Signature · 1 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)
Pondera County, MT
Pondera County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 25.5% low-access.
- 25.5%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 9.0%
- on SNAP
- 6K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Pondera County, MT
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 25.5% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +3.4 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.0% SNAP
- VEH-OK 7.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Roosevelt County (+ 0.6 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Pondera County ranks #1,252 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #37 of 56 counties in MT (25.5% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,252
- national by low-access %
- #37
- in MT
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 795
- 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: 1 LILA tracts (50% of tracts) .
How Pondera County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Pondera County's 25.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 60% of them and ranked #1,252 most-affected nationwide.
Pondera County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 2 of Pondera County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Pondera County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Montana, not a full county-board reprint
- Wibaux
Wibaux 100%
100 % low-access
- Daniels 26.8
Daniels 26.8%
26.8 % low-access
- Cascade 26.3
Cascade 26.3%
26.3 % low-access
- Roosevelt 26.1
Roosevelt 26.1%
26.1 % low-access
- Pondera 25.5
Pondera 25.5%
25.5 % low-access
- Rosebud 24.1
Rosebud 24.1%
24.1 % low-access
- Ravalli 2.7
Ravalli 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 6,153 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,567 |
| Low-Access Share | 25.5%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 795 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 6,035 |
| Median Household Income | $52,338 |
| Poverty Rate | 21.9%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 204 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.0%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.2% |
SNAP retailers in Pondera County
Pondera County has 7 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 2 locations (29% of the total), followed by meat/poultry specialty.
Where the store book sits, by town
2 towns share the 7 authorized stores; Conrad holds 57% of them. Every one of these towns has at least one grocery-grade outlet (3 across the county).
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Conrad | 4 | 2 |
| Valier | 3 | 1 |
Convenience Store · 2
- one stop, valier
- town pump of conrad 1900, conrad
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- christiaens meats, valier
- coulee cuts 1, conrad
Supermarket · 2
- gary & leos fresh foods, conrad
- stokes conrad inc, conrad
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- currys market, valier
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.
Compare Pondera County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →
Montana among Mountain states
Montana ranks 7th of 8 Mountain states by population-weighted low-access (22.3%). Pondera County, at 25.5%, runs 3.2 pts above the Montana rate.
- New Mexico 31.7%
- Wyoming 29.7%
- Arizona 26.8%
- Idaho 25.8%
- Utah 23.9%
- Nevada 23.0%
- Montana 22.3%
- Colorado 21.5%
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 Pondera County, MT are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 30073. 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.