Signature · 377 SNAP-authorized stores
Montgomery County, MD
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).
- 20.0%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 7.4%
- on SNAP
- 1.1M
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Montgomery County, MD
LA-ELEVATED · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-ELEVATED 20.0% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -2.1 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.4% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 8.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 1% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Somerset County ( -1.7 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Montgomery County ranks #1,687 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #17 of 24 counties in MD (20.0% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #1,687
- national by low-access %
- #17
- in MD
- 75
- low-access tracts
- 18K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 377 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Montgomery County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Montgomery County's 20.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 46% of them and ranked #1,687 most-affected nationwide.
Montgomery County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
215 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
Montgomery County is mostly urban by USDA tract type (209 urban, 6 rural), so most of its low-access count comes from the 1-mile test; the 6 rural tracts are held to 10 miles.
Montgomery County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Maryland, not a full county-board reprint
- Calvert
Calvert 38.6%
38.6 % low-access
- Howard
Howard 22.6%
22.6 % low-access
- Baltimore
Baltimore 21.8%
21.8 % low-access
- St. Mary's
St. Mary's 21.7%
21.7 % low-access
- Montgomery
Montgomery 20%
20 % low-access
- Somerset
Somerset 18.3%
18.3 % low-access
- Kent 1.7
Kent 1.7%
1.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 215 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 971,777 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 75 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 194,614 |
| Low-Access Share | 20.0%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 17,802 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,065,949 |
| Median Household Income | $132,450 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.5%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 28,972 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.5%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.8% |
Thick SNAP store book in Montgomery County
Montgomery County has 377 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 12 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 92 locations (24% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
24 towns share the 377 authorized stores; Silver Spring holds 30% of them. 4 of the 24 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Ashton, Poolesville, Boyds, Dickerson.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Spring | 112 | 48 |
| Rockville | 64 | 33 |
| Gaithersburg | 57 | 31 |
| Germantown | 36 | 18 |
| Takoma Park | 20 | 8 |
| Bethesda | 19 | 13 |
| Derwood | 9 | 1 |
| Montgomery Village | 9 | 3 |
| Kensington | 8 | 3 |
| Olney | 8 | 4 |
Top 10 of 24 towns by store count.
Convenience Store · 92
- 24/7 best tobacco & grocery, silver spring
- 29 convenience mart, silver spring
- 7 eleven 26997b, ashton
- 7 eleven 35003, germantown
- 7-eleven #29912c 22912c, gaithersburg
- 7-eleven 11590j, kensington
- 7-eleven 11591b, rockville
- 7-eleven 11595c, rockville
- 7-eleven 27669k, germantown
- 7-eleven 28808j, takoma park
- 7-eleven 28864c, germantown
- 7-eleven 32997c, rockville
- 7-eleven 36494k, silver spring
- 7-eleven 39766a, clarksburg
- 7-eleven 39816a 7303, gaithersburg
- 7-eleven 39974a, rockville
- 7-eleven 42678a 2110, rockville
- 7-eleven inc 28903, silver spring
- 7-eleven inc f 11575, olney
- 7-eleven inc f 11580, rockville
- 7-eleven inc f 11581d, silver spring
- 7-eleven inc f 11666c, takoma park
- 7-eleven inc f 11727c, bethesda
- 7-eleven inc f 20294b, rockville
- 7-eleven inc f 23696, silver spring
- 7-eleven inc f 28813, montgomery village
- 7-eleven inc f 28823b, kensington
