County food-access profile · North Carolina
Montgomery County, NC
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.
- 17.0%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 18.6%
- on SNAP
- 26K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
17.0% of Montgomery County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 4.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.4%
- 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 17.0% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,713 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,908 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 17.0% low-access share that beats 38% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,948).
Montgomery County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 6 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).
Montgomery County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- Montgomery
Montgomery County, NC
17 % low-access
- Alamance
Alamance County, NC
25 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, NC
20.4 % low-access
- Alleghany 4.3
Alleghany County, NC
4.3 % low-access
- Anson 8.4
Anson County, NC
8.4 % low-access
- Ashe
Ashe County, NC
22.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 27,798 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,713 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.0%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,908 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 26,007 |
| Median Household Income | $57,766 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.4%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,984 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 18.6%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.9% |
About 18.6% of Montgomery County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 17.0% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 18.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,984 households here.
- 4.8% 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 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.
An estimated 4,713 residents, roughly 17.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,908 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (83.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Montgomery County
Montgomery County has 30 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 11 locations (37% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- dollar general 14587, candor
- dollar general 4651, biscoe
- dollar general 4819, troy
- dollar general 9177, mount gilead
- dollar general 16006, new london
- dollar general 16843, mount gilead
- dollar general 23819, star
- dollar tree 5687, biscoe
- family dollar 1315, troy
- family dollar 7053, candor
- moon asian market, mount gilead
Convenience Store · 10
- c's, mount gilead
- dd express biscoe, biscoe
- e-zee gas, biscoe
- home market, jackson springs
- murphy usa 6556, biscoe
- pilot travel center 6978, candor
- ready mart inc. 5, biscoe
- refuel 1140, troy
- refuel 1155, biscoe
- refuel 1157, mount gilead
Small Grocery Store · 2
- fruteria lupita, candor
- la cosecha llc, biscoe
Supermarket · 2
- food king #1, troy
- food king #2, biscoe
Bakery Specialty · 1
- panaderia y pasteleria melanie, biscoe
Farmers' Market · 1
- parsons farm, candor
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- la yurirense inc, candor
Seafood Specialty · 1
- papa giant's fresh seafood market, mount gilead
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 2908, biscoe
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare Montgomery County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Montgomery County sits inside North Carolina (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 Montgomery County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Montgomery County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Montgomery County? ▼
Is Montgomery County a food desert? ▼
What share of Montgomery 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.