Signature · 99 SNAP-authorized stores
Yellowstone County, MT
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Yellowstone 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).
- 21.3%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 7.9%
- on SNAP
- 169K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Yellowstone County, MT
LA-ELEVATED · PHOTO-FINISH · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 21.3% low-access
- PHOTO-FINISH -0.8 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 13% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Fallon County (+ 1.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Yellowstone County ranks #1,581 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #41 of 56 counties in MT (21.3% low-access; 4 food-desert tracts).
- #1,581
- national by low-access %
- #41
- in MT
- 16
- low-access tracts
- 9K
- 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: 99 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Yellowstone County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Yellowstone County's 21.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 50% of them and ranked #1,581 most-affected nationwide.
Yellowstone County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
32 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Yellowstone County has 26 urban and 6 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Yellowstone County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Montana, not a full county-board reprint
- Wibaux
Wibaux 100%
100 % low-access
- Sweet Grass 22.6
Sweet Grass 22.6%
22.6 % low-access
- Fallon 22.4
Fallon 22.4%
22.4 % low-access
- Yellowstone 21.3
Yellowstone 21.3%
21.3 % low-access
- Beaverhead 20.1
Beaverhead 20.1%
20.1 % low-access
- Missoula 19.6
Missoula 19.6%
19.6 % low-access
- Ravalli 2.7
Ravalli 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 32 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 147,972 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 16 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 31,537 |
| Low-Access Share | 21.3%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 9,420 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 168,957 |
| Median Household Income | $76,570 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,532 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.9%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.1% |
Thick SNAP store book in Yellowstone County
Yellowstone County has 99 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 56 locations (57% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 56
- 3 gs convenience store 1, billings
- 3 gs convenience store 4, billings
- 3 gs convenience store 5, billings
- 3 gs convenience store 6, billings
- abarrote asuncion llc, billings
- billings flying j 4720, billings
- broadview oasis, llc, broadview
- cenex zip trip 51, billings
- cenex zip trip 52, billings
- cenex zip trip 53, billings
- cenex zip trip 54, billings
- cenex zip trip 55, billings
- cenex zip trip 56, billings
- cenex zip trip 57, billings
- cenex zip trip 58, billings
- colima de mis amores, billings
- don's car wash 3, billings
- don's xpress center 7, billings
- don's xpress center 9, billings
- emerald mart 2, billings
- fastlane c store, laurel
- gas n go, billings
- holiday stationstore 2746087, billings
- holiday stationstore 2746108, billings
- holiday stationstore 2746266, billings
- holiday stationstore 2746274, billings
- holiday stationstore 2746275, billings
- holiday stationstore 2746280, billings
- holiday stationstore 2746284, billings
- holiday stationstore 2746285, billings
- holiday stationstore 2746385, billings
- holiday stationstore 2746470, billings
- holiday stationstore 2746731, billings
- isabela asian market, billings
- on your way 105 105, billings
- on your way 106, billings
- stop n shop #2 2, billings
- superpumper 80174, billings
- superpumper 80177, billings
- superpumper 80179, billings
- superpumper 80207, billings
- superpumper 80208, billings
- superpumper 80210, billings
- superpumper 80211, billings
- superpumper 80212, billings
- ta laurel 261, laurel
- tiger town, ballantine
- town pump of billings #3 7035, billings
- town pump of billings 8 7115, billings
- town pump of billings #12 1056, billings
- town pump of billings #13 1057, billings
- town pump of billings #4 0117, billings
- town pump of billings 11 1053, billings
- town pump of billings 8915, billings
- town pump of laurel #3 1290, laurel
- town pump of laurel 330, laurel
Combination Grocery/Other · 12
- cvs pharmacy 5301, billings
- cvs pharmacy 5302, billings
- cvs pharmacy 5305, laurel
- dollar general 25879, billings
- dollar tree 2828, billings
- dollar tree 3026, billings
- dollar tree 3799, billings
- dollar tree 5792, billings
- family dollar 11231, billings
- walgreens 10652, billings
- walgreens 11503, billings
- walgreens 12155, billings
Supermarket · 12
- albertsons 3447, laurel
- albertson's 3367, billings
- albertsons 0038, billings
- albertsons 0047, billings
- albertsons 0630, billings
- albertsons 1227, billings
- albertsons 4025, billings
- albertsons 4041, billings
- natural grocers by vitamin cottage u056, billings
- project mercantile, worden
- town & country foods billings 7, billings
- winco foods 155, billings
Super Store · 8
- costco wholesale 1644, billings
- sam's club 4805, billings
- shamrock foodservice warehouse 590, billings
- target stores t- 0171, billings
- target stores t- 1333, billings
- walmart sc 1956, billings
- walmart sc 2923, billings
- walmart sc 4412, laurel
Bakery Specialty · 5
- franz bakery outlet 9072, billings
- franz bakery outlet 9073, billings
- papa murphy's take and bake mt-001, billings
- papa murphy's take and bake mt-009, billings
- papa murphy's take and bake mt-016, billings
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3
- meat palace, billings
- project meats inc, billings
- ranch house meat co, billings
Farmers' Market · 2
- healthy by design gardeners' market, billings
- yellowstone valley farmers' market, billings
Large Grocery Store · 1
- lockwood iga, billings
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 Yellowstone County vs Beaverhead County → · All Montana counties →
Nationwide peers for Yellowstone County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Yellowstone 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 (21.3% here).
- Panola County, MS · 21.3% low-access
- Panola County, MS · 21.3% low-access
- Mecklenburg County, NC · 21.3% low-access
- Mecklenburg County, NC · 21.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MT (7.9% here).
- Rice County, MN · 7.9% SNAP
- Rice County, MN · 7.9% SNAP
- Middlesex County, NJ · 7.9% SNAP
- Middlesex County, NJ · 7.9% 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.
Food access nationally, Montana in context
Yellowstone County sits inside Montana (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Yellowstone County, MT are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 30111. 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.