PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Idaho

Cassia County, ID

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Cassia County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

20.3%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
9.2%
on SNAP
25K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 ID

The food-access picture

20.3% of Cassia County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

2
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
4.6%
households, no vehicle
12.4%
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).

USDA data puts Cassia County's low-access share at 20.3%, above the national share. 2 of the county's 6 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 4,665 people. 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 Cassia County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Cassia County's 20.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 47% of them and ranked #1,668 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Cassia County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Cassia 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 Cassia County, ID USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (66.7%) 2 tracts limited (33.3%) Adequate 67% Limited 33% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Cassia County, ID
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Cassia 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 Cassia County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)22,952
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population4,665
Low-Access Share20.3%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,056

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Cassia County
IndicatorValue
Population25,483
Median Household Income$70,830
Poverty Rate12.4%below the national average
SNAP Households779
SNAP Participation Rate9.2%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.6%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.7%
SNAP participation in Cassia County 9.2%

About 9.2% of Cassia County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 779 households here.
  • 4.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $70,830 with a 12.4% 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 Cassia County

above 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 4,665 residents, roughly 20.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,056 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Cassia County

Cassia County has 20 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 10

  • farmers corner 1, burley
  • farmers corner 2, oakley
  • maverik 394, burley
  • maverik, inc 512, burley
  • mr. gas #1 80248, burley
  • mr. gas #12 80250, burley
  • pit stop, declo
  • stinker store 121, burley
  • stinker store 61, burley
  • stinker store 79, burley

Combination Grocery/Other · 4

  • dollartree 9639, burley
  • dollar tree 3179, burley
  • family dollar store 6676, burley
  • walgreens 13673, burley

Super Store · 2

  • smith's food & drug 123, burley
  • walmart 1900, burley

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's id030, burley

Farmers' Market · 1

  • burley farmers market, burley

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • clark's for shopping, inc., oakley

Supermarket · 1

  • stokes fresh food market, burley

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 Cassia County vs Ada County → · All Idaho counties →

Food access nationally, Idaho in context

Cassia 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 Cassia County has low food access? ▼
20.3% of residents in Cassia 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 Cassia County? ▼
9.2% of households in Cassia County receive SNAP, covering 779 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Cassia County? ▼
The poverty rate in Cassia County, ID is 12.4%, with a median household income of $70,830 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Cassia County a food desert? ▼
0 of Cassia County's 6 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Cassia County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.6% of households in Cassia 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.