Signature · 17.7% SNAP (82nd pct in WA)
Cowlitz County, WA
Cowlitz County stands out on SNAP (17.7%, +5.6 pts vs U.S.) with 25.3% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 25.3%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 17.7%
- on SNAP
- 112K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Cowlitz County, WA
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 25.3% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +3.2 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 17.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 17% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Grant County (+ 0.5 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Cowlitz County ranks #1,267 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #17 of 38 counties in WA (25.3% low-access; 4 food-desert tracts).
- #1,267
- national by low-access %
- #17
- in WA
- 7
- low-access tracts
- 9K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 17.7% SNAP (82nd pct in WA) (+5.6 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Cowlitz County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Cowlitz County's 25.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 59% of them and ranked #1,273 most-affected nationwide.
Cowlitz County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
24 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Cowlitz County has 16 urban and 8 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Cowlitz County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Washington, not a full county-board reprint
- Douglas
Douglas 55.5%
55.5 % low-access
- Grant
Grant 25.8%
25.8 % low-access
- Pend Oreille
Pend Oreille 25.8%
25.8 % low-access
- Cowlitz
Cowlitz 25.3%
25.3 % low-access
- Walla Walla
Walla Walla 23.7%
23.7 % low-access
- Kittitas
Kittitas 23.5%
23.5 % low-access
- San Juan 0
San Juan 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 24 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 102,410 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 7 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 25,936 |
| Low-Access Share | 25.3%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 9,085 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 112,360 |
| Median Household Income | $76,531 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 7,772 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
Thick SNAP store book in Cowlitz County
Cowlitz County has 92 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 55 locations (60% of the total), followed by super store.
Convenience Store · 55
- 15th food mart, longview
- allen food mart, kelso
- ampm 82989 82989, woodland
- arco ampm 7082, woodland
- astro express mart & deli 853, woodland
- baker's corner store, longview
- beachway grocery and gas, longview
- belmont loop chevron, woodland
- boondox gas and grocery, kelso
- boondox market, longview
- brar and bullan llc, longview
- carnival market 1, kelso
- carrolls country store, kelso
- cjlim llc, kelso
- cougar store, cougar
- daily store, kelso
- divine mart, longview
- four corners general station, castle rock
- freeway shell foodmart, kelso
- gateway shell, castle rock
- h & i grocery, kelso
- hillcrest store, longview
- handy fuel mart and deli, longview
- hari ampm 5300, longview
- hilltop market, kelso
- holts mart, kelso
- hudson mart & gas, longview
- industrial way food mart, longview
- kelso ampm 4397, kelso
- kelso flying k gas and food mart, kelso
- kelso one stop, kelso
- lakeside country store, cougar
- longview convenience, longview
- mikaelas tienda mexicana 1, woodland
- miller's market, longview
- minit shop texaco, longview
- ocean beach chevron, longview
- ostrander grocery, kelso
- quick shop minit mart 46, kelso
- quick stop, kelso
- quickway market, woodland
- r & d petroleum, castle rock
- rebel truck stop, kalama
- rocket chevron, castle rock
- rocky point market, kelso
- store & deli, longview
- svs market 2, longview
- short stop 2, longview
- space age travel center 202, castle rock
- speedy mart, longview
- st. helens shopping center, longview
- stop and save food mart, longview
- tienda mexicana veracruz, longview
- time saver mart, longview
- washington way market, longview
Super Store · 7
- cascade select market, castle rock
- fred meyer 185, longview
- longview grocery outlet 80, longview
- target store t-0628, kelso
- walmart 2469, longview
- walmart 3742, woodland
- walmart 5853, longview
Small Grocery Store · 6
- country village nutrition, longview
- drew's grocery, toutle
- el sembrador, kelso
- kyrananim store, longview
- las chispas, longview
- woodland corner store, woodland
Supermarket · 6
- safeway 1078, longview
- safeway 1762, woodland
- safeway 2637, kelso
- safeway 91, longview
- winco foods 051, longview
- woodland grocery outlet 365, woodland
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- dollar general 22570, castle rock
- dollar tree 2102, longview
- dollar tree 3758, woodland
- dollar tree 6385, kelso
- walgreens 09812, longview
Bakery Specialty · 4
- franz bakery 9021, longview
- papa murphy's take n bake pizza wa004, longview
- papa murphy's take n bake pizza wa154, longview
- papa murphy's wa-187, woodland
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- holts market, longview
- la mexicana meat market, longview
- panaderia super market 5 de mayo inc., woodland
Farmers' Market · 2
- cowlitz community farmers market, longview
- cowlitz community farmers market, longview
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- matt's custom meats inc., longview
- mcphee's butcher block, woodland
Large Grocery Store · 1
- kalama shopping center, kalama
Seafood Specialty · 1
- kerby enterprizes, kelso
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Washington
One of 38 counties in Washington, 6 are shown here.
Compare Cowlitz County vs Adams County → · All Washington counties →
Nationwide peers for Cowlitz County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Cowlitz County (17.7%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Washington.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside WA (25.3% here).
- Bristol city, VA · 25.3% low-access
- Bristol city, VA · 25.3% low-access
- Hanover County, VA · 25.3% low-access
- Hanover County, VA · 25.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside WA (17.7% here).
- Macon County, TN · 17.7% SNAP
- Macon County, TN · 17.7% SNAP
- Pushmataha County, OK · 17.7% SNAP
- Pushmataha County, OK · 17.7% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, Washington in context
Cowlitz County sits inside Washington (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Cowlitz County, WA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 53015. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.