PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Idaho

Bonner County, ID

Bonner County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

8.2%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
6.4%
on SNAP
51K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 ID

The food-access picture

8.2% of Bonner County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
4.8%
households, no vehicle
11.1%
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).

Bonner County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.2% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,350 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,196 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 Bonner County compares nationally

Bonner County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.2% low-access share that beats 16% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,629).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Bonner County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Bonner 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 Bonner County, ID USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (77.8%) 1 tracts limited (11.1%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (11.1%) Adequate 78% Limited 11% Severe 11% Food-access tier distribution: Bonner County, ID
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Bonner 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 Bonner County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)40,877
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population3,350
Low-Access Share8.2%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,196

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Bonner County
IndicatorValue
Population51,049
Median Household Income$66,979
Poverty Rate11.1%below the national average
SNAP Households1,302
SNAP Participation Rate6.4%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.8%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.1%
SNAP participation in Bonner County 6.4%

About 6.4% of Bonner County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 8.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 6.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,302 households here.
  • 4.8% 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 Bonner County

near the national share

1 of Bonner County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.1% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.

An estimated 3,350 residents, roughly 8.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,196 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (77.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Bonner County

Bonner County has 27 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 11 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 11

  • blanchard ez stop, blanchard
  • clark fork beverage, clark fork
  • dj's ez stop., oldtown
  • ponderay one stop, ponderay
  • priest river corner store n/a, priest river
  • rara food mart(ameri pride), oldtown
  • s & s petroleum 62152, oldtown
  • samuels store, sandpoint
  • the laclede store, inc, laclede
  • tamrak store, priest lake
  • westmond chevron, sagle

Combination Grocery/Other · 5

  • dollar general 23351, sagle
  • dollar general 23769, priest river
  • dollar tree 3634, ponderay
  • dollar tree 7222, oldtown
  • family dollar 12659, oldtown

Super Store · 5

  • mitchells, priest river
  • super 1 foods 7070, sandpoint
  • super 1 foods 7819, oldtown
  • walmart 2485, ponderay
  • yoke's fresh market 4, ponderay

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • clarkfork pantry, clark fork
  • miller's country store, sandpoint

Supermarket · 2

  • safeway 350, sandpoint
  • winter ridge natural foods, sandpoint

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's id018, ponderay

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • wood's meat processing, sandpoint

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
Bingham County
32.3% low-access · 10.3% SNAP

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

Food access nationally, Idaho in context

Bonner 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 Bonner County has low food access? ▼
8.2% of residents in Bonner 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 Bonner County? ▼
6.4% of households in Bonner County receive SNAP, covering 1,302 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Bonner County? ▼
The poverty rate in Bonner County, ID is 11.1%, with a median household income of $66,979 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Bonner County a food desert? ▼
1 of Bonner County's 9 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 Bonner County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.8% of households in Bonner 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.