Signature · 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
Sanders County, MT
Sanders County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 31.1% low-access.
- 31.1%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 11.2%
- on SNAP
- 13K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Sanders County, MT
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 31.1% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +9.0 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-TYPICAL 11.2% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Musselshell County (+ 0.8 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Sanders County sits in the upper national band (31.1%, #871 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.
- #871
- national by low-access %
- #29
- in MT
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- 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: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .
How Sanders County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Sanders County's 31.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 72% of them and ranked #871 most-affected nationwide.
Sanders County's elevated USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 3 of Sanders 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.
Sanders County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Montana, not a full county-board reprint
- Wibaux
Wibaux 100%
100 % low-access
- Blaine 34
Blaine 34%
34 % low-access
- Musselshell 31.9
Musselshell 31.9%
31.9 % low-access
- Sanders 31.1
Sanders 31.1%
31.1 % low-access
- Jefferson 30.3
Jefferson 30.3%
30.3 % low-access
- Madison 30.2
Madison 30.2%
30.2 % low-access
- Ravalli 2.7
Ravalli 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 11,413 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,553 |
| Low-Access Share | 31.1%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,479 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 13,285 |
| Median Household Income | $57,476 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.4%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 610 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.2%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
SNAP retailers in Sanders County
Sanders County has 16 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 6 locations (38% of the total), followed by small grocery store.
Where the store book sits, by town
5 towns share the 16 authorized stores; Thompson Falls holds 38% of them. 1 of the 5 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Noxon.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Thompson Falls | 6 | 1 |
| Plains | 4 | 1 |
| Hot Springs | 3 | 1 |
| Trout Creek | 2 | 1 |
| Noxon | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 6
- east end fuel, thompson falls
- noxon quik stop, noxon
- one stop 1, hot springs
- tc quik stop inc, trout creek
- town pump of plains 3500, plains
- town pump of thompson falls 3900, thompson falls
Small Grocery Store · 3
- camas organic market, hot springs
- grocery surplus, thompson falls
- little bitterroot corner grocery, plains
Combination Grocery/Other · 2
- dollar general 24915, thompson falls
- family dollar 12657, thompson falls
Large Grocery Store · 1
- the local store, inc, trout creek
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- clark fork custom meats, plains
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- bucks grocery, hot springs
Super Store · 1
- sanders co harvest foods, thompson falls
Supermarket · 1
- mcgowan commercial co, plains
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 Sanders County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →
Counties near Sanders County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Sanders County, both outside Montana so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MT (31.1% here).
- Clay County, MO · 31.1% low-access
- Yazoo County, MS · 31.1% low-access
- Martin County, MN · 31.1% low-access
- Hamilton County, OH · 31.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MT (11.2% here).
- Bates County, MO · 11.2% SNAP
- Kalamazoo County, MI · 11.2% SNAP
- St. Mary's County, MD · 11.2% SNAP
- Clay County, NC · 11.2% 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.
Montana among Mountain states
Montana ranks 7th of 8 Mountain states by population-weighted low-access (22.3%). Sanders County, at 31.1%, runs 8.8 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 Sanders County, MT are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 30089. 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.