PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Montana

Silver Bow County, MT

Most of Silver Bow County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

6.9%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
13.2%
on SNAP
36K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MT

The food-access picture

6.9% of Silver Bow County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

1
low-access tracts
749
food-desert residents
6.5%
households, no vehicle
14.8%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Silver Bow County fares better than most: just 6.9% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 8 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,368 people who live far from a supermarket, and none of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 Silver Bow County compares nationally

Food access in Silver Bow County compares favorably nationally: its 6.9% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 14% of them (rank #2,710).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Silver Bow County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Silver Bow County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Silver Bow County, MT USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (87.5%) 1 tracts limited (12.5%) Adequate 88% Limited 13% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Silver Bow County, MT
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Silver Bow County vs. other Montana counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Montana

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Silver Bow County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)34,200
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population2,368
Low-Access Share6.9%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population749

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Silver Bow County
IndicatorValue
Population35,785
Median Household Income$61,754
Poverty Rate14.8%near the national average
SNAP Households2,028
SNAP Participation Rate13.2%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.5%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.5%
SNAP participation in Silver Bow County 13.2%

About 13.2% of Silver Bow County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 6.9% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 13.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,028 households here.
  • 6.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $61,754 with a 14.8% poverty rate.

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 Silver Bow County

below the national share

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 1.

An estimated 2,368 residents, roughly 6.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 749 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (87.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Silver Bow County

Silver Bow County has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 18

  • cenex zip trip 72, butte
  • cenex zip trip 73, butte
  • jmt tri stop & casino, butte
  • rocker flying j 4710, butte
  • thriftway super stops 1, butte
  • thriftway super stops 16, butte
  • thriftway super stops 2, butte
  • thriftway super stops 4, butte
  • thriftway super stops 5, butte
  • thriftway super stops 6, butte
  • town pump of butte #4 0914, butte
  • town pump of butte 1, butte
  • town pump of butte 5 5401, butte
  • town pump of rocker 5600, butte
  • town pump of butte 10, butte
  • town pump of butte 2 1210, butte
  • town pump of butte 3 0900, butte
  • town pump of butte 8 1300, butte

Combination Grocery/Other · 5

  • cvs pharmacy 8627, butte
  • dollartree 9583, butte
  • dollar tree 7916, butte
  • family dollar 12374, butte
  • walgreens 13818, butte

Farmers' Market · 3

  • butte farmers market ffab, butte
  • butte farmers' market, butte
  • butte winter farmers' market, butte

Supermarket · 3

  • safeway 259, butte
  • safeway 3279, butte
  • western meat and sausage block, butte

Super Store · 2

  • three bears butte 70, butte
  • walmart sc 1901, butte

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphys pizza 2, butte

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • excelsior meats, butte

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • dancing rainbow natural grocery, butte

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Montana

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 Silver Bow County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →

Food access nationally, Montana in context

Silver Bow County sits inside Montana (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Silver Bow County has low food access? ▼
6.9% of residents in Silver Bow 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 Silver Bow County? ▼
13.2% of households in Silver Bow County receive SNAP, covering 2,028 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Silver Bow County? ▼
The poverty rate in Silver Bow County, MT is 14.8%, with a median household income of $61,754 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Silver Bow County a food desert? ▼
0 of Silver Bow County's 8 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Silver Bow County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.5% of households in Silver Bow County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.