PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Washington

Grant County, WA

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

25.8%
low-access pop.
7
food-desert tracts
16.5%
on SNAP
102K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WA

The food-access picture

25.8% of Grant County residents live in a low-access area, and 7 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

10
low-access tracts
9K
food-desert residents
5.1%
households, no vehicle
15.8%
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 Grant County's low-access share at 25.8%, above the national share. 10 of the county's 16 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 23,008 people. 7 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,488 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 Grant County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Grant County's 25.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 61% of them and ranked #1,234 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Grant County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 16 census tracts in Grant 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 Grant County, WA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 7 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 16 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (37.5%) 3 tracts limited (18.8%) 7 tracts severe / food desert (43.8%) Adequate 38% Limited 19% Severe 44% Food-access tier distribution: Grant County, WA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Grant 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 Grant County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts16
Atlas Population (2010 basis)89,120
Low-Access Tracts10
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)7
Low-Access Population23,008
Low-Access Share25.8%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population9,488

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Grant County
IndicatorValue
Population101,799
Median Household Income$73,267
Poverty Rate15.8%above the national average
SNAP Households5,855
SNAP Participation Rate16.5%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.1%
SNAP participation in Grant County 16.5%

About 16.5% of Grant County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 25.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 16.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,855 households here.
  • 5.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 7 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 Grant County

above the national share

7 of Grant County's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 43.8% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 10.

An estimated 23,008 residents, roughly 25.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 9,488 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (37.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Grant County

Grant County has 92 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 39 locations (42% of the total), followed by medium grocery store.

Convenience Store · 39

  • 4 corners food and fuel, grand coulee
  • adi foodmart, moses lake
  • abarrotes express 001, quincy
  • airport grocery mart, moses lake
  • airway deli mart, moses lake
  • astro express mart 107, warden
  • blue heron market, moses lake
  • brownies korner, royal city
  • colonial market, george
  • carniceria madrigal, moses lake
  • center conoco 1, ephrata
  • chevron, ephrata
  • chukar hill shell 6, ephrata
  • circle k 2706045, moses lake
  • coulee gas, grand coulee
  • desert aire market, mattawa
  • desert aire motel & mini mart, mattawa
  • ephrata short stop, ephrata
  • george grocery & gas, quincy
  • h & h grocery, electric city
  • hawk fuel ephrata 4, ephrata
  • hawk fuel moses lake 7, moses lake
  • hawk fuel soap lake 4, soap lake
  • jakes meats, quincy
  • kang global invest-broadway, moses lake
  • love's travel stop 827, moses lake
  • mattawa mart, mattawa
  • mattawa quick stop, mattawa
  • moses lake food mart llc 3, moses lake
  • one stop mart 33, moses lake
  • one stop mart 36, moses lake
  • one stop mart 44, moses lake
  • pheasant run, warden
  • quincy short stop 4, quincy
  • rain's food, moses lake
  • rain's food, moses lake
  • shree's truck stop, quincy
  • spring canyon food and fuel, grand coulee
  • tjrj gas and food store, coulee city

Medium Grocery Store · 17

  • cj's custom meats, moses lake
  • carniceria la nueva market, ephrata
  • carniceria los amigos, inc., moses lake
  • estudillo's food store, mattawa
  • estudillo's food store, royal city
  • fresh choice european market, moses lake
  • frutas y verduras santa maria, ephrata
  • george sandoval's market, quincy
  • los 2 compadres, quincy
  • mattawa grocery, mattawa
  • mercadito y antojitos el primo llc, warden
  • mercado la perla tapatia, mattawa
  • mi casa market 3, ephrata
  • mom's european food & deli, soap lake
  • papa murphy's wa166, moses lake
  • settler's natural market, moses lake
  • town and country market, warden

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • dollar general 22743, mattawa
  • dollar general 23241, soap lake
  • dollar general 23478, warden
  • dollar general 25365, moses lake
  • dollar general 25678, moses lake
  • dollar general 25772, george
  • dollar general 30601, moses lake
  • dollar tree 2424, moses lake
  • dollar tree 2481, ephrata
  • dollar tree 8516, quincy
  • rallito de luna tortilla, mattawa
  • walgreens 02647, moses lake

Supermarket · 9

  • akins foods, inc., soap lake
  • el valle market, mattawa
  • grocery outlet of ephrata 420, ephrata
  • moses lake grocery outlet, moses lake
  • royal city harvest foods, royal city
  • safeway 1544, ephrata
  • safeway 3247, grand coulee
  • safeway 3252, moses lake
  • winco foods 141, moses lake

Super Store · 6

  • akin's food #1, quincy
  • lep-re-kon harvest foods 5, moses lake
  • lep-re-kon mart #3, mattawa
  • quincy iga 9348, quincy
  • walmart 2007, moses lake
  • walmart 3260, ephrata

Large Grocery Store · 3

  • cedillos market llc, royal city
  • coulee city food center, coulee city
  • mi casa market, moses lake

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • franz bakery outlet 9044, moses lake
  • papa murphy's wa193, ephrata

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • mi tiendita v7, quincy
  • settler's natural market, ephrata

Farmers' Market · 1

  • moses lake farmers market, moses lake

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • pure country harvest llc, moses lake

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 Grant County vs Adams County → · All Washington counties →

Food access nationally, Washington in context

Grant 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 Grant County has low food access? ▼
25.8% of residents in Grant 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 Grant County? ▼
16.5% of households in Grant County receive SNAP, covering 5,855 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Grant County? ▼
The poverty rate in Grant County, WA is 15.8%, with a median household income of $73,267 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Grant County a food desert? ▼
7 of Grant County's 16 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 Grant County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.1% of households in Grant 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.