Signature · 43.6% low-access (90th pct)
Toole County, MT
Toole County sits in the upper national band on low-access (43.6%, +21.5 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 43.6%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 7.8%
- on SNAP
- 5K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Toole County, MT
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-SEVERE 43.6% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +21.5 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.8% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Big Horn County ( -1.1 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Toole County sits in the upper national band (43.6%, #306 of 3,079).
- #306
- national by low-access %
- #18
- in MT
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 420
- 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: 43.6% low-access (90th pct) (+21.5 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Toole County compares nationally
Toole County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 43.6% low-access share outpaces 90% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #306 most-affected nationwide.
Toole County's elevated USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
Toole County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (2 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Toole County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Montana, not a full county-board reprint
- Wibaux
Wibaux 100%
100 % low-access
- Toole
Toole 43.6%
43.6 % low-access
- Big Horn
Big Horn 42.5%
42.5 % low-access
- Valley
Valley 41.9%
41.9 % low-access
- Park
Park 41.6%
41.6 % low-access
- McCone
McCone 40.1%
40.1 % 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) | 5,324 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,324 |
| Low-Access Share | 43.6%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 420 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,061 |
| Median Household Income | $57,731 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 144 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.3%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 12.1% |
Slim SNAP store book in Toole County
Toole County has 5 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 2 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
2 towns share the 5 authorized stores; Shelby holds 80% of them. Every one of these towns has at least one grocery-grade outlet (2 across the county).
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Shelby | 4 | 1 |
| Sunburst | 1 | 1 |
Convenience Store · 2
- h&r inc #6, shelby
- town pump of shelby 5000, shelby
Combination Grocery/Other · 1
- family dollar 12744, shelby
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- sunburst mercantile, sunburst
Supermarket · 1
- albertsons 0614, shelby
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 Toole 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%). Toole County, at 43.6%, runs 21.3 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 Toole County, MT are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 30101. 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.