Signature · 4.8% SNAP (11th pct in VA)
Montgomery County, VA
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).
- 20.2%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 4.8%
- on SNAP
- 99K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Montgomery County, VA
LA-ELEVATED · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 20.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -1.9 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 4.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 25% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Lynchburg city ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Montgomery County ranks #1,671 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #56 of 123 counties in VA (20.2% low-access; 4 food-desert tracts).
- #1,671
- national by low-access %
- #56
- in VA
- 9
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- 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: 4.8% SNAP (11th pct in VA) (-7.3 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Montgomery County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Montgomery County's 20.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 47% of them and ranked #1,675 most-affected nationwide.
Montgomery County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
16 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Montgomery County has 11 urban and 5 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Montgomery County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Highland
Highland 99.7%
99.7 % low-access
- Norfolk city 20.6
Norfolk city 20.6%
20.6 % low-access
- Rappahannock 20.5
Rappahannock 20.5%
20.5 % low-access
- Montgomery 20.2
Montgomery 20.2%
20.2 % low-access
- Lynchburg city 20.1
Lynchburg city 20.1%
20.1 % low-access
- Rockbridge 20
Rockbridge 20%
20 % low-access
- Dickenson 0
Dickenson 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 16 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 94,392 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 9 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 19,082 |
| Low-Access Share | 20.2%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,157 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 99,101 |
| Median Household Income | $72,715 |
| Poverty Rate | 23.9%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,782 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.4%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 10.9% |
Thick SNAP store book in Montgomery County
Montgomery County has 65 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 36 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 36
- 7-eleven 15112a, blacksburg
- 7-eleven inc f 18233a, blacksburg
- 7-eleven store 39896h, christiansburg
- 7-eleven, inc. 36170j, christiansburg
- 7-eleven 18293c 18293c, blacksburg
- annie kays main street market, blacksburg
- christiansburg handy mart, christiansburg
- cachito mio tienda latina llc, christiansburg
- christy stephens llc, radford
- d&d speedy mart, christiansburg
- duck in deli # 5, christiansburg
- duck in deli #4, christiansburg
- duck in deli #6, christiansburg
- fas mart 3514, blacksburg
- garry's, christiansburg
- k & s food mart (exxon), blacksburg
- love's travel stop 574, elliston
- lucky stop 2, christiansburg
- nrvminimart inc, christiansburg
- pilot mountain grocery, pilot
- riner food center, riner
- riverway, blacksburg
- sandstone market, christiansburg
- sheetz 320, christiansburg
- sheetz 750, christiansburg
- sheetz 805, blacksburg
- snuffy's general store, blacksburg
- speedway 4625, christiansburg
- speedway 4626, blacksburg
- speedway 4627, blacksburg
- stop in food store 8144, elliston
- stop in food stores 8163, blacksburg
- stop in food stores 8242, christiansburg
- sunset deli mart, elliston
- white creek market, shawsville
- wyatt's country store, shawsville
Combination Grocery/Other · 12
- cvs pharmacy 6329, blacksburg
- cvs pharmacy 7543, christiansburg
- cvs pharmacy 3460, blacksburg
- dollar general 12363, shawsville
- dollar general 15650, riner
- dollar general 21820, blacksburg
- dollar general 3722, christiansburg
- dollar general store 16747, radford
- dollar general store 16802, elliston
- dollar tree 2178, blacksburg
- dollar tree 221, christiansburg
- walgreens 07606, christiansburg
Super Store · 6
- dollar general market 9820, christiansburg
- kroger 402, blacksburg
- kroger 210, blacksburg
- kroger 345, christiansburg
- target stores 1292, christiansburg
- walmart supercenter 1292, christiansburg
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 66074, christiansburg
- earth fare 790, christiansburg
- food lion 1397, christiansburg
- food lion 2573, blacksburg
- food lion 425, blacksburg
- food lion 451, christiansburg
Farmers' Market · 2
- christiansburg farmers' market, christiansburg
- friends of the farmers market, inc., blacksburg
Large Grocery Store · 2
- eats natural foods coop inc, blacksburg
- oasis world market, blacksburg
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- super amanecer 3 incorporated 1, christiansburg
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Virginia
One of 132 counties in Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Montgomery County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Nationwide peers for Montgomery County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Montgomery County (4.8%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Virginia.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside VA (20.2% here).
- Smith County, TX · 20.2% low-access
- Smith County, TX · 20.2% low-access
- Jackson County, TX · 20.2% low-access
- Jackson County, TX · 20.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside VA (4.8% here).
- Millard County, UT · 4.8% SNAP
- Millard County, UT · 4.8% SNAP
- Cache County, UT · 4.8% SNAP
- Cache County, UT · 4.8% 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.
Food access nationally, Virginia in context
Montgomery County sits inside Virginia (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51121. 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.