County food-access profile · Texas
Montgomery County, TX
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).
- 34.9%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 6.6%
- on SNAP
- 684K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.9% of Montgomery County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 59 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 31
- low-access tracts
- 37K
- food-desert residents
- 3.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.4%
- 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).
USDA data puts Montgomery County's low-access share at 34.9%, above the national share. 31 of the county's 59 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 159,083 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 37,405 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 34.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 81% of them and ranked #596 most-affected nationwide.
Montgomery County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 59 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 Texas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas
- Montgomery
Montgomery County, TX
34.9 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, TX
43.8 % low-access
- Andrews
Andrews County, TX
26.8 % low-access
- Angelina
Angelina County, TX
26 % low-access
- Aransas
Aransas County, TX
31.7 % low-access
- Archer
Archer County, TX
18.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 59 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 455,746 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 31 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 159,083 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.9%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 37,405 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 684,432 |
| Median Household Income | $97,701 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.4%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 16,304 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.6%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.5% |
About 6.6% of Montgomery County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 6.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 16,304 households here.
- 3.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 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
5 of Montgomery County's 59 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 8.5% of all its tracts.
A further 26 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 31.
An estimated 159,083 residents, roughly 34.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 37,405 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 28 tracts (47.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Montgomery County
Montgomery County has 363 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 137 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 137
- 149 exxon, magnolia
- 24 seven 29, montgomery
- 2978 express, magnolia
- 7-eleven 40942h, willis
- 7-eleven 40943h, conroe
- 7-eleven 40945, conroe
- 7-eleven 41115h, new caney
- 7-eleven 41613, montgomery
- 7-eleven 41831h, spring
- 7-eleven 42181h, magnolia
- african connection store, conroe
- all-food mart, conroe
- amigo mart, conroe
- as food mart, conroe
- b p food store, porter
- best stop 3, porter
- buddy's mini mart, willis
- buybite #2, conroe
- casey ridge grocery, new caney
- christine corner, porter
- circle k 1913, porter
- circle k 2740591, conroe
- circle k 2740592, conroe
- circle k 2740593, conroe
- circle k 2740594, conroe
- circle k 2740597, conroe
- circle k 2741471, willis
- circle k 2741478, willis
- circle k 2741485, conroe
- circle k 2742310, porter
- circle k 2742316, montgomery
- circle s grocery, magnolia
- conroe chevron, conroe
- conroe exxon 3, conroe
- conveniece shop, spring
- corner store 1494, conroe
- corner store 2741461, conroe
- corner store 2741462, shenandoah
- corner store 2741484, conroe
- corner store 2741901, magnolia
- corner store 2741905, new caney
- corner store 2741918, conroe
- corner store 2741922, conroe
- country food mart, willis
- crossroads #16, porter
- diamond food store, conroe
- dua food mart, conroe
- e-z mart, willis
- easy check cashing & smoke, conroe
- easy lane food mart #6, magnolia
- easy lane food mart #8, spring
- el mercadito meat market 1, conroe
- el tio beto meat market taqueria 1, new caney
- fostoria food mart, cleveland
- flowers bakery outlet 50000296, conroe
- fuel maxx 65, conroe
- gas n stuff, conroe
- giddy up gas & grocery, new caney
- grocery 2090, conroe
- grocery warehouse, new caney
- handi stop #36, magnolia
- handy stop, spring
- hardin store express, magnolia
- high-q express, magnolia
- hit the road, new caney
- honey farms #880803 880803, spring
- honey farms #880804 880804, spring
- honey farms #880806 880806, the woodlands
- honey farms 8080807, spring
- honey farms 880800, conroe
- honey farms 880801, conroe
- honey farms 880802, spring
- honey farms 880809, kingwood
- julia's #6, spring
- kay mart, conroe
- kountry kwik #2, conroe
- la dulceria conroe, conroe
- lake conroe country store, willis
- lakeside food store, montgomery
- lone star grocery, new caney
- loop food mart, new caney
- los primos meat market #2 2, pinehurst
- love's travel stop 468, willis
- magnolia food mart, pinehurst
