PlainFoodAccess
Browse

Signature · 4.7% SNAP (19th pct in ID)

Bear Lake County, ID

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

25.9%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
4.7%
on SNAP
7K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 ID

USDA FARA access plate

County Bear Lake County, ID

LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR

  • LA-ELEVATED 25.9% low-access
  • ABOVE-NATIONAL +3.8 pts vs US
  • LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-LIGHT 4.7% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 1.7% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Adams County ( -0.4 pts)

The food-access picture

According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Bear Lake County ranks #1,217 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #18 of 44 counties in ID (25.9% low-access).

#1,217
national by low-access %
#18
in ID
1
low-access tracts
363
food-desert residents

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).

Signature read: 4.7% SNAP (19th pct in ID) (-7.4 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .

How Bear Lake County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Bear Lake County's 25.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 61% of them and ranked #1,225 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Bear Lake County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .

Food access tier distribution for Bear Lake County, ID USDA-defined food-access tiers: 1 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 2 tracts evaluated. 1 tracts adequate (50.0%) 1 tracts limited (50.0%) Adequate 50% Limited 50% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Bear Lake County, ID
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Bear Lake County has 0 urban and 2 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.

Bear Lake County low-access neighbourhood

Poles + nearest peers in Idaho, not a full county-board reprint

% 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 Bear Lake County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts2
Atlas Population (2010 basis)5,986
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population1,549
Low-Access Share25.9%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population363

ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Bear Lake County
IndicatorValue
Population6,650
Median Household Income$75,260
Poverty Rate7.0%well below the national average
SNAP Households107
SNAP Participation Rate4.7%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle1.7%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.9%

Slim SNAP store book in Bear Lake County

Bear Lake County has 5 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 2 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 2

  • fast stop 1140 inc, montpelier
  • maverik, inc 236, montpelier

Combination Grocery/Other · 1

  • family dollar store 6790, montpelier

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • jensen's ag market, montpelier

Super Store · 1

  • broulims fresh foods 2, montpelier

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).

Other Counties in Idaho

One of 43 counties in Idaho, 6 are shown here.

Ada County
30.4% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Adams County
25.5% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Bannock County
34.7% low-access · 14.6% 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 Bear Lake County vs Ada County → · All Idaho counties →

Food access nationally, Idaho in context

Bear Lake County sits inside Idaho (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; 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

Read with this county

Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .

PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Bear Lake County, ID are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 16007. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.

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.