- 7-eleven inc f 28838, silver spring
- 7-eleven inc f 32882a, germantown
- 7-eleven inc f 32961, gaithersburg
- 7-eleven inc f 32967b, germantown
- 7-eleven inc f 33250a, rockville
- 7-eleven inc f 33708, silver spring
- 7-eleven inc f 34366a, silver spring
- 7-eleven store 11713a, silver spring
- 7-eleven store 26881a, gaithersburg
- 7-eleven, inc. 11570j, gaithersburg
- 7-eleven #33558b 33558b, rockville
- 7-eleven 11572b, silver spring
- 7-eleven 11577c, silver spring
- 7-eleven 11586b, rockville
- 7-eleven 11590b, kensington
- 7-eleven 20096c, silver spring
- 7-eleven 22053b, silver spring
- 7-eleven 22921b, silver spring
- 7-eleven 23693c, derwood
- 7-eleven 23706b, kensington
- 7-eleven 25403c, silver spring
- 7-eleven 25667, silver spring
- 7-eleven 26360c 3, gaithersburg
- 7-eleven 27368c, damascus
- 7-eleven 27591d, germantown
- 7-eleven 28808a, takoma park
- 7-eleven 28840c, bethesda
- 7-eleven 29216b, silver spring
- 7-eleven 29763c, rockville
- 7-eleven 32879c, gaithersburg
- 7-eleven 34140c, germantown
- 7-eleven 34560b, gaithersburg
- 7-eleven 37715a, rockville
- 7-eleven 38133a, takoma park
- 7-eleven 39815a 7301, germantown
- 7-eleven 42092a, boyds
- 7-eleven store 11567d, derwood
- 7-eleven store 28862b, rockville
- 7-eleven store 36460a, gaithersburg
- a plus sunoco 1, takoma park
- addis beer and wine 1, silver spring
- ahadu market, silver spring
- american food mart llc, silver spring
- aspen hills citgo, silver spring
- caravan market and deli, gaithersburg
- dash in 1873, silver spring
- dickerson market, dickerson
- e&c enterprises inc 39789a 7302, germantown
- e&c enterprises inc 39796a 2292, silver spring
- ertters market, silver spring
- gondal enterprises inc. 1, gaithersburg
- gude drive liberty, rockville
- h2 african international market, gaithersburg
- island pride food market, gaithersburg
- lenox beer and wine gourmet market, silver spring
- o portugues, derwood
- ritata mart, silver spring
- royal farms 233, gaithersburg
- selectos supermarket, montgomery village
- sheetz 783, gaithersburg
- sheger international market, takoma park
- sozach convenience inc 1, rockville
- town center sunoco, germantown
- wawa store 8536, gaithersburg
- wheaton shell service, silver spring
Combination Grocery/Other · 80
- adarash market #3 3, rockville
- adarash market #4 4, silver spring
- adarash market 2, silver spring
- african international market 2, gaithersburg
- cvs pharmacy 1459, silver spring
- cvs pharmacy 1461, burtonsville
- cvs pharmacy 1463, silver spring
- cvs pharmacy 1490, gaithersburg
- cvs pharmacy 1492, silver spring
- cvs pharmacy 1499, silver spring
- cvs pharmacy 1831, bethesda
- cvs pharmacy 2221, kensington
- cvs pharmacy 10321, ashton
- cvs pharmacy 10398, rockville
- cvs pharmacy 10894, rockville
- cvs pharmacy 11452, chevy chase
- cvs pharmacy 1177, silver spring
- cvs pharmacy 1431, olney
- cvs pharmacy 1441, rockville
- cvs pharmacy 1449, potomac
- cvs pharmacy 1452, gaithersburg
- cvs pharmacy 1468, silver spring
- cvs pharmacy 1475, bethesda
- cvs pharmacy 1477, silver spring
- cvs pharmacy 1479, bethesda
- cvs pharmacy 1485, silver spring
- cvs pharmacy 1494, bethesda
- cvs pharmacy 1500, damascus
- cvs pharmacy 1501, montgomery village
- cvs pharmacy 1502, rockville
- cvs pharmacy 1504, derwood
- cvs pharmacy 1513, rockville
- cvs pharmacy 169, rockville
- cvs pharmacy 1797, poolesville
- cvs pharmacy 1879, rockville
- cvs pharmacy 1880, germantown
- cvs pharmacy 5460, germantown
- cvs pharmacy cvs03517, silver spring
- cvs pharmacy cvs11406, gaithersburg
- cvs/pharmacy 11054, clarksburg
- dollar general 18669, germantown
- dollar general 19005, silver spring
- dollar tree 1704, montgomery village
- dollartree 10100, gaithersburg
- dollartree 10695, silver spring
- dollartree 9162, silver spring
- dollartree 9221, silver spring
- dollartree 9355, rockville
- dollar general 14838, poolesville
- dollar tree 1365, montgomery village
- dollar tree 1668, rockville
- dollar tree 1680, silver spring
- dollar tree 4512, rockville
- dollar tree 4983, damascus
- dollar tree 702, silver spring
- dollar tree 7952, derwood
- dollar tree 969, germantown
- ethio plus, silver spring
- fairland international market, silver spring
- family dollar 9293, gaithersburg
- genet ethiopian market, silver spring
- gulele ethioipian market n/a, gaithersburg
