Signature · 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
Gem County, ID
Gem County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 28.3% low-access.
- 28.3%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 6.8%
- on SNAP
- 21K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Gem County, ID
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 28.3% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +6.2 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 6.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 2.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Nez Perce County ( -0.5 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Gem County ranks #1,061 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #12 of 44 counties in ID (28.3% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,061
- national by low-access %
- #12
- in ID
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- 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 (33.3% of tracts) .
How Gem County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Gem County's 28.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 66% of them and ranked #1,061 most-affected nationwide.
Gem County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Gem County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (2 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Gem County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Idaho, not a full county-board reprint
- Clark
Clark 100%
100 % low-access
- Gem 28.3
Gem 28.3%
28.3 % low-access
- Nez Perce 27.8
Nez Perce 27.8%
27.8 % low-access
- Kootenai 27.6
Kootenai 27.6%
27.6 % low-access
- Owyhee 27.5
Owyhee 27.5%
27.5 % low-access
- Elmore 27.2
Elmore 27.2%
27.2 % low-access
- Gooding 0.8
Gooding 0.8%
0.8 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 16,719 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,739 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.3%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,626 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 20,614 |
| Median Household Income | $64,605 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 520 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.8%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.3% |
SNAP retailers in Gem County
Gem County has 13 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 6 locations (46% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
All 13 authorized stores are in Emmett, 1 of them grocery-grade (supermarket or large/medium grocery).
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- bi-mart 681, emmett
- dollar tree 3682, emmett
- emmett grocery outlet 546, emmett
- emmett shell 5, emmett
- family dollar 12120, emmett
- walgreens 13105, emmett
Convenience Store · 5
- el puerto market and bakery, emmett
- emmett market, emmett
- maverik, inc 212, emmett
- stinker store 110, emmett
- stinker store 76, emmett
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's / pm pizza co. id026, emmett
Supermarket · 1
- albertsons 126, emmett
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.
Nationwide peers for Gem County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Gem County, both outside Idaho so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside ID (28.3% here).
- Lee County, IA · 28.3% low-access
- Adams County, MS · 28.3% low-access
- Grundy County, IL · 28.4% low-access
- Rankin County, MS · 28.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside ID (6.8% here).
- Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, CT · 6.8% SNAP
- Olmsted County, MN · 6.8% SNAP
- Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK · 6.8% SNAP
- Auglaize County, OH · 6.8% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Idaho among Mountain states
Idaho ranks 4th of 8 Mountain states by population-weighted low-access (25.8%). Gem County, at 28.3%, runs 2.5 pts above 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 Gem County, ID are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 16045. 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.