon

14.9

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Meagher County
Indicator	Value
Census Tracts	1
Atlas Population (2010 basis)	1,891
Low-Access Tracts	1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)	1
Low-Access Population	1,891
Low-Access Share	100.0%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population	776

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Meagher County
Indicator	Value
Population	2,007
Median Household Income	$71,932
Poverty Rate	12.4%below the national average
SNAP Households	80
SNAP Participation Rate	8.6%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle	0.5%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population	1.8%

SNAP participation in Meagher County 8.6%

About 8.6% of Meagher County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

100.0% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
8.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 80 households here.
0.5% 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 Meagher County

well above the national share

1 of Meagher County's 1 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 100.0% of all its tracts.

An estimated 1,891 residents, roughly 100.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 776 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

SNAP retailers in Meagher County

Meagher County has 3 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 2 store categories. Large Grocery Store lead with 2 locations (67% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Large Grocery Store · 2

castle mountain grocery llc, white sulphur springs
mathis food farm, white sulphur springs

Convenience Store · 1

town pump of white sulphur springs 4400, white sulphur springs

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 Meagher County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →

Food access nationally, Montana in context

Meagher 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 Meagher County has low food access? ▼

100.0% of residents in Meagher 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 Meagher County? ▼

8.6% of households in Meagher County receive SNAP, covering 80 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).

What is the poverty rate in Meagher County? ▼

The poverty rate in Meagher County, MT is 12.4%, with a median household income of $71,932 (Census ACS 2024).

Is Meagher County a food desert? ▼

1 of Meagher County's 1 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 Meagher County households lack a vehicle? ▼

0.5% of households in Meagher 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 2026-06-23 (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.