Signature · 4 LILA tracts (57.1% of tracts)
Jefferson County, WA
Jefferson County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 4 LILA tracts (57.1% of the book) alongside 19.2% low-access.
- 19.2%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 8.1%
- on SNAP
- 34K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Jefferson County, WA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 19.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -2.9 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 8.1% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 57% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Chelan County ( -1.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Jefferson County ranks #1,750 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #23 of 38 counties in WA (19.2% low-access; 4 food-desert tracts).
- #1,750
- national by low-access %
- #23
- in WA
- 4
- 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: 4 LILA tracts (57.1% of tracts) .
How Jefferson County compares nationally
Jefferson County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.2% low-access share that beats 44% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,755).
Jefferson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Jefferson County has 2 urban and 5 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Jefferson County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Washington, not a full county-board reprint
- Douglas
Douglas 55.5%
55.5 % low-access
- Clark 21.7
Clark 21.7%
21.7 % low-access
- Jefferson 19.2
Jefferson 19.2%
19.2 % low-access
- Chelan 18.1
Chelan 18.1%
18.1 % low-access
- Grays Harbor 16.7
Grays Harbor 16.7%
16.7 % low-access
- King 16.7
King 16.7%
16.7 % low-access
- San Juan 0
San Juan 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 29,872 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,735 |
| Low-Access Share | 19.2%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,000 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 33,577 |
| Median Household Income | $74,048 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.1%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,327 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.1%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.6%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.9% |
SNAP retailers in Jefferson County
Jefferson County has 19 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 7 locations (37% of the total), followed by super store.
Convenience Store · 7
- brinnon general store, brinnon
- chimacum chevron, chimacum
- cove rv park, brinnon
- four corners store, port townsend
- peninsula foods, quilcene
- penny saver mart, port townsend
- port ludlow village store, port ludlow
Super Store · 3
- qfc 106, port townsend
- qfc 870, port hadlock
- the food coop, port townsend
Combination Grocery/Other · 2
- dollartree 10295, port hadlock
- key city fish company, port townsend
Farmers' Market · 2
- chimacum farmers market 0801556, chimacum
- port townsend farmers market, port townsend
Supermarket · 2
- safeway 4608, port townsend
- safeway 538, port townsend
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphys port townsend wa179, port townsend
Large Grocery Store · 1
- chimacum corner, chimacum
Small Grocery Store · 1
- quilcene village store, quilcene
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Washington
One of 38 counties in Washington, 6 are shown here.
Compare Jefferson County vs Adams County → · All Washington counties →
Nationwide peers for Jefferson County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Jefferson County, both outside Washington so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside WA (19.2% here).
- Dunn County, WI · 19.2% low-access
- Dunn County, WI · 19.2% low-access
- Platte County, NE · 19.2% low-access
- Platte County, NE · 19.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside WA (8.1% here).
- Henrico County, VA · 8.1% SNAP
- Henrico County, VA · 8.1% SNAP
- Floyd County, VA · 8.1% SNAP
- Floyd County, VA · 8.1% 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.
Food access nationally, Washington in context
Jefferson County sits inside Washington (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Jefferson County, WA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 53031. 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.