County food-access profile · Washington
Cowlitz County, WA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Cowlitz 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).
- 25.3%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 17.7%
- on SNAP
- 112K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
25.3% of Cowlitz County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 24 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 7
- low-access tracts
- 9K
- food-desert residents
- 6.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.2%
- 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 Cowlitz County's low-access share at 25.3%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 24 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 25,936 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,085 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 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
All 24 census tracts in Cowlitz County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Cowlitz County vs. other Washington counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Washington
- Cowlitz
Cowlitz County, WA
25.3 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, WA
41.7 % low-access
- Asotin 13.8
Asotin County, WA
13.8 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, WA
22.8 % low-access
- Chelan
Chelan County, WA
18.1 % low-access
- Clallam
Clallam County, WA
38.2 % 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 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| 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% |
About 17.7% of Cowlitz County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 25.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 17.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 7,772 households here.
- 6.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 tracts 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 Cowlitz County
above the national share
4 of Cowlitz County's 24 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.
An estimated 25,936 residents, roughly 25.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 9,085 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 17 tracts (70.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers 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 retailers.
Other Counties in Washington
Compare Cowlitz County vs Adams County → · All Washington counties →
Food access nationally, Washington in context
Cowlitz County sits inside Washington (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 Cowlitz County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Cowlitz County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Cowlitz County? ▼
Is Cowlitz County a food desert? ▼
What share of Cowlitz 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.