Signature · 47.5% low-access (92nd pct)
Boise County, ID
Boise County sits in the upper national band on low-access (47.5%, +25.4 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 47.5%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 6.8%
- on SNAP
- 8K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Boise County, ID
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-SEVERE 47.5% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +25.4 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 6.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 2.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Lewis County (+ 0.5 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Boise County sits in the upper national band (47.5%, #234 of 3,079).
- #234
- national by low-access %
- #5
- in ID
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 973
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 47.5% low-access (92nd pct) (+25.4 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Boise County compares nationally
Boise County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 47.5% low-access share outpaces 92% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #234 most-affected nationwide.
Boise County's elevated USDA tier split
1 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 1 of Boise 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.
Boise County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Idaho, not a full county-board reprint
- Clark
Clark 100%
100 % low-access
- Lewis
Lewis 48%
48 % low-access
- Boise
Boise 47.5%
47.5 % low-access
- Fremont
Fremont 46.6%
46.6 % low-access
- Bonneville 38.7
Bonneville 38.7%
38.7 % low-access
- Minidoka 37
Minidoka 37%
37 % low-access
- Gooding 0.8
Gooding 0.8%
0.8 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 1 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 7,028 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,341 |
| Low-Access Share | 47.5%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 973 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 8,273 |
| Median Household Income | $78,774 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.7%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 243 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.8%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.6%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.7% |
SNAP retailers in Boise County
Boise County has 7 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Small Grocery Store lead with 3 locations (43% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
5 towns share the 7 authorized stores; Horseshoe Bend holds 29% of them. 4 of the 5 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Horseshoe Bend, Garden Valley, Lowman, Placerville.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Horseshoe Bend | 2 | none |
| Idaho City | 2 | 1 |
| Garden Valley | 1 | none |
| Lowman | 1 | none |
| Placerville | 1 | none |
Small Grocery Store · 3
- lowman mercantile, lowman
- ray's corner market llc, horseshoe bend
- tom's service 1, idaho city
Convenience Store · 2
- my place n.a., placerville
- valley view chevron, horseshoe bend
Combination Grocery/Other · 1
- garden valley market, garden valley
Large Grocery Store · 1
- idaho city grocery, idaho city
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.
Idaho among Mountain states
Idaho ranks 4th of 8 Mountain states by population-weighted low-access (25.8%). Boise County, at 47.5%, runs 21.7 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 Boise County, ID are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 16015. 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.