County food-access profile · Montana

Wheatland County, MT

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Wheatland County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

Compiled by Plainfoodaccess, Food Access Editorial Process · June 23, 2026

34.5%
low-access pop.: 1
food-desert tracts: 6.1%
on SNAP: 2K
residents (ACS 2024)

USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MT

The food-access picture

34.5% of Wheatland County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 1 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts: 354
food-desert residents: 2.3%
households, no vehicle: 23.0%
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).

USDA data puts Wheatland County's low-access share at 34.5%, above the national share. 1 of the county's 1 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 748 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 354 low-income residents.

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 Wheatland County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Wheatland County's 34.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 80% of them and ranked #628 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Wheatland County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 1 census tracts in Wheatland County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

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

Wheatland

34.5
Beaverhead

20.1
Big Horn

42.5
Blaine

34
Broadwater

15.4
Carbon

14.9

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Wheatland County
Indicator	Value
Census Tracts	1
Atlas Population (2010 basis)	2,168
Low-Access Tracts	1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)	1
Low-Access Population	748
Low-Access Share	34.5%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population	354

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Wheatland County
Indicator	Value
Population	2,056
Median Household Income	$49,489
Poverty Rate	23.0%well above the national average
SNAP Households	54
SNAP Participation Rate	6.1%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle	2.3%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population	6.2%

SNAP participation in Wheatland County 6.1%

About 6.1% of Wheatland County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

34.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
6.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 54 households here.
2.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
1 tract meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).

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 Wheatland County

above the national share

1 of Wheatland County's 1 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 100.0% of all its tracts.

An estimated 748 residents, roughly 34.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 354 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

SNAP retailers in Wheatland County

Wheatland County has 3 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 1 locations (33% of the total), followed by farmers' market.

Convenience Store · 1

oasis beverage, llc, harlowton

Farmers' Market · 1

harlo farmers market, harlowton

Supermarket · 1

midtown market 2, harlowton

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 Wheatland County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →

Food access nationally, Montana in context

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

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

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Wheatland County has low food access? ▼

34.5% of residents in Wheatland 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 Wheatland County? ▼

6.1% of households in Wheatland County receive SNAP, covering 54 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).

What is the poverty rate in Wheatland County? ▼

The poverty rate in Wheatland County, MT is 23.0%, with a median household income of $49,489 (Census ACS 2024).

Is Wheatland County a food desert? ▼

1 of Wheatland County's 1 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.

What share of Wheatland County households lack a vehicle? ▼

2.3% of households in Wheatland 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 2026-06-23 (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.