Signature · 14 LILA tracts (27.5% of tracts)
Butte County, CA
Butte County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 14 LILA tracts (27.5% of the book) alongside 19.1% low-access.
- 19.1%
- low-access pop.
- 14
- food-desert tracts
- 16.0%
- on SNAP
- 208K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Butte County, CA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 19.1% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -3.0 pts vs US
- LILA-CLUSTER 14 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 16.0% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 27% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Tehama County (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Butte County ranks #1,756 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #25 of 58 counties in CA (19.1% low-access; 14 food-desert tracts).
- #1,756
- national by low-access %
- #25
- in CA
- 24
- low-access tracts
- 14K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 14 LILA tracts (27.5% of tracts) .
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
51 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 14 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Butte County has 38 urban and 13 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Butte County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in California, not a full county-board reprint
- Sierra
Sierra 88.2%
88.2 % low-access
- Shasta 20.3
Shasta 20.3%
20.3 % low-access
- Butte 19.1
Butte 19.1%
19.1 % low-access
- Tehama 19.1
Tehama 19.1%
19.1 % low-access
- Merced 18.9
Merced 18.9%
18.9 % low-access
- San Luis Obis… 18.6
San Luis Obis… 18.6%
18.6 % low-access
- Amador 0.2
Amador 0.2%
0.2 % 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 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| 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% |
Thick SNAP store book 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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in California
One of 57 counties in California, 6 are shown here.
Compare Butte County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Nationwide peers for Butte County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Butte County, both outside California so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside CA (19.1% here).
- Franklin County, MA · 19.1% low-access
- Franklin County, MA · 19.1% low-access
- Garfield County, OK · 19.1% low-access
- Garfield County, OK · 19.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside CA (16.0% here).
- Lawrence County, AR · 16.0% SNAP
- Lawrence County, AR · 16.0% SNAP
- Fremont County, CO · 16.0% SNAP
- Fremont County, CO · 16.0% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, California in context
Butte County sits inside California (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Butte County, CA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 06007. 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.