County food-access profile · District of Columbia
District of Columbia, DC
Most of District of Columbia sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 4.6%
- low-access pop.
- 12
- food-desert tracts
- 14.3%
- on SNAP
- 681K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
4.6% of District of Columbia residents live in a low-access area, and 12 of its 179 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 16
- low-access tracts
- 10K
- food-desert residents
- 36.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.4%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, District of Columbia fares better than most: just 4.6% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 16 of the county's 179 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 27,650 people who live far from a supermarket, and 12 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,664 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 District of Columbia compares nationally
Food access in District of Columbia compares favorably nationally: its 4.6% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 10% of them (rank #2,834).
District of Columbia: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 179 census tracts in District of Columbia, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 179 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 601,723 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 16 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 12 |
| Low-Access Population | 27,650 |
| Low-Access Share | 4.6%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 9,664 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 681,294 |
| Median Household Income | $109,870 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.4%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 46,408 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.3%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 36.0%well above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.0% |
About 14.3% of District of Columbia households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 4.6% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 46,408 households here.
- 36.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 12 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 District of Columbia
below the national share
12 of District of Columbia's 179 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 6.7% of all its tracts.
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 16.
An estimated 27,650 residents, roughly 4.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 9,664 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 163 tracts (91.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
Food access nationally, District of Columbia in context
District of Columbia sits inside District of Columbia (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 District of Columbia has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in District of Columbia? ▼
What is the poverty rate in District of Columbia? ▼
Is District of Columbia a food desert? ▼
What share of District of Columbia 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.