PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Idaho

Bannock County, ID

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

34.7%
low-access pop.
6
food-desert tracts
14.6%
on SNAP
89K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 ID

The food-access picture

34.7% of Bannock County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 22 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

15
low-access tracts
10K
food-desert residents
5.0%
households, no vehicle
12.3%
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 Bannock County's low-access share at 34.7%, above the national share. 15 of the county's 22 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 28,772 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,615 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 Bannock County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Bannock County's 34.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 80% of them and ranked #612 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Bannock County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 22 census tracts in Bannock 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 Bannock County, ID USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 9 limited, 6 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 22 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (31.8%) 9 tracts limited (40.9%) 6 tracts severe / food desert (27.3%) Adequate 32% Limited 41% Severe 27% Food-access tier distribution: Bannock County, ID
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Bannock County vs. other Idaho counties

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

% 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 Bannock County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts22
Atlas Population (2010 basis)82,839
Low-Access Tracts15
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)6
Low-Access Population28,772
Low-Access Share34.7%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population9,615

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Bannock County
IndicatorValue
Population89,454
Median Household Income$66,499
Poverty Rate12.3%below the national average
SNAP Households4,916
SNAP Participation Rate14.6%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.0%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.1%
SNAP participation in Bannock County 14.6%

About 14.6% of Bannock County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 34.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,916 households here.
  • 5.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 6 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 Bannock County

above the national share

6 of Bannock County's 22 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 27.3% of all its tracts.

A further 9 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 15.

An estimated 28,772 residents, roughly 34.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 9,615 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (31.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Bannock County

Bannock County has 64 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 36 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 36

  • 5th and clark kicks 66 80226, pocatello
  • extra mile 4231, chubbuck
  • fast stop 1141, mccammon
  • fast stop 1145 inc., downey
  • fast stop 2240, pocatello
  • fast stop 2242, pocatello
  • fast stop 2243, pocatello
  • fast stop 2244, pocatello
  • fast stop 2245, pocatello
  • fast stop 2246, pocatello
  • good 2 go 123, pocatello
  • hitt the road, arimo
  • jacksons food store 030, chubbuck
  • jacksons food stores 067, pocatello
  • jacksons food stores 068, pocatello
  • jacksons food stores 069, chubbuck
  • k & b kwik stop 2, pocatello
  • k & b kwik stop 3, pocatello
  • k & b kwik stop 5, pocatello
  • k & b kwik stop 6, pocatello
  • maverik, inc 194, pocatello
  • maverik, inc 347, pocatello
  • maverik, inc 364, pocatello
  • maverik, inc 489, pocatello
  • maverik, inc 651, pocatello
  • our place benton st, pocatello
  • our place pit stop, pocatello
  • pilot travel center 641, mccammon
  • pocatello creek kicks 66 80220, pocatello
  • poleline kick's 66 80224, pocatello
  • stinker store 49, pocatello
  • stinker store 64, pocatello
  • stinker store 67, pocatello
  • stinker store 69, pocatello
  • sunnyside sinclair, lava hot springs
  • the mart, downey

Combination Grocery/Other · 8

  • dollartree 10868, pocatello
  • dollar tree 2614, chubbuck
  • dollar tree 2762, pocatello
  • family dollar 12118, mccammon
  • family dollar store 6641, pocatello
  • family dollar store 6824, pocatello
  • walgreens 06380, pocatello
  • walgreens 9157, chubbuck

Super Store · 6

  • costco wholesale 1033, pocatello
  • fred meyer 260, pocatello
  • ridley's family markets 7152, pocatello
  • ridley's family markets 7156, pocatello
  • smith's food & drug 61, chubbuck
  • walmart 1995, pocatello

Bakery Specialty · 3

  • franz family bakery outlet 9068, pocatello
  • papa murphy's pizza id006, pocatello
  • papa murphy's pizza id021, chubbuck

Supermarket · 3

  • albertsons 159, pocatello
  • grocery outlet of pocatello #539, pocatello
  • winco foods 117, pocatello

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • bisharat market, inkom
  • fort hall trading post, pocatello

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • butcher block, pocatello
  • del monte meats, pocatello

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • big deal outlet 05, pocatello
  • nel's bi-lo food center, pocatello

Farmers' Market · 1

  • portneuf valley farmers market, pocatello

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • short stop gorcery, mccammon

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Idaho

Ada County
30.4% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Adams County
25.5% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Bear Lake County
25.9% low-access · 4.7% SNAP
Benewah County
23.3% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Bingham County
32.3% low-access · 10.3% SNAP
Blaine County
7.9% low-access · 4.1% SNAP

Compare Bannock County vs Ada County → · All Idaho counties →

Food access nationally, Idaho in context

Bannock County sits inside Idaho (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 Bannock County has low food access? ▼
34.7% of residents in Bannock County, ID 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 Bannock County? ▼
14.6% of households in Bannock County receive SNAP, covering 4,916 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Bannock County? ▼
The poverty rate in Bannock County, ID is 12.3%, with a median household income of $66,499 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Bannock County a food desert? ▼
6 of Bannock County's 22 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 Bannock County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.0% of households in Bannock 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.