County food-access profile · California
Colusa County, CA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Colusa 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).
- 39.3%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 16.4%
- on SNAP
- 22K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
39.3% of Colusa County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 4.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.4%
- 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 Colusa County's low-access share at 39.3%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 5 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 8,424 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,647 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 Colusa County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Colusa County's 39.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 86% of them and ranked #427 most-affected nationwide.
Colusa County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 5 census tracts in Colusa County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Colusa County vs. other California counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California
- Colusa
Colusa County, CA
39.3 % 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
- Calaveras 14.7
Calaveras County, CA
14.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 21,419 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,424 |
| Low-Access Share | 39.3%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,647 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 21,984 |
| Median Household Income | $75,672 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.4%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,229 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.4%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.6%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.3% |
About 16.4% of Colusa County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 39.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 16.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,229 households here.
- 4.6% 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 Colusa County
above the national share
1 of Colusa County's 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 8,424 residents, roughly 39.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,647 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 1 tract (20.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Colusa County
Colusa County has 29 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 16 locations (55% of the total), followed by medium grocery store.
Convenience Store · 16
- 1850 management inc, williams
- 99 cents & more, arbuckle
- arco ampm 7129, vacaville
- arco ampm 83453, williams
- caldwell mini mart, maxwell
- college city market, college city
- j & j gas mini mart, arbuckle
- jacks market, colusa
- kwik stop, colusa
- love's travel stop 652, williams
- orv's shell, williams
- poppy arbuckle 501, arbuckle
- shop n save 1, colusa
- stonyford general store, stonyford
- wayman's 76, williams
- williams express mart 1, williams
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- arbuckle food center, arbuckle
- carniceria las reinas corp., colusa
- el toro loco market, williams
- mercado's meat market 2, colusa
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 18054, williams
- dollar general 14864, colusa
- dollar general 14972, arbuckle
Large Grocery Store · 2
- roy's supermarket, williams
- shop-n-save, williams
Supermarket · 2
- grocery outlet of willits 390, williams
- sav mor foods 31, colusa
Farmers' Market · 1
- colusa certified farmers market, colusa
Small Grocery Store · 1
- de loza meat market, arbuckle
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in California
Compare Colusa County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Food access nationally, California in context
Colusa 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 Colusa County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Colusa County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Colusa County? ▼
Is Colusa County a food desert? ▼
What share of Colusa 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.