County food-access profile · California
Calaveras County, CA
Calaveras 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.
- 14.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 9.5%
- on SNAP
- 46K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
14.7% of Calaveras County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 2.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.0%
- 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).
Calaveras County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 14.7% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,716 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Calaveras County compares nationally
Calaveras County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.7% low-access share that beats 32% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,140).
Calaveras County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Calaveras County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Calaveras County vs. other California counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California
- Calaveras 14.7
Calaveras County, CA
14.7 % 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
- Butte 19.1
Butte County, CA
19.1 % low-access
- Colusa
Colusa County, CA
39.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 45,578 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,716 |
| Low-Access Share | 14.7%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,730 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 46,248 |
| Median Household Income | $78,647 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.0%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,760 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.5%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
About 9.5% of Calaveras County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 14.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,760 households here.
- 2.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $78,647 with a 13.0% poverty rate.
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 Calaveras County
near the national share
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 6,716 residents, roughly 14.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,730 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 8 tracts (80.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Calaveras County
Calaveras County has 41 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 20
- 7-eleven, inc. 42036h, san andreas
- altaville food & liquor market, altaville
- angles camp sierra energy, angels camp
- arnold chevron, arnold
- baljit singh & charanjit singh, san andreas
- fast and easy mart, mokelumne hill
- h&s energy products llc 3033, angeles camp
- h&s energy products llc 3036, san andreas
- kc's korner, west point
- motherlode co general store, valley springs
- pari mart gas, san andreas
- pic n save 1, arnold
- rocket 5264, arnold
- rocket 5266, copperopolis
- s a m m, san andreas
- the grizzly bear, arnold
- valley springs chevron, valley springs
- valley springs mini mart, valley springs
- village gas n mart, valley springs
- wallace sierra energy, wallace
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- cvs pharmacy 9390, valley springs
- cvs pharmacy 9539, angels camp
- dollar general 17096, west point
- dollar general 17653, angels camp
- dollar geneal 17118, valley springs
- dollar general store 16311, arnold
- family dollar store 11389, copperopolis
- payless market, copperopolis
Supermarket · 5
- angels food market, angels camp
- save mart 46, angels camp
- sierra hills market, murphys
- sender's market inc, mountain ranch
- treats general store, san andreas
Super Store · 3
- big trees market, arnold
- mar-val food store #4, valley springs
- valley springs grocery outlet 378, valley springs
Farmers' Market · 2
- calaverasgrown certified farmers market, san andreas
- west point farmers market, west point
Small Grocery Store · 2
- burson market, burson
- rail road flat general store, rail road flat
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- moke hill market, mokelumne hill
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in California
Compare Calaveras County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Food access nationally, California in context
Calaveras 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 Calaveras County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Calaveras County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Calaveras County? ▼
Is Calaveras County a food desert? ▼
What share of Calaveras 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.