- magnolia fuel express, magnolia
- main street market 116, spring
- manor drive food mart, magnolia
- martin food store, porter
- maxx mart, conroe
- melbo's 2 food store, conroe
- midway 12, conroe
- moni food mart, conroe
- murphy usa 6916, montgomery
- murphy usa 7335, magnolia
- murphy usa 7489, spring
- murphy usa 7575, porter
- new caney express, new caney
- new caney food mart, new caney
- nichols food mart, hockley
- on the go foods, new caney
- orbit, conroe
- panthers 25, cleveland
- panthers 6 00013, magnolia
- paradise food mart, conroe
- parkway food mart, new caney
- parkway market #1, new caney
- pecan tree neighbor store, conroe
- pick and go, splendora
- pilot travel center 734, new caney
- pinehurst country food mart, pinehurst
- pit stop #4, porter
- pop in # 1, splendora
- prince country store, conroe
- queretaro quick stop, new caney
- quick food mart # 2, porter
- quick stop, conroe
- quik food mart, magnolia
- quiktrip 7948, conroe
- quiktrip 7957, conroe
- rayford food mart, spring
- richard's grocery & cafe, richards
- richards grocery, richards
- roadstar #16, spring
- rock fuel, new caney
- routine #4, montgomery
- stripes 40939, porter
- stripes 40940, conroe
- stripes 40941h, spring
- shawn's mart, conroe
- silver fifth store, conroe
- smiley's express # 11, willis
- smiley's express # 15, conroe
- sorter food mart, porter
- south first grocery, conroe
- speedy stop, spring
- speedy stop 088, conroe
- speedy stop 86, conroe
Combination Grocery/Other · 111
- cvs 10140, conroe
- cvs 10270, spring
- cvs 10580, conroe
- cvs 10664, montgomery
- cvs pharmacy 7108, spring
- cvs pharmacy inc 6741, conroe
- cvs pharmacy inc 7426, the woodlands
- cvs pharmacy 10996, willis
- cvs pharmacy 11097, montgomery
- cvs pharmacy 11415, magnolia
- cvs pharmacy cvs11474, magnolia
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 6800, montgomery
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 7819, spring
- cvs/pharmacy 7435, porter
- cvs/pharmacy 10631, conroe
- dollar general 0944, magnolia
- dollar general 10293, magnolia
- dollar general 10658, conroe
- dollar general 16649, magnolia
- dollar general 18607, conroe
- dollar general 18781, conroe
- dollar general 19411, montgomery
- dollar general 2713, conroe
- dollar general 6405, magnolia
- dollar general 6981, splendora
- dollar general 7055, willis
- dollar general 7295, montgomery
- dollar general 7867, conroe
- dollartree 9998, conroe
- dollar general 12350, conroe
- dollar general 12532, pinehurst
- dollar general 13589, conroe
- dollar general 14823, cleveland
- dollar general 14843, willis
- dollar general 16205, new caney
- dollar general 16720, magnolia
- dollar general 17207, porter
- dollar general 18950, cleveland
- dollar general 19667, willis
- dollar general 20339, porter
- dollar general 20726, conroe
- dollar general 21476, willis
- dollar general 21650, conroe
- dollar general 21960, new caney
- dollar general 22096, magnolia
- dollar general 22166, montgomery
- dollar general 22179, magnolia
- dollar general 22293, montgomery
- dollar general 22547, willis
- dollar general 22616, conroe
- dollar general 22720, conroe
- dollar general 22983, montgomery
- dollar general 23197, conroe
- dollar general 23471, magnolia
- dollar general 23544, porter
- dollar general 23598, conroe
- dollar general 23870, splendora
- dollar general 24634, montgomery
- dollar general 25706, conroe
- dollar general 30183, new caney
- dollar general 30225, magnolia
- dollar general 5805, new caney
- dollar general 6809, new caney
- dollar general store 17017, conrow
- dollar general store 17499, splendora
- dollar tree 2739, conroe
- dollar tree 2749, the woodlands
- dollar tree 6915, new caney
- dollar tree 7144, conroe
- dollar tree 7453, porter
- dollar tree 7589, magnolia
- dollar tree 7797, montgomery
- dollar tree 7985, shenandoah
- dollar tree 8255, magnolia
- family dollar 11621, conroe
- family dollar 12066, porter
- family dollar 12255, cleveland
- family dollar 12277, conroe
- family dollar 5084, porter
- family dollar 5461, conroe
- family dollar 6491, willis
- family dollar 7502, conroe
- family dollar 7656, splendora
- family dollar 7862, conroe
- family dollar 9007, conroe
- gmf enterprises african grocery llc, conroe
- india gourmet spices llc, oak ridge north
- kotokoraba african market, spring
- la michoacana meat market h80, new caney
- olatee afican mart, spring
- stone cold meats, conroe
- tortilleria zacatecas 10, conroe
- walgreens 04493, the woodlands
- walgreens 06864, magnolia
- walgreens 06932, porter
- walgreens 07632, the woodlands
- walgreens 09602, the woodlands
- walgreens 10613, pinehurst
- walgreens 10919, montgomery
- walgreens 12165, conroe
- walgreens 1267, spring
- walgreens 15012, willis
- walgreens 6782, shenandoah
- walgreens 05269, conroe
- walgreens 07287, conroe
- walgreens 09161, conroe
- walgreens 11646, the woodlands
- walgreens 15339, magnolia
- walgreens 15542, new caney
- walgreens 7775, spring
- yun loy asian market, spring
Bakery Specialty · 2
- arandas bakery 5, conroe
- la poblana bakery, llc, willis
Showing 250 of 363 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Texas
Compare Montgomery County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Food access nationally, Texas in context
Montgomery County sits inside Texas (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.