PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · California

Del Norte County, CA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Del Norte 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).

34.4%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
22.8%
on SNAP
27K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 CA

The food-access picture

34.4% of Del Norte County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
8.2%
households, no vehicle
12.9%
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).

USDA data puts Del Norte County's low-access share at 34.4%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 7 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 9,844 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,133 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 Del Norte County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Del Norte County's 34.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 79% of them and ranked #646 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Del Norte County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Del Norte 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 Del Norte County, CA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (42.9%) 2 tracts limited (28.6%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (28.6%) Adequate 43% Limited 29% Severe 29% Food-access tier distribution: Del Norte County, CA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Del Norte County vs. other California counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California

% 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 Del Norte County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)28,610
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population9,844
Low-Access Share34.4%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,133

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Del Norte County
IndicatorValue
Population27,107
Median Household Income$67,058
Poverty Rate12.9%near the national average
SNAP Households2,171
SNAP Participation Rate22.8%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle8.2%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population8.7%
SNAP participation in Del Norte County 22.8%

About 22.8% of Del Norte County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 34.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 22.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,171 households here.
  • 8.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Del Norte County

above the national share

2 of Del Norte County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 28.6% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 9,844 residents, roughly 34.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,133 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (42.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Del Norte County

Del Norte County has 26 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 11 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 11

  • fort dick market, crescent city
  • gasquet market, gasquet
  • hasco stations, llc 8001, crescent city
  • hasco stations, llc 8002, crescent city
  • hiouchi market, crescent city
  • lucky 7 fuel mart, smith river
  • northcrest patriot, crescent city
  • pem mey fuel mart, klamath
  • renner patriot foodmart, crescent city
  • redwood market 275, crescent city
  • woodland villa, klamath

Combination Grocery/Other · 5

  • cvs pharmacy 10478, cresent city
  • dollartree 9992, crescent city
  • dollar general 16787, smith river
  • dollar tree 1990, crescent city
  • rumiano cheese company, crescent city

Farmers' Market · 3

  • crescent city downtown farmers market, crescent city
  • crescent city farmers market, crescent city
  • downtown crescent city farmers & artisans market, crescent city

Super Store · 2

  • balch inc dba crescent city grocery outlet, crescent city
  • walmart 1910, crescent city

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's of humboldt llc ca024, crescent city

Food Buying Co-op · 1

  • del norte harvest box, crescent city

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • wild rivers market, crescent city

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • crescent city oriental market, crescent city

Supermarket · 1

  • safeway 954, crescent city

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in California

Alameda County
8.1% low-access · 9.9% SNAP
Alpine County
57.0% low-access · 9.7% SNAP
Amador County
0.2% low-access · 9.8% SNAP
Butte County
19.1% low-access · 16.0% SNAP
Calaveras County
14.7% low-access · 9.5% SNAP
Colusa County
39.3% low-access · 16.4% SNAP

Compare Del Norte County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →

Food access nationally, California in context

Del Norte County sits inside California (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 Del Norte County has low food access? ▼
34.4% of residents in Del Norte County, CA 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 Del Norte County? ▼
22.8% of households in Del Norte County receive SNAP, covering 2,171 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Del Norte County? ▼
The poverty rate in Del Norte County, CA is 12.9%, with a median household income of $67,058 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Del Norte County a food desert? ▼
2 of Del Norte County's 7 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Del Norte County households lack a vehicle? ▼
8.2% of households in Del Norte 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.