PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Oregon

Clatsop County, OR

Clatsop 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.

12.4%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
15.3%
on SNAP
41K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OR

The food-access picture

12.4% of Clatsop County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

2
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
7.7%
households, no vehicle
12.3%
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).

Clatsop County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 12.4% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 11 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,605 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 Clatsop County compares nationally

Clatsop County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.4% low-access share that beats 26% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,314).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Clatsop County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Clatsop 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 Clatsop County, OR USDA-defined food-access tiers: 9 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 9 tracts adequate (81.8%) 2 tracts limited (18.2%) Adequate 82% Limited 18% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Clatsop County, OR
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Clatsop County vs. other Oregon counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Oregon

% 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 Clatsop County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)37,039
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population4,605
Low-Access Share12.4%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,380

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Clatsop County
IndicatorValue
Population41,363
Median Household Income$71,822
Poverty Rate12.3%below the national average
SNAP Households2,752
SNAP Participation Rate15.3%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.7%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.9%
SNAP participation in Clatsop County 15.3%

About 15.3% of Clatsop County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 12.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,752 households here.
  • 7.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $71,822 with a 12.3% 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 Clatsop 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 4,605 residents, roughly 12.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,380 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 9 tracts (81.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Clatsop County

Clatsop County has 49 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • astor court market, astoria
  • astoria chevron, astoria
  • astoria downtown market, astoria
  • astoria mini market, astoria
  • astoria small stop, astoria
  • deals only, astoria
  • joe's mobil, astoria
  • kiosco mexicano, seaside
  • kiosco mexicano 2, warrenton
  • knappa mini market, astoria
  • leo's corner, seaside
  • mini mart east 3, astoria
  • seaside discount cigarettes, seaside
  • seaside station, seaside
  • seaside stop & go shell, seaside
  • stop & go convenience store, seaside
  • sunset lake park store, warrenton
  • super mart 10, hammond
  • supermart 11, seaside
  • supermart 9, warrenton
  • trucke's travel stop, seaside
  • warrenton mini mart, warrenton
  • westport markit, westport

Combination Grocery/Other · 6

  • dollar general 18949, gearhart
  • dollar tree 4096, warrenton
  • gezellig seafoods, astoria
  • oregon & more, seaside
  • seaside market, seaside
  • walgreens 09671, warrenton

Farmers' Market · 4

  • astoria sunday market, astoria
  • astoria uppertown farmers market, astoria
  • cannon beach farmers market, cannon beach
  • seaside farmers market, seaside

Super Store · 4

  • community store, astoria
  • costco wholesale 1059, warrenton
  • fred meyer 218, warrenton
  • walmart supercenter 5861, warrenton

Supermarket · 4

  • safeway 1260, seaside
  • safeway 2627, astoria
  • seaside oregon grocery outlet 401, seaside
  • vitamin cottage natural market u146, warrenton

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • franz bakery thrift 9020, astoria
  • papa murphys or-032, astoria

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • cannon beach fresh foods, cannon beach
  • main st. market, warrenton

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • country market, astoria
  • mariner market, cannon beach

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • gulley's butcher shop llc, astoria

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • fishstix seafood market, warrenton

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Oregon

Baker County
37.9% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Benton County
27.9% low-access · 13.3% SNAP
Clackamas County
17.3% low-access · 10.1% SNAP
Columbia County
6.1% low-access · 15.6% SNAP
Coos County
10.6% low-access · 23.4% SNAP
Crook County
16.5% low-access · 14.6% SNAP

Compare Clatsop County vs Baker County → · All Oregon counties →

Food access nationally, Oregon in context

Clatsop County sits inside Oregon (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 Clatsop County has low food access? ▼
12.4% of residents in Clatsop County, OR 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 Clatsop County? ▼
15.3% of households in Clatsop County receive SNAP, covering 2,752 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Clatsop County? ▼
The poverty rate in Clatsop County, OR is 12.3%, with a median household income of $71,822 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Clatsop County a food desert? ▼
0 of Clatsop County's 11 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 Clatsop County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.7% of households in Clatsop 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.