PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Illinois

Montgomery County, IL

Montgomery 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.

15.8%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
15.4%
on SNAP
28K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IL

The food-access picture

15.8% of Montgomery County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
6.6%
households, no vehicle
12.6%
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).

Montgomery County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 15.8% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 8 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,766 residents who live far from a supermarket. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,950 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 Montgomery County compares nationally

Montgomery County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.8% low-access share that beats 34% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,054).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Montgomery County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Montgomery 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 Montgomery County, IL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (50.0%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (50.0%) Adequate 50% Limited 0% Severe 50% Food-access tier distribution: Montgomery County, IL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Montgomery County vs. other Illinois counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Illinois

% 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 Montgomery County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)30,104
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population4,766
Low-Access Share15.8%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,950

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Montgomery County
IndicatorValue
Population27,942
Median Household Income$63,620
Poverty Rate12.6%below the national average
SNAP Households1,747
SNAP Participation Rate15.4%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.6%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population8.1%
SNAP participation in Montgomery County 15.4%

About 15.4% of Montgomery County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 15.8% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,747 households here.
  • 6.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 tracts 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 Montgomery County

near the national share

4 of Montgomery County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 50.0% of all its tracts.

An estimated 4,766 residents, roughly 15.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,950 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Montgomery County

Montgomery County has 40 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (57% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • 108 shell n/a, raymond
  • casey's general store 1540, litchfield
  • casey's general store 1580, nokomis
  • casey's general store 1608, hillsboro
  • casey's general store 1736, coffeen
  • casey's general store 1809, litchfield
  • casey's general store 1830, hillsboro
  • casey's general store 1963, hillsboro
  • farmersville shell n/a, farmersville
  • hillsboro motomart 3116, hillsboro
  • hillsboro shell, hillsboro
  • jr's mini mart, donnellson
  • jack flash-farmersville, farmersville
  • jayvir inc, litchfield
  • lichfield shell n/a, litchfield
  • murphy usa 5809, litchfield
  • paul food mart, litchfield
  • raymond shell, raymond
  • rudy's, witt
  • store 1245, litchfield
  • u j's, nokomis
  • u j's, inc, litchfield
  • west end food mart, raymond

Combination Grocery/Other · 11

  • cvs 6932, hillsboro
  • dollar general 1100, hillsboro
  • dollar general 1101, litchfield
  • dollar general 1114, nokomis
  • dollar general 19951, coffeen
  • dollar general 14668, raymond
  • dollar general 20805, hillsboro
  • dollar general 23181, donnellson
  • dollar general 24015, nokomis
  • dollar tree 1461, litchfield
  • walgreens 10718, litchfield

Super Store · 2

  • capri iga hillsboro, hillsboro
  • walmart supercenter 213, litchfield

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • paris frozen foods inc, hillsboro

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • jerrys grocery, irving

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • the korner store llc, hillsboro

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 41097 41097, litchfield

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Illinois

Adams County
16.5% low-access · 12.4% SNAP
Alexander County
49.6% low-access · 26.8% SNAP
Bond County
20.8% low-access · 12.9% SNAP
Boone County
31.5% low-access · 14.3% SNAP
Brown County
34.5% low-access · 12.1% SNAP
Bureau County
36.6% low-access · 13.5% SNAP

Compare Montgomery County vs Adams County → · All Illinois counties →

Food access nationally, Illinois in context

Montgomery County sits inside Illinois (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 Montgomery County has low food access? ▼
15.8% of residents in Montgomery County, IL 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 Montgomery County? ▼
15.4% of households in Montgomery County receive SNAP, covering 1,747 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Montgomery County? ▼
The poverty rate in Montgomery County, IL is 12.6%, with a median household income of $63,620 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Montgomery County a food desert? ▼
4 of Montgomery County's 8 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 Montgomery County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.6% of households in Montgomery 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.