Where does Petroleum County rank for food access?

According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019), Petroleum County ranks #38 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #4 of 56 counties in MT, the same sort as the worst-food-deserts ranking. See /methodology#corpus-placement.

What share of Petroleum County has low food access?

100.0% of residents in Petroleum County, MT 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 Petroleum County?

0.5% of households in Petroleum County receive SNAP, covering 1 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).

What is the poverty rate in Petroleum County?

The poverty rate in Petroleum County, MT is 8.1%, with a median household income of $60,208 (Census ACS 2024).

Is Petroleum County a food desert?

0 of Petroleum County's 1 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.

Signature · 100.0% low-access (98th pct)

Petroleum County, MT

Petroleum County sits in the upper national band on low-access (100.0%, +77.9 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.

Compiled by Plainfoodaccess, Food Access Editorial Process · December 31, 2024

100.0%
low-access pop.: 0
food-desert tracts: 0.5%
on SNAP: 447
residents (ACS 2024)

USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MT

USDA FARA access plate

County Petroleum County, MT

LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-NA · DENSITY-CLEAR

LA-SEVERE 100.0% low-access
ABOVE-NATIONAL +77.9 pts vs US
LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
SNAP-LIGHT 0.5% SNAP
VEH-NA Vehicle n/a
DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Carter County (+ 0.0 pts)

Upper-band low-access

Petroleum County sits in the upper national band (100.0%, #38 of 3,079).

#38
national by low-access %: #4
in MT: 1
low-access tracts: 146
food-desert residents

Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.

Signature read: 100.0% low-access (98th pct) (+77.9 pts vs U.S. low-access).

How Petroleum County compares nationally

Petroleum County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 100.0% low-access share outpaces 98% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #49 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Petroleum County's elevated USDA tier split

1 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Petroleum County has 0 urban and 1 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.

Wibaux

100
Petroleum

100
Carter

100
Golden Valley

100
Meagher

100
Prairie

100
Ravalli

2.7

FARA 2019 · elevated low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Petroleum County
Indicator	Value
Census Tracts	1
Atlas Population (2010 basis)	494
Low-Access Tracts	1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)	0
Low-Access Population	494
Low-Access Share	100.0%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population	146

ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Petroleum County
Indicator	Value
Population	447
Median Household Income	$60,208
Poverty Rate	8.1%well below the national average
SNAP Households	1
SNAP Participation Rate	0.5%well below the national average

Slim SNAP store book in Petroleum County

Petroleum County has 1 store currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 1 store category. Every authorized retailer here is a medium grocery store.

Medium Grocery Store · 1

the breaks general store, inc., winnett

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).

Other Counties in Montana

One of 55 counties in Montana, 6 are shown here.

Beaverhead County

20.1% low-access · 7.2% SNAP

Big Horn County

42.5% low-access · 17.5% SNAP

Blaine County

34.0% low-access · 14.7% SNAP

Broadwater County

15.4% low-access · 3.5% SNAP

Carbon County

14.9% low-access · 6.1% SNAP

Carter County

100.0% low-access · 5.3% SNAP

Compare Petroleum County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →

Petroleum County inside a higher low-access state context

Petroleum County sits inside Montana (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 2026-06-23.

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 Petroleum County, MT are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 30069. 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.