PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Oregon

Columbia County, OR

Most of Columbia County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

6.1%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
15.6%
on SNAP
53K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OR

The food-access picture

6.1% of Columbia County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

2
low-access tracts
701
food-desert residents
4.4%
households, no vehicle
8.9%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Columbia County fares better than most: just 6.1% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 2 of the county's 10 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 3,009 people who live far from a supermarket, and 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 Columbia County compares nationally

Food access in Columbia County compares favorably nationally: its 6.1% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 12% of them (rank #2,760).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Columbia County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Columbia 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 Columbia County, OR USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (80.0%) 2 tracts limited (20.0%) Adequate 80% Limited 20% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Columbia County, OR
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Columbia 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 Columbia County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)49,351
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population3,009
Low-Access Share6.1%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population701

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Columbia County
IndicatorValue
Population53,493
Median Household Income$87,458
Poverty Rate8.9%below the national average
SNAP Households3,258
SNAP Participation Rate15.6%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.4%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.9%
SNAP participation in Columbia County 15.6%

About 15.6% of Columbia County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 6.1% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,258 households here.
  • 4.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $87,458 with a 8.9% 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 Columbia County

below 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 3,009 residents, roughly 6.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 701 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 Columbia County

Columbia County has 37 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • alston country store, rainier
  • american market, saint helens
  • bridge street mini market, vernonia
  • center market 44, scappoose
  • chevron st helens, saint helens
  • clatskaine chevron food mart, clatskanie
  • clatskanie shell, clatskanie
  • columbia city mini mart 1, columbia city
  • deer island store, deer island
  • goble landing store, rainier
  • jackpot market 1, scappoose
  • rainier chevron foodmart, rainier
  • roadrunner gas & grocery, scappoose
  • scappoose market, scappoose
  • sherlocks grocery 1, saint helens
  • skinny's texaco, saint helens
  • star mart, scappoose
  • west street grocery, saint helens
  • zatterbergs market, saint helens

Combination Grocery/Other · 5

  • bi-mart 686, scappoose
  • dollar general 18250, clatskanie
  • dollar general 18501, rainier
  • dollar tree 1947, saint helens
  • walgreens 10056, saint helens

Super Store · 5

  • fred meyer 462, scappoose
  • grocery outlet 471, saint helens
  • grocery outlet of scappoose 159, scappoose
  • rainier grocery outlet 351, rainier
  • walmart 2422, saint helens

Supermarket · 4

  • r&s market, vernonia
  • safeway 424, st helens
  • safeway 4318, clatskanie
  • st helens red apple market, saint helens

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • papa murphys or-006 006, saint helens
  • papa murphys take and bake pizza scappoose or010, scappoose

Farmers' Market · 1

  • clatskanie farmers market, clatskanie

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • clatskanie food hub, clatskanie

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
Clatsop County
12.4% low-access · 15.3% SNAP
Coos County
10.6% low-access · 23.4% SNAP
Crook County
16.5% low-access · 14.6% SNAP

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

Food access nationally, Oregon in context

Columbia 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 Columbia County has low food access? ▼
6.1% of residents in Columbia 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 Columbia County? ▼
15.6% of households in Columbia County receive SNAP, covering 3,258 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Columbia County? ▼
The poverty rate in Columbia County, OR is 8.9%, with a median household income of $87,458 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Columbia County a food desert? ▼
0 of Columbia County's 10 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 Columbia County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.4% of households in Columbia 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.