Market rankings · Montana
Grocery stores in Montana
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Montana, ranked by the Groundwork market score for grocery stores, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 347
- 104 chain locations (30%)
- Official establishments
- 260
- +3.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $2.7B
- On groceries
- Listings per 10k households
- 7.6
- 12% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $7.8M
- 16% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #45 of 51
- Market score 26 · Lower middle
A site report maps the grocery 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 347 grocery stores on map listings in Montana as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 30% of them, against 37% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 7.6, 12% above the U.S. rate of 6.8.
Households in Montana spend about $2.7B a year on groceries, or $5,881 per household, 7% below the U.S. average. That works out to $7.8M per store, 16% below the U.S. figure of $9.3M. The spending figure covers all groceries, not only grocery stores.
In 2023, official counts showed 260 businesses with payroll in Montana classed as supermarkets and grocery stores, up 3.6% from 2019. That is one for every 1,765 households, against one for every 2,053 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count held level over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 4 SBA-backed loans worth $7.3M have gone to businesses classed as supermarkets and grocery stores in Montana.
Among the 50 states and DC, Montana ranks #45 for grocery stores, with a Groundwork market score of 26 (lower middle). Of the 5 scored metro areas in or partly in Montana, the Billings metro area scores highest (75). Of the 2 scored small-town markets in or partly in Montana, the Kalispell area scores highest (68).
Every market in Montana for grocery 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Billings, MT | 75 | 38 | 4.8 | $12.4M | +4.8% | #38 of 387 |
| 2Helena, MT | 62 | 20 | 5.1 | $11.9M | +7.7% | #102 of 387 |
| 3Great Falls, MT | 58 | 16 | 4.5 | $12.7M | +0.7% | #136 of 387 |
| 4Missoula, MT | 54 | 34 | 6.2 | $9.6M | +4.7% | #177 of 387 |
| 5Bozeman, MT | 47 | 36 | 7.0 | $9.1M | +7.7% | #220 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kalispell, MT | 68 | 25 | 5.7 | $10.5M | +10.1% | #86 of 506 |
| 2Butte-Silver Bow, MT | 63 | 6 | 3.9 | $14.1M | +2.6% | #116 of 506 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Yellowstone County, MT | 83 | 28 | 4.0 | $15M | +4.5% | #132 of 2,070 |
| 2Missoula County, MT | 68 | 31 | 5.9 | $10.1M | +4.4% | #461 of 2,070 |
| 3Lewis and Clark County, MT | 66 | 15 | 4.8 | $12.6M | +5.8% | #501 of 2,070 |
| 4Cascade County, MT | 64 | 16 | 4.5 | $12.7M | +0.7% | #560 of 2,070 |
| 5Flathead County, MT | 62 | 25 | 5.7 | $10.5M | +10.1% | #619 of 2,070 |
| 6Gallatin County, MT | 61 | 36 | 7.0 | $9.1M | +7.7% | #660 of 2,070 |
| 7Silver Bow County, MT | 58 | 6 | 3.9 | $14.1M | +2.6% | #737 of 2,070 |
| 8Lake County, MT | 40 | 10 | 8.0 | $7.1M | +6.9% | #1,355 of 2,070 |
| 9Ravalli County, MT | 40 | 18 | 9.6 | $6M | +9.4% | #1,367 of 2,070 |
| 10Carbon County, MT | 38 | 7 | 15.0 | $4M | +9.1% | #1,445 of 2,070 |
| 11Park County, MT | 37 | 10 | 12.0 | $4.9M | +5.7% | #1,471 of 2,070 |
| 12Fergus County, MT | 27 | 5 | 9.4 | $5.9M | +3.1% | #1,723 of 2,070 |
| 13Richland County, MT | 27 | 5 | 11.3 | $5.3M | −1.3% | #1,729 of 2,070 |
| 14Lincoln County, MT | 27 | 9 | 9.9 | $5.2M | +13.1% | #1,730 of 2,070 |
| 15Sanders County, MT | 24 | 8 | 14.7 | $3.7M | +12.9% | #1,809 of 2,070 |
| 16Hill County, MT | 22 | 6 | 9.7 | $5.6M | −0.5% | #1,836 of 2,070 |
| 17Glacier County, MT | 6 | 7 | 16.3 | $3.2M | −2.0% | #2,050 of 2,070 |
| 18Roosevelt County, MT | 3 | 6 | 19.4 | $2.8M | −5.2% | #2,066 of 2,070 |
| Big Horn County, MT | Not scored | 4 | 10.5 | $5.1M | −2.5% | |
| Jefferson County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 6.0 | $10.7M | +9.8% | |
| Custer County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 4.0 | $14.4M | +1.5% | |
| Beaverhead County, MT | Not scored | 5 | 11.9 | $4.7M | +7.1% | |
| Deer Lodge County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 6.7 | $8.1M | +3.0% | |
| Madison County, MT | Not scored | 5 | 13.4 | $4.4M | +15.8% | |
| Stillwater County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 7.9 | $7.9M | +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 | 3 | 8.3 | $7M | −2.6% | |
| Rosebud County, MT | Not scored | 9 | 29.3 | $1.8M | −0.7% | |
