Market rankings · Montana
Grocery and convenience stores in Montana
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Montana, ranked by the Groundwork market score for grocery and convenience stores, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 988
- 334 chain locations (34%)
- Official establishments
- 288
- +5.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $2.7B
- On groceries
- Listings per 10k households
- 21.5
- 15% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $2.7M
- 19% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #40 of 51
- Market score 39 · Lower middle
A site report maps the grocery and convenience stores on map listings around any address in Montana by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
There are 988 grocery and convenience stores on map listings in Montana as of September 2026. 334 of them (34%) are chain locations, against 42% across the U.S. That comes to 21.5 for every 10,000 households, 15% above the U.S. rate of 18.7.
At $5,881 per household (7% below the U.S. average), households in Montana spend about $2.7B a year on groceries. That works out to $2.7M per store, 19% below the U.S. figure of $3.4M.
Official counts show 288 businesses with payroll classed as grocery and convenience stores in Montana in 2023, up 5.1% from 2019. That is one for every 1,593 households, against one for every 1,293 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 7.2% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 5 SBA-backed loans worth $7.6M have gone to businesses classed as grocery and convenience stores in Montana.
Among the 50 states and DC, Montana ranks #40 for grocery and convenience stores, with a Groundwork market score of 39 (lower middle). Of the 5 scored metro areas in or partly in Montana, the Helena metro area scores highest (71). Of the 2 scored small-town markets in or partly in Montana, the Kalispell area scores highest (75).
Every market in Montana for grocery and convenience stores
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Montana, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Helena, MT | 71 | 65 | 16.7 | $3.7M | +7.7% | #56 of 387 |
| 2Missoula, MT | 66 | 90 | 16.4 | $3.6M | +4.7% | #87 of 387 |
| 3Billings, MT | 65 | 149 | 19.0 | $3.2M | +4.8% | #95 of 387 |
| 4Bozeman, MT | 60 | 104 | 20.3 | $3.2M | +7.7% | #130 of 387 |
| 5Great Falls, MT | 52 | 59 | 16.6 | $3.5M | +0.7% | #187 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kalispell, MT | 75 | 89 | 20.1 | $2.9M | +10.1% | #41 of 538 |
| 2Butte-Silver Bow, MT | 61 | 31 | 20.1 | $2.7M | +2.6% | #170 of 538 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Missoula County, MT | 78 | 84 | 15.9 | $3.7M | +4.4% | #228 of 2,402 |
| 2Yellowstone County, MT | 77 | 127 | 18.2 | $3.3M | +4.5% | #256 of 2,402 |
| 3Lewis and Clark County, MT | 76 | 48 | 15.4 | $3.9M | +5.8% | #268 of 2,402 |
| 4Jefferson County, MT | 74 | 11 | 22.0 | $2.9M | +9.8% | #339 of 2,402 |
| 5Gallatin County, MT | 70 | 104 | 20.3 | $3.2M | +7.7% | #449 of 2,402 |
| 6Flathead County, MT | 68 | 89 | 20.1 | $2.9M | +10.1% | #515 of 2,402 |
| 7Cascade County, MT | 65 | 59 | 16.6 | $3.5M | +0.7% | #592 of 2,402 |
| 8Ravalli County, MT | 61 | 33 | 17.7 | $3.3M | +9.4% | #761 of 2,402 |
| 9Silver Bow County, MT | 54 | 31 | 20.1 | $2.7M | +2.6% | #1,037 of 2,402 |
| 10Lake County, MT | 47 | 29 | 23.1 | $2.4M | +6.9% | #1,332 of 2,402 |
| 11Park County, MT | 46 | 22 | 26.3 | $2.2M | +5.7% | #1,370 of 2,402 |
| 12Custer County, MT | 43 | 12 | 23.8 | $2.4M | +1.5% | #1,483 of 2,402 |
| 13Carbon County, MT | 42 | 14 | 30.0 | $2M | +9.1% | #1,533 of 2,402 |
| 14Fergus County, MT | 38 | 12 | 22.6 | $2.4M | +3.1% | #1,666 of 2,402 |
| 15Hill County, MT | 38 | 16 | 25.8 | $2.1M | −0.5% | #1,673 of 2,402 |
| 16Lincoln County, MT | 36 | 21 | 23.1 | $2.2M | +13.1% | #1,747 of 2,402 |
| 17Richland County, MT | 32 | 17 | 38.4 | $1.6M | −1.3% | #1,910 of 2,402 |
| 18Sanders County, MT | 29 | 16 | 29.4 | $1.8M | +12.9% | #1,985 of 2,402 |
| 19Big Horn County, MT | 9 | 14 | 36.6 | $1.5M | −2.5% | #2,368 of 2,402 |
| 20Glacier County, MT | 8 | 16 | 37.3 | $1.4M | −2.0% | #2,376 of 2,402 |
| 21Roosevelt County, MT | 3 | 15 | 48.5 | $1.1M | −5.2% | #2,399 of 2,402 |
| Beaverhead County, MT | Not scored | 11 | 26.2 | $2.1M | +7.1% | |
| Deer Lodge County, MT | Not scored | 8 | 17.9 | $3M | +3.0% | |
| Madison County, MT | Not scored | 10 | 26.7 | $2.2M | +15.8% | |
| Stillwater County, MT | Not scored | 8 | 21.0 | $3M | +5.0% |
Show all 56 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County, MT | Not scored | 10 | 27.7 | $2.1M | −2.6% | |
| Rosebud County, MT | Not scored | 19 | 61.9 | $875K | −0.7% | |
| Broadwater County, MT | Not scored | 6 | 21.3 | $2.8M | +23.8% | |
