County food-access profile · Idaho
Ada County, ID
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Ada 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).
- 30.4%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 5.1%
- on SNAP
- 519K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
30.4% of Ada County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 59 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 31
- low-access tracts
- 24K
- food-desert residents
- 3.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.3%
- 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 Ada County's low-access share at 30.4%, above the national share. 31 of the county's 59 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 119,470 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 24,478 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 Ada County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Ada County's 30.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 71% of them and ranked #907 most-affected nationwide.
Ada County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 59 census tracts in Ada County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Ada County vs. other Idaho counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Idaho
- Ada
Ada County, ID
30.4 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, ID
25.5 % low-access
- Bannock
Bannock County, ID
34.7 % low-access
- Bear Lake
Bear Lake County, ID
25.9 % low-access
- Benewah
Benewah County, ID
23.3 % low-access
- Bingham
Bingham County, ID
32.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 59 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 392,365 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 31 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 119,470 |
| Low-Access Share | 30.4%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 24,478 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 518,935 |
| Median Household Income | $91,502 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.3%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 10,389 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.1%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.6% |
About 5.1% of Ada County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 30.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 5.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 10,389 households here.
- 3.8% 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 Ada County
above the national share
1 of Ada County's 59 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 1.7% of all its tracts.
A further 30 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 31.
An estimated 119,470 residents, roughly 30.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 24,478 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 28 tracts (47.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Ada County
Ada County has 255 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 117 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 117
- albertsons fuel center 4602, boise
- boise stage stop, boise
- extramile 087, boise
- extramile 088, boise
- extramile 125, boise
- extramile 140, meridian
- extramile 79, boise
- extramile 89, garden city
- extramile 94, boise
- extramile 95, garden city
- extramile 96, boise
- extramile 97, meridian
- extramile 98, meridian
- extramile 99, meridian
- extramile convenience stores 0160, kuna
- extramile convenience stores 118, meridian
- extramile convience stores 185, boise
- extramile convience stores 197, eagle
- jacksons food stores 7, boise
- jackson food store 167, meridian
- jacksons food store 146, boise
- jacksons food store 162, eagle
- jacksons food store 166, meridian
- jacksons food store 168, meridian
- jacksons food store 173, boise
- jacksons food store 252, boise
- jacksons food stores 002, boise
- jacksons food stores 010, boise
- jacksons food stores 011, meridian
- jacksons food stores 014, boise
- jacksons food stores 028, boise
- jacksons food stores 031, boise
- jacksons food stores 035, meridian
- jacksons food stores 036, boise
- jacksons food stores 042, boise
- jacksons food stores 044, boise
- jacksons food stores 046, boise
- jacksons food stores 049, boise
- jacksons food stores 050, boise
- jacksons food stores 051, boise
- jacksons food stores 052, boise
- jacksons food stores 053, boise
- jacksons food stores 054, boise
- jacksons food stores 056, meridian
- jacksons food stores 105, meridian
- jacksons food stores 119, boise
- jacksons food stores 120, garden city
- jacksons food stores 121, boise
- jacksons food stores 122, boise
- jacksons food stores 123, boise
- jacksons food stores 170, meridian
- jacksons food stores 195, boise
- jacksons food stores 20, boise
- jacksons food stores 200, meridian
- jacksons food stores 240, star
- jacksons food stores 242, boise
- jacksons food stores 245, meridian
- jacksons food stores 25, garden city
- jacksons food stores 251, boise
- jacksons food stores 34, boise
- jacksons food stores 57, eagle
- jacksons food stores 81, boise
- jacksons food stores 86, boise
- jacksons food stores 91, boise
- jacksons food stores 93, boise
- kj fairview 80221, boise
- kj's kuna 80214, kuna
- mandalay asian market, boise
- marerik 565, boise
- maverik 563, meridian
- maverik 615, meridian
- maverik, inc 198, boise
- maverik, inc 205, boise
- maverik, inc 233, meridian
- maverik, inc 255, boise
- maverik, inc 343, meridian
- maverik, inc 383, boise
- maverik, inc 405, meridian
- maverik, inc 410, meridian
- maverik, inc 465, star
- maverik, inc 470, boise
- maverik, inc 485, boise
- maverik, inc 503, boise