- india bazaar 1003, germantown
- lali market, silver spring
- livingwell, silver spring
- maryland international mart, rockville
- megenang etiopian market, silver spring
- mehret ethiopian market, silver spring
- taste of europe, gaithersburg
- walgreens 11140, takoma park
- walgreens 13149, potomac
- walgreens 15117, rockville
- walgreens 17638, potomac
- walgreens 17928, gaithersburg
- walgreens 18255, silver spring
- walgreens 19339, silver spring
- walgreens 19966, germantown
- walgreens 19987, olney
- walimart halal market, silver spring
- wheaton tropical market, wheaton
Super Store · 78
- amazon fresh maf1, chevy chase
- amazon fresh mag5, chevy chase
- amazon fresh mah5, gaithersburg
- amazon fresh mav2, silver spring
- bestway maryland supermarket, silver spring
- costco wholesale 0213, gaithersburg
- costco wholesale 1124, silver spring
- giant food 125, rockville
- giant food 132, bethesda
- giant food 135, silver spring
- giant food 152, silver spring
- giant food 161, derwood
- giant food 169, germantown
- giant food 192, gaithersburg
- giant food 196, gaithersburg
- giant food 198, potomac
- giant food 2313, bethesda
- giant food 301, silver spring
- giant food 313, germantown
- giant food 319, rockville
- giant food 320, gaithersburg
- giant food 327, bethesda
- giant food 329, rockville
- giant food 336, silver spring
- giant food 350, silver spring
- giant food 354, silver spring
- giant food 362, germantown
- giant food 366, silver spring
- giant food 368, gaithersburg
- gw supermarket of germantown, inc, germantown
- giant food 106, potomac
- giant food 150, gaithersburg
- giant food 2317, olney
- global food of silver spring, inc 6, silver spring
- great wall supermarket, rockville
- h mart, gaithersburg
- han ah reum asian mart, silver spring
- harris teeter 325, germantown
- harris teeter 373, potomac
- harris teeter 384, gaithersburg
- harris teeter 403, olney
- harris teeter 404, bethesda
- harris teeter 409, clarksburg
- korean korner, silver spring
- la mart, silver spring
- lidl 1409, montgomery village
- lidl 1555, bethesda
- lidl 8035, silver spring
- lotte plaza, gaithersburg
- lotte plaza, silver spring
- lotte plaza market, rockville
- mom's organic market 1, rockville
- mom's organic market 19, rockville
- mom's organic market 26, silver spring
- megamart, rockville
- megamart supermarket, takoma park
- megamart supermarket, gaithersburg
- new grand mart, germantown
- patel brothers, montgomery village
- red apple farmers market, takoma park
- roots market olney, olney
- shalom strictly kosher meat, silver spring
- sam's club 6653, gaithersburg
- shoppers food warehouse 2362, germantown
- super giant 2301, burtonsville
- takoma park food co-op, takoma park
- target 3242, bethesda
- target store 1046, germantown
- target store 1138, silver spring
- target store 1193, gaithersburg
- target store 1415, wheaton
- target store 1854, rockville
- walmart supercenter 2357, germantown
- whole foods market 10048, bethesda
- whole foods market 10118, silver spring
- whole foods market 10180, gaithersburg
- whole foods market 10211, chevy chase
- whole foods market 10235, rockville
Showing 250 of 377 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Maryland
One of 23 counties in Maryland, 6 are shown here.
Compare Montgomery County vs Allegany County → · All Maryland counties →
Nationwide peers for Montgomery County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Montgomery County, both outside Maryland so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MD (20.0% here).
- Olmsted County, MN · 20.0% low-access
- Saline County, KS · 20.0% low-access
- Jackson County, KS · 20.0% low-access
- Camden County, NJ · 20.0% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MD (7.4% here).
- Emmet County, MI · 7.4% SNAP
- Carlton County, MN · 7.4% SNAP
- Le Sueur County, MN · 7.4% SNAP
- Ford County, KS · 7.4% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Maryland among South Atlantic states
Maryland ranks 6th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (22.7%). Montgomery County, at 20.0%, runs 2.7 pts below the Maryland rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Montgomery County, MD are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 24031. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.