PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · California

Glenn County, CA

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

23.4%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
14.7%
on SNAP
28K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 CA

The food-access picture

23.4% of Glenn County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
4.3%
households, no vehicle
16.0%
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 Glenn County's low-access share at 23.4%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 6 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 6,593 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,459 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 Glenn County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Glenn County's 23.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 55% of them and ranked #1,413 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Glenn County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Glenn 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 Glenn County, CA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (33.3%) 2 tracts limited (33.3%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (33.3%) Adequate 33% Limited 33% Severe 33% Food-access tier distribution: Glenn County, CA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Glenn 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 Glenn County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)28,122
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population6,593
Low-Access Share23.4%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,459

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Glenn County
IndicatorValue
Population28,494
Median Household Income$67,139
Poverty Rate16.0%above the national average
SNAP Households1,440
SNAP Participation Rate14.7%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.3%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.9%
SNAP participation in Glenn County 14.7%

About 14.7% of Glenn County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 23.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,440 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 Glenn County

above the national share

2 of Glenn County's 6 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 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 6,593 residents, roughly 23.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,459 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Glenn County

Glenn County has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • 7 lucky food mart, hamilton city
  • arco ampm 83490, orland
  • beverage house liquor # 13, willows
  • bud's ampm 83407, willows
  • chevron 1702, willows
  • double ee market, hamilton city
  • diamond gas and mart #6, willows
  • henry's trading post, willows
  • maverik 697, orland
  • mi rinconcito market, willows
  • orland stop and shop, orland
  • old 99 liquor, willows
  • orland food and liquor, orland
  • orland liberty gas and food, orland
  • pilot travel center 1019, orland
  • sportsman market, orland
  • speedway 3797, orland
  • speedway 3983, orland
  • super shopper market, orland

Combination Grocery/Other · 6

  • cvs pharmacy 9188, orland
  • dollar general 14707, orland
  • dollar general store 15680, hamilton city
  • dollar tree 5361, orland
  • dollar tree 5496, willows
  • walgreens 13001, orland

Medium Grocery Store · 4

  • el toro loco, hamilton city
  • el toro market, orland
  • la perla de occidente 1, orland
  • mercado's meat market no, willows

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • papa murphys ca 059, orland
  • willows papa murphy's pizza, willows

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • andy's butcher block, orland
  • orland meat processors, orland

Super Store · 2

  • orland grocery outlet, orland
  • walmart 2053, willows

Supermarket · 2

  • mar-val food stores 12 inc, willows
  • sav mor foods 14, orland

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • moe's market, orland

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 Glenn County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →

Food access nationally, California in context

Glenn 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 Glenn County has low food access? ▼
23.4% of residents in Glenn 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 Glenn County? ▼
14.7% of households in Glenn County receive SNAP, covering 1,440 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Glenn County? ▼
The poverty rate in Glenn County, CA is 16.0%, with a median household income of $67,139 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Glenn County a food desert? ▼
2 of Glenn County's 6 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 Glenn County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.3% of households in Glenn 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.