- maverik, inc 5409, meridian
- maverik, inc 572, boise
- maverik, inc 633, garden city
- maverik, inc 779, kuna
- maverik, inc. 548, boise
- mr. gas #21 80254, boise
- on the fly, boise
- orchard express chevron, boise
- pilot travel center 777, boise
- ranch market, boise
- star mercantile inc, star
- stinker store 102, boise
- stinker store 105, eagle
- stinker store 106, boise
- stinker store 107, boise
- stinker store 109, boise
- stinker store 117, meridian
- stinker store 119, meridian
- stinker store 22, boise
- stinker store 23, boise
- stinker store 24, boise
- stinker store 30, boise
- stinker store 32, boise
- stinker store 39, boise
- stinker store 50, boise
- stinker store 56, boise
- stinker store 57, boise
- stinker store 58, boise
- stinker store 59, boise
- stinker store 70, boise
- stinker store 83, boise
- super c, kuna
- ta boise 167, boise
- h 026, kuna
Combination Grocery/Other · 46
- afghanistan turkmen market, boise
- asia market, boise
- bi-mart 688, kuna
- bi-mart 689, star
- boise coop - village, meridian
- cvs pharmacy 11169, boise
- cvs pharmacy 11678, boise
- dollartree 7044, kuna
- dollartree 7128, meridian
- dollartree 9152, meridian
- dollartree 9772, boise
- desi market, boise
- diverse african raw food, boise
- dollar tree 2648, boise
- dollar tree 2667, meridian
- dollar tree 2674, boise
- dollar tree 2686, boise
- dollar tree 2900, boise
- dollar tree 5700, boise
- dollar tree 5803, boise
- dollar tree 6215, eagle
- dollar tree 6644, boise
- dollar tree 7909, garden city
- family dollar store 7198, kuna
- family dollar store 8537, boise
- idaho capital asian market, boise
- india foods, boise
- m&w markets 6, boise
- maman z african market, boise
- old fashioned fruit & veg, boise
- tawakal african shop, boise
- walgreens 01972, garden city
- walgreens 04942, boise
- walgreens 05184, boise
- walgreens 05185, boise
- walgreens 05565, boise
- walgreens 06971, boise
- walgreens 10197, meridian
- walgreens 10604, meridian
- walgreens 11083, boise
- walgreens 11452, meridian
- walgreens 11687, meridian
- walgreens 12124, eagle
- walgreens 13614, kuna
- walgreens 13888, boise
- walgreens 6200, meridian
Super Store · 23
- boise consumer co-op, boise
- costco wholesale 0761, boise
- costco wholesale 1343, meridian
- fred meyer 198, meridian
- fred meyer 439, boise
- fred meyer 449, garden city
- fred meyer 613, boise
- fred meyer 662, boise
- fred meyer 685, meridian
- grocery outlet of boise 38, boise
- grocery outlet of eagle-meridian, meridian
- meridian grocery outlet 533, meridian
- ridley's family markets 8440, star
- ridley's family markets 8448, kuna
- target store t-0617, boise
- target store t-1230, boise
- walmart 2508, boise
- walmart 2861, garden city
- walmart 2862, meridian
- walmart neighborhood market 3094, boise
- walmart supercenter 3093, meridian
- walmart supercenter 5841, meridan
- whole foods market 10284, boise
Supermarket · 23
- albertsons 101, boise
- albertsons 154, boise
- albertsons 156, boise
- albertsons 160, boise
- albertsons 162, boise
- albertsons 164, meridian
- albertsons 169, boise
- albertsons 177, boise
- albertsons 180, meridian
- albertsons 182, eagle
- albertsons 184, boise
- albertsons 189, boise
- albertsons 193, boise
- albertsons 199, boise
- albertsons 3065, meridian
- albertsons 3194, star
- albertsons 3337, kuna
- albertsons 3339, boise
- albertsons market street 3195, meridian
- grocery outlet of overland 279, boise
- natural grocers by vitamin cottage u053, boise
- trader joe's 360, boise
- trader joe's 361, meridian
Bakery Specialty · 16
- eagle plaza id029, eagle
- franz bakery outlet 9051, boise
- lake hazel id035, boise
- mcmillan id033, meridian
- papa murphy's bartlett id032, meridian
- papa murphy's cherry id020, meridian
- papa murphy's fairview id028, meridian
- papa murphy's pizza id010, boise
- papa murphy's pizza id016, boise
- papa murphy's pizza id023, boise
- papa murphy's pizza id024, boise
- papa murphy's pizza id027, kuna
- papa murphy's pizza ido08, boise
- papa murphy's take 'n' bake pizza id037, star
- state and 17th id007, boise
- vista id017, boise
Medium Grocery Store · 16
- al ahmad market 1, boise
- babylon market llc, boise
- foodland market, boise
- grocery house mediterrean food, boise
- ideal grocery store, boise
- international grocery store, boise
- ishtar market, llc, boise
- kabul market, boise
- la ranchera market, boise
- loba african market and fashion, boise
- old fashioned fruit & veg, boise
- orient market, boise
- primo supermarket llc, garden city
- shankaron market, boise
- thana's little world market, boise
- turkish african middle eastern, boise
Farmers' Market · 3
- boise farmers market, boise
- capital city public market, boise
- meridian main street market, meridian
Small Grocery Store · 3
- carniceria coalcoman, boise
- europe delicious, boise
- old fashioned fruit & veg, kuna
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- reggie's veggies, boise
Large Grocery Store · 1
- european delicatessen food 4, meridian
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- choice cuts, inc., boise
Showing 250 of 255 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Idaho
Food access nationally, Idaho in context
Ada County sits inside Idaho (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 Ada County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Ada County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Ada County? ▼
Is Ada County a food desert? ▼
What share of Ada County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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 (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.