PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Oregon

Baker County, OR

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Baker 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).

37.9%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
16.7%
on SNAP
17K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OR

The food-access picture

37.9% of Baker County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
5.3%
households, no vehicle
14.9%
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 Baker County's low-access share at 37.9%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 6 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 6,113 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,340 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 Baker County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Baker County's 37.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 84% of them and ranked #491 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Baker County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Baker County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Baker County, OR USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (33.3%) 2 tracts limited (33.3%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (33.3%) Adequate 33% Limited 33% Severe 33% Food-access tier distribution: Baker County, OR
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Baker County vs. other Oregon counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Oregon

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Baker County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)16,134
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population6,113
Low-Access Share37.9%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,340

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Baker County
IndicatorValue
Population16,840
Median Household Income$60,936
Poverty Rate14.9%near the national average
SNAP Households1,225
SNAP Participation Rate16.7%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.3%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.5%
SNAP participation in Baker County 16.7%

About 16.7% of Baker County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 37.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 16.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,225 households here.
  • 5.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 tracts 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 Baker County

above the national share

2 of Baker County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 6,113 residents, roughly 37.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,340 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Baker County

Baker County has 21 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 11 locations (52% of the total), followed by supermarket.

Convenience Store · 11

  • baker truck corral n/a, baker city
  • burnt river market, unity
  • haines market & deli, haines
  • jacksons food store 172, baker city
  • jacksons food stores 83, baker city
  • love's travel stop #569, baker city
  • maverik, inc 439, baker city
  • maverik, inc 722, baker city
  • one stop mart 36, baker city
  • the gold post, sumpter
  • york's park grocery, baker city

Supermarket · 3

  • albertson's 3211, baker city
  • grocery outlet of baker city 379, baker city
  • safeway 4381, baker city

Combination Grocery/Other · 2

  • bi-mart 658, baker city
  • dollar tree 2468, baker city

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • halfway mercantile, halfway
  • old pine market, halfway

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's take 'n' bake pizza or080, baker city

Farmers' Market · 1

  • baker city farmers market, baker city

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • baker food coop, baker city

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Oregon

Benton County
27.9% low-access · 13.3% SNAP
Clackamas County
17.3% low-access · 10.1% SNAP
Clatsop County
12.4% low-access · 15.3% SNAP
Columbia County
6.1% low-access · 15.6% SNAP
Coos County
10.6% low-access · 23.4% SNAP
Crook County
16.5% low-access · 14.6% SNAP

Compare Baker County vs Benton County → · All Oregon counties →

Food access nationally, Oregon in context

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

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

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

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Baker County has low food access? ▼
37.9% of residents in Baker County, OR 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 Baker County? ▼
16.7% of households in Baker County receive SNAP, covering 1,225 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Baker County? ▼
The poverty rate in Baker County, OR is 14.9%, with a median household income of $60,936 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Baker County a food desert? ▼
2 of Baker County's 6 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 Baker County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.3% of households in Baker 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 (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.