| Broadwater County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 7.1 | $8.4M | +23.8% | |
| Valley County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 10.2 | $5.6M | −2.4% | |
| Powell County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 8.2 | $6.8M | +3.1% | |
| Blaine County, MT | Not scored | 4 | 17.5 | $3.2M | −2.1% | |
| Teton County, MT | Not scored | 4 | 16.2 | $3.5M | +3.9% | |
| Pondera County, MT | Not scored | 5 | 22.0 | $2.4M | +3.2% | |
| Chouteau County, MT | Not scored | 5 | 23.2 | $2.4M | −0.8% | |
| Musselshell County, MT | Not scored | 4 | 18.6 | $2.9M | +17.6% | |
| Toole County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 10.8 | $5.1M | +4.9% | |
| Mineral County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 14.0 | $4M | +13.5% | |
| Phillips County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 11.3 | $4.8M | −0.1% | |
| Sweet Grass County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 19.3 | $3M | +2.4% | |
| Sheridan County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 20.3 | $2.8M | −2.9% | |
| Granite County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 19.8 | $2.8M | +10.6% | |
| Fallon County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 8.5 | $7.1M | −2.3% | |
| Judith Basin County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 21.8 | $2.6M | +6.8% | |
| Wheatland County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 22.7 | $2.3M | +1.2% | |
| Meagher County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 32.4 | $1.7M | +11.2% | |
| Liberty County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 13.8 | $3.9M | +0.1% | |
| Powder River County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 14.1 | $4.1M | +5.1% | |
| McCone County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 25.1 | $2.3M | −0.6% | |
| Daniels County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 13.6 | $3.9M | −2.3% | |
| Carter County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.6% | |
| Prairie County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 18.3 | $2.9M | +1.7% | |
| Wibaux County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 21.7 | $2.7M | −5.4% | |
| Garfield County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 46.3 | $1.2M | −1.9% | |
| Golden Valley County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.7% | |
| Treasure County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.0% | |
| Petroleum County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +9.2% |
Markets with fewer than 5 grocery stores on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many grocery stores are in Montana?
As of September 2026, map listings count 347 grocery stores in Montana. 104 of them (30%) are chain locations. The listings count grocery stores and supermarkets. Official counts show 260 businesses with payroll classed as supermarkets and grocery stores in 2023, up 3.6% from 2019.
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 347 grocery stores on map listings, it comes to $7.8M per store. That spending covers all groceries, which grocery stores share with other businesses in the trade. 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 stores?
Montana has 7.6 grocery stores per 10,000 households, 12% above the U.S. rate of 6.8. Spending per store is $7.8M, 16% below the U.S. figure of $9.3M. At the U.S. ratio of grocery stores to household spending, Montana would have about 290, against 347 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,765 households, against one for every 2,053 across the U.S. The official count rose 3.6% from 2019 to 2023, against 0.0% for the U.S.
Which market in Montana has the highest market score for grocery stores?
Among 5 scored metro areas in or partly in Montana, the Billings metro area scores highest, at 75 (high). Among 2 scored small-town markets in or partly in Montana, the Kalispell area scores highest, at 68 (upper middle). Among 18 scored counties in Montana, Yellowstone County scores highest, at 83 (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 26 for grocery stores (lower middle), #45 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 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 stores in other states
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Top markets for grocery stores across the U.S. · All business types in Montana
Related business types in Montana
- Grocery and convenience stores988 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.