| Valley County, MT | Not scored | 7 | 23.7 | $2.4M | −2.4% | |
| Powell County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 12.3 | $4.6M | +3.1% | |
| Blaine County, MT | Not scored | 10 | 43.9 | $1.3M | −2.1% | |
| Teton County, MT | Not scored | 5 | 20.3 | $2.8M | +3.9% | |
| Pondera County, MT | Not scored | 12 | 52.9 | $1M | +3.2% | |
| Chouteau County, MT | Not scored | 10 | 46.3 | $1.2M | −0.8% | |
| Musselshell County, MT | Not scored | 5 | 23.3 | $2.3M | +17.6% | |
| Toole County, MT | Not scored | 6 | 32.4 | $1.7M | +4.9% | |
| Mineral County, MT | Not scored | 6 | 27.9 | $2M | +13.5% | |
| Phillips County, MT | Not scored | 8 | 45.3 | $1.2M | −0.1% | |
| Sweet Grass County, MT | Not scored | 9 | 58.0 | $1M | +2.4% | |
| Sheridan County, MT | Not scored | 7 | 47.4 | $1.2M | −2.9% | |
| Granite County, MT | Not scored | 4 | 26.4 | $2.1M | +10.6% | |
| Fallon County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 8.5 | $7.1M | −2.3% | |
| Judith Basin County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 32.7 | $1.8M | +6.8% | |
| Wheatland County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 34.0 | $1.6M | +1.2% | |
| Meagher County, MT | Not scored | 6 | 64.7 | $875K | +11.2% | |
| Liberty County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 27.6 | $2M | +0.1% | |
| Powder River County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 42.4 | $1.4M | +5.1% | |
| McCone County, MT | Not scored | 4 | 50.1 | $1.1M | −0.6% | |
| Daniels County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 27.2 | $2M | −2.3% | |
| Carter County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 33.3 | $1.6M | −1.6% | |
| Prairie County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 55.0 | $966K | +1.7% | |
| Wibaux County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 21.7 | $2.7M | −5.4% | |
| Garfield County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 69.4 | $822K | −1.9% | |
| Golden Valley County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.7% | |
| Treasure County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 27.8 | $2M | −4.0% | |
| Petroleum County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +9.2% |
Markets with fewer than 5 grocery and convenience stores on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many grocery and convenience stores are in Montana?
As of September 2026, map listings count 988 grocery and convenience stores in Montana. 334 of them (34%) are chain locations. The listings count grocery, convenience and specialty food stores. Official counts show 288 businesses with payroll classed as grocery and convenience stores in 2023, up 5.1% from 2019. Another 137 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Montana spend on groceries?
About $2.7B a year, or $5,881 per household. That is 7% below the U.S. average (an index of 93, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 988 grocery and convenience stores on map listings, it comes to $2.7M per store. It is estimated from the incomes of the 458,859 households in Montana and national spending patterns by income.
How does Montana compare with the U.S. for grocery and convenience stores?
Montana has 21.5 grocery and convenience stores per 10,000 households, 15% above the U.S. rate of 18.7. Spending per store is $2.7M, 19% below the U.S. figure of $3.4M. At the U.S. ratio of grocery and convenience stores to household spending, Montana would have about 797, against 988 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,593 households, against one for every 1,293 across the U.S. The official count rose 5.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +7.2% for the U.S.
Which market in Montana has the highest market score for grocery and convenience stores?
Among 5 scored metro areas in or partly in Montana, the Helena metro area scores highest, at 71 (upper middle). Among 2 scored small-town markets in or partly in Montana, the Kalispell area scores highest, at 75 (high). Among 21 scored counties in Montana, Missoula County scores highest, at 78 (high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Montana scores 39 for grocery and convenience stores (lower middle), #40 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Montana. It maps the grocery and convenience stores on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Grocery and convenience stores in other states
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Top markets for grocery and convenience stores across the U.S. · All business types in Montana
Related business types in Montana
- Grocery stores347 listings
- Convenience stores393 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Montana?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.