Signature · 1 LILA tracts (100% of tracts)
Custer County, ID
Custer County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (100% of the book) alongside 21.5% low-access.
- 21.5%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 4.6%
- on SNAP
- 4K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Custer County, ID
LA-ELEVATED · PHOTO-FINISH · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 21.5% low-access
- PHOTO-FINISH -0.6 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 4.6% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 100% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Madison County (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Custer County ranks #1,560 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #23 of 44 counties in ID (21.5% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,560
- national by low-access %
- #23
- in ID
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 362
- 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: 1 LILA tracts (100% of tracts) .
How Custer County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Custer County's 21.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 50% of them and ranked #1,560 most-affected nationwide.
Custer County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
1 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 1 of Custer County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Custer County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Idaho, not a full county-board reprint
- Clark
Clark 100%
100 % low-access
- Benewah 23.3
Benewah 23.3%
23.3 % low-access
- Custer 21.5
Custer 21.5%
21.5 % low-access
- Madison 21.5
Madison 21.5%
21.5 % low-access
- Butte 20.9
Butte 20.9%
20.9 % low-access
- Cassia 20.3
Cassia 20.3%
20.3 % low-access
- Gooding 0.8
Gooding 0.8%
0.8 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 1 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 4,368 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 940 |
| Low-Access Share | 21.5%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 362 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 4,470 |
| Median Household Income | $67,574 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.8%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 90 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.6%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.7% |
Slim SNAP store book in Custer County
Custer County has 5 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 2 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
2 towns share the 5 authorized stores; Challis holds 60% of them. Every one of these towns has at least one grocery-grade outlet (2 across the county).
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Challis | 3 | 1 |
| Mackay | 2 | 1 |
Convenience Store · 2
- oasis stop 'n go 24, mackay
- stinker store 88, challis
Combination Grocery/Other · 1
- family dollar 9358, challis
Large Grocery Store · 1
- ivie's iga foodliner, mackay
Supermarket · 1
- lambs foodtown, challis
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Idaho
One of 43 counties in Idaho, 6 are shown here.
Compare Custer County vs Ada County → · All Idaho counties →
Idaho among Mountain states
Idaho ranks 4th of 8 Mountain states by population-weighted low-access (25.8%). Custer County, at 21.5%, runs 4.3 pts below the Idaho rate.
- New Mexico 31.7%
- Wyoming 29.7%
- Arizona 26.8%
- Idaho 25.8%
- Utah 23.9%
- Nevada 23.0%
- Montana 22.3%
- Colorado 21.5%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Custer County, ID are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 16037. 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.