County food-access profile · Nevada
Churchill County, NV
Churchill 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.
- 18.9%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 10.6%
- on SNAP
- 26K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
18.9% of Churchill County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 3.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.1%
- 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).
Churchill County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.9% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,711 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,437 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 Churchill County compares nationally
Churchill County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.9% low-access share that beats 43% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,783).
Churchill County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 7 census tracts in Churchill County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Churchill County vs. other Nevada counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Nevada
- Churchill 18.9
Churchill County, NV
18.9 % low-access
- Carson City 14.3
Carson City, NV
14.3 % low-access
- Clark 19
Clark County, NV
19 % low-access
- Douglas
Douglas County, NV
50.1 % low-access
- Elko 16.1
Elko County, NV
16.1 % low-access
- Esmeralda
Esmeralda County, NV
97.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 24,877 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,711 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.9%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,437 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 25,805 |
| Median Household Income | $79,163 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.1%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,012 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.6%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.8% |
About 10.6% of Churchill County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 18.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,012 households here.
- 3.9% 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 Churchill County
near the national share
1 of Churchill County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% 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 4,711 residents, roughly 18.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,437 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (71.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Churchill County
Churchill County has 23 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 13 locations (57% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 13
- ba food & liquor, fallon
- carniceria y taqueria mendoza 2, fallon
- fallon food mart, fallon
- fallon fox peak, fallon
- fallon international market llc, fallon
- fallon rv park country store, fallon
- fallon station and food mart, fallon
- fallon stores inc, fallon
- golden gate gas 65, fallon
- grand slam mini mart, fallon
- jacksons food stores 127, fallon
- maverik, inc 416, fallon
- south mini mart, fallon
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- cvs pharmacy 9843, fallon
- dollar tree 1567, fallon
- walgreens 09581, fallon
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- fallon livestock processing llc, fallon
- momma's meat co., fallon
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's nv 031, fallon
Farmers' Market · 1
- green goddess collective, fallon
Military Commissary · 1
- deca fallon nas commissary 1409, fallon
Super Store · 1
- walmart 2453, fallon
Supermarket · 1
- safeway 1517, fallon
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Nevada
Compare Churchill County vs Carson City → · All Nevada counties →
Food access nationally, Nevada in context
Churchill County sits inside Nevada (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 Churchill County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Churchill County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Churchill County? ▼
Is Churchill County a food desert? ▼
What share of Churchill 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.