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 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 #1,217 most-affected nationwide.
Bear Lake County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 2 of Bear Lake County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Bear Lake County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Idaho, not a full county-board reprint
- Clark
Clark 100%
100 % low-access
- Jefferson 26.7
Jefferson 26.7%
26.7 % low-access
- Bear Lake 25.9
Bear Lake 25.9%
25.9 % low-access
- Adams 25.5
Adams 25.5%
25.5 % low-access
- Lemhi 25.5
Lemhi 25.5%
25.5 % low-access
- Jerome 24.6
Jerome 24.6%
24.6 % low-access
- Gooding 0.8
Gooding 0.8%
0.8 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 5,986 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,549 |
| Low-Access Share | 25.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 363 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 6,650 |
| Median Household Income | $75,260 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.0%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 107 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.7%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 1.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.9% |
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.
Where the store book sits, by town
All 5 authorized stores are in Montpelier, 1 of them grocery-grade (supermarket or large/medium grocery).
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.
Compare Bear Lake County vs Ada County → · All Idaho counties →
Idaho among Mountain states
Idaho ranks 4th of 8 Mountain states by population-weighted low-access (25.8%). Bear Lake County, at 25.9%, runs 0.1 pts above the Idaho rate.
- New Mexico 31.7%
- Wyoming 29.7%
- Arizona 26.8%
- Idaho 25.8%
- Utah 23.9%
- Nevada 23.0%
- Montana 22.3%
- Colorado 21.5%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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.