County food-access profile · Washington
Grays Harbor County, WA
Grays Harbor County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 16.7%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 18.2%
- on SNAP
- 77K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
16.7% of Grays Harbor County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 7
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 5.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.3%
- 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).
Grays Harbor County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.7% per the USDA Atlas. 7 of the county's 16 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 12,145 residents who live far from a supermarket. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,947 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 Grays Harbor County compares nationally
Grays Harbor County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.7% low-access share that beats 37% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,973).
Grays Harbor County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 16 census tracts in Grays Harbor County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Grays Harbor County vs. other Washington counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Washington
- Grays Harbor
Grays Harbor County, WA
16.7 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, WA
41.7 % low-access
- Asotin 13.8
Asotin County, WA
13.8 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, WA
22.8 % low-access
- Chelan
Chelan County, WA
18.1 % low-access
- Clallam
Clallam County, WA
38.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 16 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 72,797 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 7 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 12,145 |
| Low-Access Share | 16.7%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,947 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 77,053 |
| Median Household Income | $64,414 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.3%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,577 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 18.2%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.4%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.6% |
About 18.2% of Grays Harbor County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 16.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 18.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,577 households here.
- 5.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 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 Grays Harbor County
near the national share
5 of Grays Harbor County's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 31.3% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.
An estimated 12,145 residents, roughly 16.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,947 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 9 tracts (56.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Grays Harbor County
Grays Harbor County has 96 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 12 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 54 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 54
- 2604 simpson petroleum, hoquiam
- 600 simpson petroleum inc, hoquiam
- 7-eleven 22762n, aberdeen
- 7-eleven #22478e, aberdeen
- 7-eleven 22417j, aberdeen
- 7-eleven #22261e, hoquiam
- arco ampm 7145, aberdeen
- astro express mart 851, elma
- beachcomber grocery & deli, grayland
- brady market, montesano
- c&t food mart, montesano
- cheema market and singh's pizza llc 2, mccleary
- circle k stores 2709660, hoquiam
- dashmesh petroleum 13 inc, aberdeen
- elma chevron, elma
- elma grocery gas & carwash, elma
- elma mini mall, elma
- elma shell pizza & burger, elma
- emerson grocery, hoquiam
- fair way grocery, hoquiam
- fuel express mart, elma
- fueltrac shell, ocean shores
- harry's grocery, oakville
- humptulips grocery, humptulips
- james grocery, aberdeen
- k&c food mart, aberdeen
- las palmas jarochas, elma
- liberty mart, aberdeen
- lincoln street grocery, hoquiam
- maxi mini mart, cosmopolis
- midtown deli, westport
- moclips country store, moclips
- montesano chevron, montesano
- montesano quick stop, montesano
- northshore grocery, amanda park
- ocean shore mini market, ocean shores
- ocean shores market, hoquiam
- olympic chevron, aberdeen
- park's mini mart, aberdeen
- panaderia 3 coronas, aberdeen
- pit stop deli mart, aberdeen
- prairie market, hoquiam
- ray's place llc, hoquiam
- reds hop n market, malone
- sam's food mart, aberdeen
- sams food mart, mccleary
- silvia's tienda, aberdeen
- sunrise market 001, ocean shores
- sunshine deli mart & gas, hoquiam
- taholah mercantile, taholah
- tonys short stop, montesano
- twin harbor drug, westport
- westport y deli & grocery, westport
- you & i market, pacific beach
Combination Grocery/Other · 10
- bi-mart 684, aberdeen
- cvs pharmacy 11654, hoquiam
- dollartree 8905, aberdeen
- dollar general 20960, ocean shores
- dollar general 20961, mccleary
- dollar general 21154, westport
- dollar general 21160, oakville
- dollar general 25850, aberdeen
- dollar tree 2202, aberdeen
- dollar tree 7872, elma
Super Store · 9
- aberdeen grocery outlet 106, aberdeen
- elma grocery outlet 537, elma
- everybodys, elma
- ocean shores iga, ocean shores
- pick-rite thriftway #677, montesano
- swanson's food - aberdeen 3, aberdeen
- swanson's food - hoquiam 2, hoquiam
- walmart 2037, aberdeen
- westport shop'n kart, westport
Small Grocery Store · 8
- copalis beach grocery, copalis beach
- copalis crossing texaco, copalis crossing
- la placita, hoquiam
- la salvadorena grocery, aberdeen
- organics 101 market, montesano
- seaside liquidation outlet 1.5, ocean shores
- silvias tienda #1, aberdeen
- the marketplace inc., aberdeen
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- bay city sausage company, aberdeen
- elma farm stand & public market, elma
- las palmas jarochas ii ii, hoquiam
- seaside liquidation outlet, ocean shores
Bakery Specialty · 2
- franz bakery outlet 9038, aberdeen
- papa murphy's take 'n' bake pizza wa174, aberdeen
Farmers' Market · 2
- aberdeen farmers market, elma
- aberdeen sunday market, aberdeen
Large Grocery Store · 2
- fresh foods seabrook, pacific beach
- michael's meat shack, aberdeen
Supermarket · 2
- gordon's select market, mccleary
- safeway 1546, aberdeen
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- rancho alegre meats & produce, aberdeen
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- wynooche meats and deli, montesano
Seafood Specialty · 1
- bradys oyster, aberdeen
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Washington
Compare Grays Harbor County vs Adams County → · All Washington counties →
Food access nationally, Washington in context
Grays Harbor County sits inside Washington (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 Grays Harbor County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Grays Harbor County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Grays Harbor County? ▼
Is Grays Harbor County a food desert? ▼
What share of Grays Harbor 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.