PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Idaho

Bingham County, ID

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

32.3%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
10.3%
on SNAP
50K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 ID

The food-access picture

32.3% of Bingham County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
4.5%
households, no vehicle
11.7%
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 Bingham County's low-access share at 32.3%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 8 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 14,711 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,258 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 Bingham County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Bingham County's 32.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 75% of them and ranked #795 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Bingham County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Bingham 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 Bingham County, ID USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (37.5%) 4 tracts limited (50.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (12.5%) Adequate 38% Limited 50% Severe 13% Food-access tier distribution: Bingham County, ID
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Bingham 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 Bingham County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)45,607
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population14,711
Low-Access Share32.3%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,258

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Bingham County
IndicatorValue
Population49,664
Median Household Income$77,878
Poverty Rate11.7%below the national average
SNAP Households1,665
SNAP Participation Rate10.3%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.5%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.0%
SNAP participation in Bingham County 10.3%

About 10.3% of Bingham County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 32.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,665 households here.
  • 4.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Bingham County

above the national share

1 of Bingham County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.5% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 14,711 residents, roughly 32.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,258 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (37.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Bingham County

Bingham County has 26 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 12

  • all american market, blackfoot
  • deroche oil, inc., blackfoot
  • fast stop 1146, blackfoot
  • fast stop 2241 inc., blackfoot
  • good 2 go store 120, shelley
  • good 2 go stores blackfoot 122, blackfoot
  • maverik, inc 172, blackfoot
  • maverik, inc 749, blackfoot
  • our place quick stop llc, pingree
  • sage hill travel center, blackfoot
  • stinker store 85, blackfoot
  • white eagle, blackfoot

Combination Grocery/Other · 5

  • dollar tree 7420, blackfoot
  • family dollar 6982, shelley
  • family dollar store 11028, aberdeen
  • family dollar store 6480, blackfoot
  • walgreens 13672, blackfoot

Super Store · 3

  • broulims fresh foods 9, shelley
  • ridley's family markets 7155, blackfoot
  • walmart 1905, blackfoot

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's pizza id014, blackfoot

Farmers' Market · 1

  • blackfoot farmers' market, blackfoot

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • stokes fresh food market, aberdeen

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • mickelsen pack, blackfoot

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • el chuy market llc, shelley

Supermarket · 1

  • kesler's market inc, blackfoot

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
Bannock County
34.7% low-access · 14.6% SNAP
Bear Lake County
25.9% low-access · 4.7% SNAP
Benewah County
23.3% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Blaine County
7.9% low-access · 4.1% SNAP

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

Food access nationally, Idaho in context

Bingham 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 Bingham County has low food access? ▼
32.3% of residents in Bingham 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 Bingham County? ▼
10.3% of households in Bingham County receive SNAP, covering 1,665 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Bingham County? ▼
The poverty rate in Bingham County, ID is 11.7%, with a median household income of $77,878 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Bingham County a food desert? ▼
1 of Bingham County's 8 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 Bingham County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.5% of households in Bingham 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.