County food-access profile · Montana
Missoula County, MT
Missoula 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.
- 19.6%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 7.5%
- on SNAP
- 121K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
19.6% of Missoula County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 8
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
- 5.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.1%
- 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).
Missoula County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 19.6% per the USDA Atlas. 8 of the county's 20 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 21,382 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,429 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 Missoula County compares nationally
Missoula County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.6% low-access share that beats 45% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,715).
Missoula County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 20 census tracts in Missoula County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Missoula County vs. other Montana counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Montana
- Missoula
Missoula County, MT
19.6 % 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 | 20 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 109,299 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 8 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 21,382 |
| Low-Access Share | 19.6%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 5,429 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 120,672 |
| Median Household Income | $75,598 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.1%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,964 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.5%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.6% |
About 7.5% of Missoula County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 19.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,964 households here.
- 5.2% 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 Missoula County
near the national share
1 of Missoula County's 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.0% of all its tracts.
A further 7 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.
An estimated 21,382 residents, roughly 19.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 5,429 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 12 tracts (60.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Missoula County
Missoula County has 71 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 35 locations (49% of the total), followed by supermarket.
Convenience Store · 35
- 3rd street mart, missoula
- 70 mile super stop #2, missoula
- chs mountain west coop 1, missoula
- cenex zip trip 31, missoula
- cenex zip trip 32, missoula
- corner qwik stop 42421, missoula
- frenchie's super stop 1, frenchtown
- holiday stationstore 2746278, missoula
- holiday stationstore 2746282, missoula
- holiday stationstore 2746283, missoula
- jacksons food stores 400, missoula
- jacksons food stores 401, missoula
- jacksons food stores 402, missoula
- jays food store, missoula
- lolo super stop 2, lolo
- love's travel stop 753, missoula
- missoula flying j 8202, missoula
- montana gas n shop #2 2, seeley lake
- ole's country store 11, missoula
- oles country store 12, missoula
- oles country store 2, missoula
- potomac bar & country store, bonner
- south avenue market #11, missoula
- southgate market, missoula
- town pump missoula 9 4130, missoula
- town pump of missoula #1 0704, missoula
- town pump of missoula 2 3400, missoula
- town pump of missoula 8-mullan 0905, missoula
- town pump of bonner 8500, missoula
- town pump of lolo #1 2010, lolo
- town pump of lolo 2 8912, lolo
- town pump of missoula 3 5400, missoula
- travelers rest, lolo
- worden's market, missoula
- zootown super stop, missoula
Supermarket · 10
- albertsons 0020, missoula
- albertsons 0024, missoula
- albertsons 0043, missoula
- albertsons 1010, missoula
- clinton market, clinton
- cory's valley market, seeley lake
- lolo harvest foods, lolo
- pattee creek market 6330, missoula
- vitamin cottage natural food market u061, missoula
- winco foods 165, missoula
Super Store · 8
- costco wholesale 0067, missoula
- good food store inc, missoula
- orange street food farm, missoula
- target stores t- 0885, missoula
- walmart sc 3259, missoula
- walmart supercenter 2147, missoula
- yoke's fresh market 21, missoula
- yoke's fresh market 22, missoula
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- cvs pharmacy 8622, missoula
- dollar general 30331, seeley lake
- dollar tree 3007, missoula
- rosauers 127, missoula
- walgreens 09351, missoula
- walgreens 10726, missoula
Farmers' Market · 4
- missoula farmers market 4068807663, missoula
- missoula valley winter market, missoula
- orchard homes' farmers' market nafmnp, missoula
- the clark fork river market, missoula
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- grizzly grocery, missoula
- louvar 5 distributing llc, frenchtown
- western montana growers coop, missoula
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa murphys mt013 mt013, missoula
- papa murphys take n bake pizza mt 011, missoula
Food Buying Co-op · 1
- missoula food bank & community center, missoula
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- lolo locker, lolo
Small Grocery Store · 1
- dama rose international food market, missoula
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Montana
Compare Missoula County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →
Food access nationally, Montana in context
Missoula 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 Missoula County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Missoula County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Missoula County? ▼
Is Missoula County a food desert? ▼
What share of Missoula 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.