County food-access profile · California
Butte County, CA
Butte 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.
- 19.1%
- low-access pop.
- 14
- food-desert tracts
- 16.0%
- on SNAP
- 208K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
19.1% of Butte County residents live in a low-access area, and 14 of its 51 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 24
- low-access tracts
- 14K
- food-desert residents
- 6.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 19.2%
- 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).
Butte County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 19.1% per the USDA Atlas. 24 of the county's 51 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 42,050 residents who live far from a supermarket. 14 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 14,192 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 Butte County compares nationally
Butte County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.1% low-access share that beats 44% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,761).
Butte County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 51 census tracts in Butte County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Butte County vs. other California counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California
- Butte 19.1
Butte County, CA
19.1 % low-access
- Alameda 8.1
Alameda County, CA
8.1 % low-access
- Alpine
Alpine County, CA
57 % low-access
- Amador 0.2
Amador County, CA
0.2 % low-access
- Calaveras 14.7
Calaveras County, CA
14.7 % low-access
- Colusa
Colusa County, CA
39.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 51 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 220,000 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 24 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 14 |
| Low-Access Population | 42,050 |
| Low-Access Share | 19.1%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 14,192 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 207,929 |
| Median Household Income | $67,928 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 13,346 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.0%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.1% |
About 16.0% of Butte County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 19.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 16.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 13,346 households here.
- 6.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 14 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 Butte County
near the national share
14 of Butte County's 51 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 27.5% of all its tracts.
A further 10 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 24.
An estimated 42,050 residents, roughly 19.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 14,192 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 27 tracts (52.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Butte County
Butte County has 178 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 97 locations (54% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 97
- 7 eleven 14063b, oroville
- 7 eleven 32401c, chico
- 7 eleven store 2364-1406f, chico
- 7-eleven 14070 e, chico
- 7-eleven inc - 7 eleven 22474c, oroville
- 7-eleven 22468 c, gridley
- 7-eleven store 21324 c 21324 c, oroville
- 7-eleven 43077a, chico
- abc market, chico
- all stop market, biggs
- afforda gas and market, chico
- alliance food and gas, oroville
- arco ampm 7101, gridley
- arco ampm 7036, paradise
- arco ampm 82605, oroville
- bangor grocery, bangor
- big silver star corporation, chico
- biggs market, biggs
- billy bob market, oroville
- blue bird liquor, chico
- blue oval n/a, chico
- boucher st market, chico
- bruce's grocery store, oroville
- buck's store, clipper mills
- butte station, chico
- city liquor & market, chico
- california park market, chico
- canyon lakes market gas & liquor, oroville
- chico petro inc, chico
- chico super food mart/circle k 2655159, chico
- circle r food mart, chico
- city gas, oroville
- clear creek crossing, oroville
- corner market, chico
- dino mart, chico
- downtown liquor and market, chico
- eazy stop market, oroville
- esplanade am/pm, chico
- food express, oroville
- fair street market, chico
- fair street market, chico
- farmers market, palermo
- fastrip 46 46, gridley
- fastrip 47 47, paradise
- forbestown general store, forbestown
- g & s mart, gridley
- gojo market, chico
- gold city market, oroville
- golden feather marketplace, oroville
- h&s energy products llc 3014, chico
