County food-access profile · Oregon
Benton County, OR
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Benton 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).
- 27.9%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 13.3%
- on SNAP
- 96K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
27.9% of Benton County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 11
- low-access tracts
- 6K
- food-desert residents
- 7.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 18.2%
- 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 Benton County's low-access share at 27.9%, above the national share. 11 of the county's 18 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 23,900 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,318 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 Benton County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Benton County's 27.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 65% of them and ranked #1,093 most-affected nationwide.
Benton County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 18 census tracts in Benton County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Benton County vs. other Oregon counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Oregon
- Benton
Benton County, OR
27.9 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, OR
37.9 % low-access
- Clackamas
Clackamas County, OR
17.3 % low-access
- Clatsop 12.4
Clatsop County, OR
12.4 % low-access
- Columbia 6.1
Columbia County, OR
6.1 % low-access
- Coos 10.6
Coos County, OR
10.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 18 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 85,579 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 11 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 23,900 |
| Low-Access Share | 27.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 6,318 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 96,303 |
| Median Household Income | $77,702 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,123 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.3%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.4%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 7.0% |
About 13.3% of Benton County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 27.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,123 households here.
- 7.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Benton County
above the national share
3 of Benton County's 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.
A further 8 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 11.
An estimated 23,900 residents, roughly 27.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 6,318 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (38.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Benton County
Benton County has 60 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 31 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 31
- 26th st superette market 0, corvallis
- 7-eleven #17105e, corvallis
- 7-eleven 14520 e, corvallis
- 7-eleven 22935 c, corvallis
- 7-eleven 38795a 38795a, corvallis
- blodgett country store, blodgett
- city limits, corvallis
- corvallis market, corvallis
- cascadia market, corvallis
- circle k 38798h, corvallis
- country market & deli, corvallis
- dari mart store 13, corvallis
- dari mart store 14, monroe
- desi roots & spices, corvallis
- extramile convenience stores 110, corvallis
- hk asian market, corvallis
- jacksons food stores 108, albany
- jacksons food stores 111, corvallis
- john boys alsea mercantile inc, alsea
- jona's market, philomath
- kings valley store, monmouth
- main st chevron, philomath
- main st. market 6, philomath
- people mart 11, corvallis
- philomath market, philomath
- philomath towne pump, philomath
- super speedy mart and deli #2, corvallis
- us market 145, corvallis
- unique mart, corvallis
- university market, corvallis
- western market, corvallis
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- bi-mart 604, corvallis
- bi-mart 639, corvallis
- cvs pharmacy 11659, corvallis
- dollar general 18595, monroe
- dollar general 17290, philomath
- dollar tree 2469, corvallis
- dollar tree 3196, corvallis
Supermarket · 7
- grocery outlet of corvallis 198, corvallis
- safeway 1690, corvallis
- safeway 1765, corvallis
- safeway 4333, corvallis
- trader joe's 154, corvallis
- vitamin cottage u077, corvallis
- winco foods 003, corvallis
Super Store · 6
- fred meyer 70, corvallis
- first alternative coop grocery, corvallis
- first alternative cooperative, corvallis
- market of choice 7, corvallis
- north albany supermarket, llc 425, albany
- walmart neighborhood market 3146, corvallis
Bakery Specialty · 3
- papa murphy's or020, corvallis
- papa murphy's or131, corvallis
- wild yeast bakery, corvallis
Farmers' Market · 3
- corvallis farmers markets, corvallis
- corvallis indoor winter market 1, corvallis
- philomath farmers' market, philomath
Large Grocery Store · 1
- bazaar international market 1002, corvallis
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- better beef corvallis, corvallis
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- rice 'n' spice of oregon, corvallis
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Oregon
Compare Benton County vs Baker County → · All Oregon counties →
Food access nationally, Oregon in context
Benton County sits inside Oregon (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 Benton County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Benton County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Benton County? ▼
Is Benton County a food desert? ▼
What share of Benton 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.