County food-access profile · California
Inyo County, CA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Inyo 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).
- 28.9%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 8.5%
- on SNAP
- 19K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.9% of Inyo County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 5.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.9%
- 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 Inyo County's low-access share at 28.9%, above the national share. 3 of the county's 6 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 5,358 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,441 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 Inyo County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Inyo County's 28.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 68% of them and ranked #1,013 most-affected nationwide.
Inyo County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 6 census tracts in Inyo County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Inyo County vs. other California counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California
- Inyo
Inyo County, CA
28.9 % low-access
- Alameda 8.1
Alameda County, CA
8.1 % low-access
- Alpine
Alpine County, CA
57 % low-access
- Amador 0.2
Amador County, CA
0.2 % low-access
- Butte 19.1
Butte County, CA
19.1 % low-access
- Calaveras 14.7
Calaveras County, CA
14.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 18,546 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,358 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,441 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 18,739 |
| Median Household Income | $73,991 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.9%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 686 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.5%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.7% |
About 8.5% of Inyo County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 8.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 686 households here.
- 5.5% 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 Inyo County
above the national share
1 of Inyo County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 5,358 residents, roughly 28.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,441 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 3 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Inyo County
Inyo County has 20 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 7 locations (35% of the total), followed by medium grocery store.
Convenience Store · 7
- bishop market, bishop
- dino gas mart, bishop
- lone pine mobil, lone pine
- r&g fuel inc., big pine
- star mso 1478, bishop
- smalley's market & trading post, bishop
- speedway 1478, bishop
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- hi-country market, big pine
- jgn market, bishop
- la tiendita, bishop
Supermarket · 3
- lone pine market, lone pine
- manor market, bishop
- vons 1753, bishop
Combination Grocery/Other · 2
- dollartree 8980, bishop
- family dollar 12264, bishop
Super Store · 2
- grocery outlet of bishop 349, bishop
- smart & final 380, bishop
Farmers' Market · 1
- bishop paiute community market, bishop
Large Grocery Store · 1
- olancha mobil mart 1, olancha
Small Grocery Store · 1
- the meat house, bishop
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in California
Compare Inyo County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Food access nationally, California in context
Inyo County sits inside California (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 Inyo County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Inyo County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Inyo County? ▼
Is Inyo County a food desert? ▼
What share of Inyo 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.