PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Kansas

Montgomery County, KS

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Montgomery County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

24.5%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
11.7%
on SNAP
31K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 KS

The food-access picture

24.5% of Montgomery County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
6.8%
households, no vehicle
15.9%
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).

USDA data puts Montgomery County's low-access share at 24.5%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 13 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 8,682 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,634 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

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Montgomery County's 24.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 57% of them and ranked #1,332 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Montgomery County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 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, KS USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (61.5%) 2 tracts limited (15.4%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (23.1%) Adequate 62% Limited 15% Severe 23% Food-access tier distribution: Montgomery County, KS
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Montgomery County vs. other Kansas counties

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

% 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 Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)35,471
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population8,682
Low-Access Share24.5%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,634

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Montgomery County
IndicatorValue
Population30,940
Median Household Income$55,697
Poverty Rate15.9%above the national average
SNAP Households1,510
SNAP Participation Rate11.7%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.8%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.9%
SNAP participation in Montgomery County 11.7%

About 11.7% of Montgomery County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 24.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,510 households here.
  • 6.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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

above the national share

3 of Montgomery County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 23.1% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 8,682 residents, roughly 24.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,634 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (61.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Montgomery County

Montgomery County has 32 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 13 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 13

  • akas 1 1, coffeyville
  • akas 1 2, independence
  • akas 3 3, independence
  • casey's general store 3925, caney
  • casey's general store 1406, coffeyville
  • casey's general store 1814, independence
  • casey's general store 2950, coffeyville
  • cherryvale fuel & food, cherryvale
  • mkt investment inc., coffeyville
  • pete's 49, coffeyville
  • pete's 56, cherryvale
  • pete's 57, independence
  • speedy stop inc, coffeyville

Combination Grocery/Other · 11

  • braums 135, coffeyville
  • braums 148, independence
  • dollartree 2570, independence
  • dollar general 2527, coffeyville
  • dollar general 3686, independence
  • dollar general 8079, cherryvale
  • dollar general 8854, caney
  • dollar tree 7223, coffeyville
  • family dollar 12992, caney
  • family dollar 1483, coffeyville
  • walgreens 09454, independence

Supermarket · 3

  • caney grocery, caney
  • g&w foods 2747, independence
  • king food saver 76, coffeyville

Super Store · 2

  • walmart sc 2893, independence
  • walmart sc 42, coffeyville

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • g & w foods 2741, cherryvale

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • j&d meat market, coffeyville

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • nichols hitching post, coffeyville

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Kansas

Allen County
15.4% low-access · 9.3% SNAP
Anderson County
18.5% low-access · 5.2% SNAP
Atchison County
28.7% low-access · 10.9% SNAP
Barber County
11.5% low-access · 2.8% SNAP
Barton County
34.4% low-access · 7.0% SNAP
Bourbon County
27.5% low-access · 7.8% SNAP

Compare Montgomery County vs Allen County → · All Kansas counties →

Food access nationally, Kansas in context

Montgomery County sits inside Kansas (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? ▼
24.5% of residents in Montgomery County, KS 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? ▼
11.7% of households in Montgomery County receive SNAP, covering 1,510 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Montgomery County? ▼
The poverty rate in Montgomery County, KS is 15.9%, with a median household income of $55,697 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Montgomery County a food desert? ▼
3 of Montgomery County's 13 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? ▼
6.8% 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.