- h&s energy products llc 3015, chico
- h&s energy products llc 3016, chico
- h&s energy products llc 3017, oroville
- hills country store, magalia
- hwy 32 mini mart, chico
- jerry's market, oroville
- jiffy food store, oroville
- kings liquor, chico
- liquor bank 2, chico
- lucky food and gas, palermo
- lucky's in & out inc. dba tom's market, oroville
- mac's market, gridley
- mangrove mini mart, chico
- maruti east avenue inc, chico
- maruti magalia inc, magalia
- maruti oroville inc, oroville
- maruti park avenue inc., chico
- maverik 640, oroville
- maxx for less, paradise
- mj 11 market inc, oroville
- more 4 less mart, magalia
- mosiah's convenience store, oroville
- nord avenue market, chico
- nmso, inc. 68181, oroville
- ohri brothers inc, chico
- parkers corner, durham
- pdq mini mart, chico
- pentz road market & liquor inc, paradise
- piggs liquor store, oroville
- quik shop, oroville
- raj chevron, chico
- rays liquor, chico
- sierra market, chico
- sinclair dino mart, chico
- skyway gas & food, chico
- skyway mini mart, paradise
- speedway 1869, chico
- stop & shop, paradise
- tony's food & liquor, oroville
- tina's mini mart, chico
- tina's mini mart 2, chico
- tony's liquor, chico
- town and country liquor & video, oroville
- usa mini mart, oroville
- urban roots, chico
- val's foods, oroville
- warner street grocery, chico
Combination Grocery/Other · 30
- aj food market, oroville
- asian market, chico
- casa lupe market, gridley
- cvs pharmacy 2881, chico
- cvs pharmacy 7128, chico
- cvs pharmacy 7506, chico
- cvs pharmacy 9158, oroville
- cvs pharmacy 9525, gridley
- dollar general 14506, oroville
- dollar general 14791, gridley
- dollartree 9011, chico
- dollar general 14865, paradise
- dollar general 15300, oroville
- dollar general 15351, magalia
- dollar general 15507, oroville
- dollar general 19978, oroville
- dollar general 25011, paradise
- dollar general store 16170, durham
- dollar tree 1219, oroville
- dollar tree 1227, chico
- dollar tree 1265, chico
- dollar tree 2140, paradise
- dollar tree 2207, gridley
- m & y oriental market, chico
- new earth market chico, lp, chico
- s&s produce and natural foods, chico
- walgreens 13000, chico
- walgreens 3877, paradise
- walgreens 5207, chico
- walgreens 6141, oroville
Supermarket · 17
- chico natural foods inc, chico
- food maxx 474, oroville
- food maxx 475, chico
- grocery outlet gridley, gridley
- holiday market 60, magalia
- raley's 236, oroville
- raley's 245, chico
- raley's 249, chico
- safeway 1125, chico
- safeway 1651, chico
- safeway 2287, gridley
- safeway 256, chico
- sav mor foods 33, gridley
- save mart 602, chico
- save mart 613, paradise
- trader joe's 199, chico
- winco foods 025, chico
Super Store · 9
- chico grocery outlet 584, chico
- costco wholesale 1011, chico
- grocery outlet of oroville 161, oroville
- grocery outlet of south chico 607, chico
- paradise grocery outlet 488, paradise
- smart & final 808, oroville
- target store t-0317, chico
- walmart 1575, oroville
- walmart 2044, chico
Farmers' Market · 6
- chico saturday market, chico
- chico wednesday, chico
- mariam park sunday market, chico
- oroville hospital farmers market, oroville
- oroville saturday farmers market 3, oroville
- thursday night market 04dcba1, chico
Small Grocery Store · 6
- bapa's market, chico
- mi mercadito latino, gridley
- prime time nutrition 588, chico
- prime time nutrition 589, oroville
- robertsons market, oroville
- zavattero's grocery co, forest ranch
Medium Grocery Store · 5
- asian market, oroville
- better buy discount groceries, oroville
- lakeside market, oroville
- m c oriental market, oroville
- panaderia la michoacana, chico
Bakery Specialty · 4
- papa murphy's 121, oroville
- papa murphy's ca049, chico
- papa murphy's take and bake pizza ca238, chico
- papa murphy's take-n-bake #19, chico
Large Grocery Store · 2
- gold star grocery, oroville
- wagon wheel market, oroville
Delivery Route · 1
- mobile farmers market, chico
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- chico locker & sausage co, inc, chico
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in California
Compare Butte County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Food access nationally, California in context
Butte County sits inside California (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 Butte County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Butte County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Butte County? ▼
Is Butte County a food desert? ▼
What share of Butte 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.