County food-access profile · Oregon
Josephine County, OR
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Josephine 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).
- 22.2%
- low-access pop.
- 6
- food-desert tracts
- 24.1%
- on SNAP
- 88K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
22.2% of Josephine County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 7
- low-access tracts
- 8K
- food-desert residents
- 4.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.6%
- 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 Josephine County's low-access share at 22.2%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 16 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 18,371 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 7,538 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 Josephine County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Josephine County's 22.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 52% of them and ranked #1,518 most-affected nationwide.
Josephine County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 16 census tracts in Josephine County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Josephine County vs. other Oregon counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Oregon
- Josephine
Josephine County, OR
22.2 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, OR
37.9 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, OR
27.9 % low-access
- Clackamas
Clackamas County, OR
17.3 % low-access
- Clatsop 12.4
Clatsop County, OR
12.4 % low-access
- Columbia 6.1
Columbia County, OR
6.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 16 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 82,713 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 7 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 6 |
| Low-Access Population | 18,371 |
| Low-Access Share | 22.2%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 7,538 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 88,179 |
| Median Household Income | $60,098 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.6%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 8,836 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 24.1%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.6% |
About 24.1% of Josephine County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 22.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 24.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 8,836 households here.
- 4.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 6 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 Josephine County
above the national share
6 of Josephine County's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 37.5% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.
An estimated 18,371 residents, roughly 22.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 7,538 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 Josephine County
Josephine County has 90 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 52 locations (58% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 52
- 7-eleven # 22674e, grants pass
- a 1 market, grants pass
- a-1 market #2, grants pass
- a-1 market #3, grants pass
- a-1 market #5, grants pass
- a1 market 4, grants pass
- a1#14, grants pass
- c & d market and deli, grants pass
- cloverlawn market, grants pass
- fast and easy market llc 2, grants pass
- grants pass arco ampm 82931, grants pass
- h&s stations llc #5006 5006, grants pass
- h&s stations, llc #5010 5010, grants pass
- h&s stations, llc 5008, grants pass
- h&s stations, llc 8033, grants pass
- hasco stations 8034, grants pass
- hasco stations, llc 8031, cave junction
- highland market, grants pass
- holland store, cave junction
- jerome prairie market, grants pass
- joe creek country store & rv park, grants pass
- kerby mart, kerby
- king's corner market 6, grants pass
- lil pantry cave junction llc 10, cave junction
- lil pantry market and deli 4 gp llc, merlin
- lil pantry north grants pass, llc 5, grants pass
- lil pantry south grants pass llc 6, grants pass
- lil pantry xpress merlin, llc 2, grants pass
- little bridge street market, grants pass
- m street market, grants pass
- mann speedy mart 305, cave junction
- mann speedy mart 33096, o brien
- mann super mart 18398, selma
- micelanea neza, grants pass
- multi-site management llc #823 532, grants pass
- multi-site management llc #823 533, grants pass
- new hope market, grants pass
- peach rock market, cave junction
- provolt country store and deli, grants pass
- redwood market & deli, grants pass
- redwood market 6120, cave junction
- rogue river market & deli, grants pass
- sam's market & deli, grants pass
- sam's market and deli #2, wilderville
- short stop market 6, grants pass
- sixth st market, grants pass
- super speedy mart, grants pass
- the market, grants pass
- town and country market 1, grants pass
- town and country market 2, grants pass
- wilderville country store llc, wilderville
- williams country store, williams
Combination Grocery/Other · 12
- bi-mart 610, grants pass
- cvs pharmacy 11660, grants pass
- dollar general 16080, cave junction
- dollar general 16558, grants pass
- dollar general 19768, grants pass
- dollar general store 16763, grants pass
- dollar general store 17099, grants pass
- dollar tree 1370, grants pass
- dollar tree 2945, grants pass
- hidden valley market, murphy
- sky7 market 6 llc, grants pass
- walgreens 07373, grants pass
Supermarket · 6
- albertsons 3541, grants pass
- cartwright valley meat company, grants pass
- ray's food place 12, grants pass
- safeway 290, grants pass
- safeway 379, grants pass
- winco foods 138, grants pass
Small Grocery Store · 5
- happy market salema, selma
- sunshine natural foods, grants pass
- takilma food co-op, cave junction
- whistling duck farm store, grants pass
- williams general store, williams
Super Store · 5
- fred meyer 126, grants pass
- grocery outlet of grants pass 105, grants pass
- i & e family market inc 372, cave junction
- ray's shop smart 28, cave junction
- walmart 1834, grants pass
Bakery Specialty · 3
- franz bakery outlet 9004, grants pass
- papa murphys 38110, grants pass
- papa murphys take n bake or026, grants pass
Farmers' Market · 2
- cave junction farmers market, cave junction
- williams farmers market, williams
Large Grocery Store · 2
- gooseberries, grants pass
- ray's food place 71, selma
Food Buying Co-op · 1
- josephine county farm collective, grants pass
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- taylor's country store, cave junction
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- takubeh, williams
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Oregon
Compare Josephine County vs Baker County → · All Oregon counties →
Food access nationally, Oregon in context
Josephine County sits inside Oregon (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 Josephine County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Josephine County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Josephine County? ▼
Is Josephine County a food desert? ▼
What share of Josephine 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.