PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Washington

Douglas County, WA

Douglas County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

55.5%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
14.3%
on SNAP
44K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WA

The food-access picture

55.5% of Douglas County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
4.3%
households, no vehicle
8.3%
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).

Douglas County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 55.5% is well above the national share. 6 of the county's 8 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 21,311 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,737 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 Douglas County compares nationally

Douglas County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 55.5% low-access share outpaces 95% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #151 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Douglas County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Douglas 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 Douglas County, WA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (25.0%) 4 tracts limited (50.0%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (25.0%) Adequate 25% Limited 50% Severe 25% Food-access tier distribution: Douglas County, WA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Douglas County vs. other Washington counties

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

% 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 Douglas County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)38,431
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population21,311
Low-Access Share55.5%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,737

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Douglas County
IndicatorValue
Population44,366
Median Household Income$80,363
Poverty Rate8.3%well below the national average
SNAP Households2,275
SNAP Participation Rate14.3%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.3%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.9%
SNAP participation in Douglas County 14.3%

About 14.3% of Douglas County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 55.5% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,275 households here.
  • 4.3% 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 Douglas County

well above the national share

2 of Douglas County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 21,311 residents, roughly 55.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,737 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (25.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Douglas County

Douglas County has 27 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 11 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 11

  • 7 eleven #20481a, east wenatchee
  • bj's auto truck plaza island restaurant #40, rock island
  • bj's lincoln rock 30, east wenatchee
  • bj's sunset highway 60, east wenatchee
  • circle k 2706046, east wenatchee
  • dad's country store, rock island
  • grant road 76, east wenatchee
  • orondo market place 1, orondo
  • sun cove market, orondo
  • tienda la bendicion, llc, east wenatchee
  • tony's market, east wenatchee

Combination Grocery/Other · 3

  • bi-mart 642, east wenatchee
  • dollar tree 4495, east wenatchee
  • walgreens 13971, east wenatchee

Large Grocery Store · 3

  • bridgeport plaza, bridgeport
  • los 2 amigos llc, east wenatchee
  • waterville family foods, waterville

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • los tres pueblos, east wenatchee
  • ruben's iii, east wenatchee
  • san marcos market, bridgeport

Super Store · 3

  • costco wholesale 0112, east wenatchee
  • fred meyer 654, east wenatchee
  • grocery outlet of east wenatchee 337, east wenatchee

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • la monarca llc, rock island
  • mansfield family market, mansfield

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's take'n bake pizza wa-124, east wenatchee

Supermarket · 1

  • safeway 3521, east wenatchee

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Washington

Adams County
41.7% low-access · 18.9% SNAP
Asotin County
13.8% low-access · 18.6% SNAP
Benton County
22.8% low-access · 14.8% SNAP
Chelan County
18.1% low-access · 12.0% SNAP
Clallam County
38.2% low-access · 13.0% SNAP
Clark County
21.7% low-access · 12.1% SNAP

Compare Douglas County vs Adams County → · All Washington counties →

Food access nationally, Washington in context

Douglas County sits inside Washington (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 Douglas County has low food access? ▼
55.5% of residents in Douglas County, WA 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 Douglas County? ▼
14.3% of households in Douglas County receive SNAP, covering 2,275 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Douglas County? ▼
The poverty rate in Douglas County, WA is 8.3%, with a median household income of $80,363 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Douglas County a food desert? ▼
2 of Douglas County's 8 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 Douglas County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.3% of households in Douglas 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.