County food-access profile · Utah
Emery County, UT
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Emery 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).
- 34.1%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 10.2%
- on SNAP
- 10K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.1% of Emery County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 3 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 3.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.5%
- 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 Emery County's low-access share at 34.1%, above the national share. 2 of the county's 3 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 3,745 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,263 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 Emery County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Emery County's 34.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 79% of them and ranked #662 most-affected nationwide.
Emery County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 3 census tracts in Emery County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Emery County vs. other Utah counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Utah
- Emery 34.1
Emery County, UT
34.1 % low-access
- Beaver 14.4
Beaver County, UT
14.4 % low-access
- Box Elder 16.8
Box Elder County, UT
16.8 % low-access
- Cache 33.3
Cache County, UT
33.3 % low-access
- Carbon 26
Carbon County, UT
26 % low-access
- Daggett
Daggett County, UT
100 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 10,976 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,745 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.1%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,263 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 10,046 |
| Median Household Income | $74,291 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.5%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 351 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.2%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.9% |
About 10.2% of Emery County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 351 households here.
- 3.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Emery County
above the national share
1 of Emery County's 3 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 3,745 residents, roughly 34.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,263 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 1 tract (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Emery County
Emery County has 16 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 8 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 8
- 7-eleven mexican hat 53619, mexican hat
- good 2 go store 422, green river
- hart's 30 huntington 80130, huntington
- love's country store 119, green river
- love's travel stop 792, green river
- maverik, inc 248, huntington
- maverik, inc 693, green river
- maverik, inc 706, castle dale
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- family dollar 11456, huntington
- family dollar 13112, ferron
- family dollar 6999, castle dale
Large Grocery Store · 3
- food ranch, llc, orangeville
- hometown market, huntington
- mainstreet market afs 12027, ferron
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- melon vine food store, green river
Supermarket · 1
- stewarts thriftway, castle dale
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Utah
Compare Emery County vs Beaver County → · All Utah counties →
Food access nationally, Utah in context
Emery County sits inside Utah (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 Emery County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Emery County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Emery County? ▼
Is Emery County a food desert? ▼
What share of Emery 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.