PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Indiana

Montgomery County, IN

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.

10.4%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
9.2%
on SNAP
38K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 IN

The food-access picture

10.4% of Montgomery County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
5.6%
households, no vehicle
10.5%
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 10.4% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,953 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,436 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 10.4% low-access share that beats 21% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,461).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Montgomery County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 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, IN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (66.7%) 2 tracts limited (22.2%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (11.1%) Adequate 67% Limited 22% Severe 11% Food-access tier distribution: Montgomery County, IN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Montgomery County vs. other Indiana counties

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

% 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 Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)38,124
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population3,953
Low-Access Share10.4%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,436

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Montgomery County
IndicatorValue
Population38,312
Median Household Income$71,479
Poverty Rate10.5%below the national average
SNAP Households1,442
SNAP Participation Rate9.2%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.6%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.2%
SNAP participation in Montgomery County 9.2%

About 9.2% of Montgomery County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 10.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,442 households here.
  • 5.6% 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 Montgomery County

near the national share

1 of Montgomery County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.1% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 3,953 residents, roughly 10.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,436 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Montgomery County

Montgomery County has 43 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 24

  • bp gas station & c store, crawfordsville
  • casey's 3377, crawfordsville
  • casey's 4286, crawfordsville
  • circle k 2268, crawfordsville
  • circle k 4700087, crawfordsville
  • circle k 4702269, crawfordsville
  • crawfordsville foodmart, crawfordsville
  • cw town inc, crawfordsville
  • darlington oil inc, crawfordsville
  • gasamerica 8037, crawfordsville
  • harrys place inc, wingate
  • linden food plaza, linden
  • main street marathon, ladoga
  • marathon food mart, crawfordsville
  • mcclure oil 74, crawfordsville
  • murphy usa 7312, crawfordsville
  • pilot travel center 247, crawfordsville
  • richa inc, new ross
  • speedway 7346, crawfordsville
  • speedway 8038, crawfordsville
  • star market inc, crawfordsville
  • valero gas station, crawfordsville
  • waveland foodmart inc, waveland
  • waynetown foodmart inc, waynetown

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • cvs 6668, crawfordsville
  • dollar general 18802, crawfordsville
  • dollar general 19494, waynetown
  • dollar general 3835, crawfordsville
  • dollartree 9105, crawfordsville
  • dollar general 20877, ladoga
  • dollar general 21259, crawfordsville
  • dollar general 2650, crawfordsville
  • dollar general 30728, crawfordsville
  • dollar tree 3901, crawfordsville
  • family dollar store 4218, crawfordsville
  • walgreens 07736, crawfordsville

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • greggs corner market, waynetown
  • sweet country cream, waveland

Super Store · 2

  • kroger 948, crawfordsville
  • walmart 1655, crawfordsville

Farmers' Market · 1

  • crawfordsville farmers market, crawfordsville

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • la fiesta market, crawfordsville

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 44049, crawfordsville

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Indiana

Adams County
17.5% low-access · 6.6% SNAP
Allen County
37.8% low-access · 9.1% SNAP
Bartholomew County
36.4% low-access · 7.4% SNAP
Benton County
1.7% low-access · 11.7% SNAP
Blackford County
15.2% low-access · 14.6% SNAP
Boone County
17.9% low-access · 3.7% SNAP

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

Food access nationally, Indiana in context

Montgomery County sits inside Indiana (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? ▼
10.4% of residents in Montgomery County, IN 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? ▼
9.2% of households in Montgomery County receive SNAP, covering 1,442 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Montgomery County? ▼
The poverty rate in Montgomery County, IN is 10.5%, with a median household income of $71,479 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Montgomery County a food desert? ▼
1 of Montgomery County's 9 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? ▼
5.6% 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.