Signature · 20.2% SNAP (86th pct in CA)
Kern County, CA
Kern County stands out on SNAP (20.2%, +8.1 pts vs U.S.) with 23.8% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 23.8%
- low-access pop.
- 27
- food-desert tracts
- 20.2%
- on SNAP
- 915K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Kern County, CA
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 23.8% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +1.7 pts vs US
- LILA-CLUSTER 27 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 20.2% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 18% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Glenn County ( -0.4 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Kern County ranks #1,378 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #18 of 58 counties in CA (23.8% low-access; 27 food-desert tracts).
- #1,378
- national by low-access %
- #18
- in CA
- 57
- low-access tracts
- 66K
- 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: 20.2% SNAP (86th pct in CA) (+8.1 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Kern County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Kern County's 23.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 56% of them and ranked #1,378 most-affected nationwide.
Kern County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
151 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 27 LILA.
Kern County is mostly urban by USDA tract type (131 urban, 20 rural), so most of its low-access count comes from the 1-mile test; the 20 rural tracts are held to 10 miles.
Kern County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in California, not a full county-board reprint
- Sierra
Sierra 88.2%
88.2 % low-access
- San Bernardino 24.7
San Bernardino 24.7%
24.7 % low-access
- Riverside 24.5
Riverside 24.5%
24.5 % low-access
- Kern 23.8
Kern 23.8%
23.8 % low-access
- Glenn 23.4
Glenn 23.4%
23.4 % low-access
- Contra Costa 23.2
Contra Costa 23.2%
23.2 % low-access
- Amador 0.2
Amador 0.2%
0.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 151 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 839,631 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 57 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 27 |
| Low-Access Population | 199,600 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.8%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 65,742 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 915,075 |
| Median Household Income | $70,210 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.1%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 57,456 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 20.2%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.8% |
Thick SNAP store book in Kern County
Kern County has 766 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 429 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
33 towns share the 766 authorized stores; Bakersfield holds 61% of them. 12 of the 33 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Lebec, Wofford Heights, Bodfish, Edwards, Glennville, China Lake and 6 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | 468 | 117 |
| Delano | 42 | 15 |
| Ridgecrest | 24 | 5 |
| Taft | 24 | 9 |
| Arvin | 23 | 7 |
| Shafter | 22 | 4 |
| Wasco | 22 | 9 |
| Lamont | 20 | 8 |
| Tehachapi | 18 | 4 |
| Rosamond | 15 | 3 |
Top 10 of 33 towns by store count.
Convenience Store · 429 (250 shown)
- 11 11 market, ridgecrest
- 24/7 food and fuel llc, bakersfield
- 3way market & gas, bakersfield
- 4010 arco ampm 82591, bakersfield
- 4th street market, bakersfield
- 58 market llc, bakersfield
- 7 eleven 21481e, bakersfield
- 7 eleven 22150f 22150f, bakersfield
- 7 eleven 32241a, bakersfield
- 7 eleven 32257d, bakersfield
- 7 eleven 38530b, bakersfield
- 7 eleven 38628a 38628a, bakersfield
- 7 eleven 38654a 38654a, bakersfield
- 7 eleven 41317a, rosamond
- 7 eleven 41745a, bakersfield
- 7 eleven 41906a, bakersfield
- 7 eleven store 2368 26819b, bakersfield
- 7 stars liquor & market inc, bakersfield
- 7-eleven #22647 d, bakersfield
- 7-eleven 13932 g, bakersfield
- 7-eleven 16288 c, bakersfield
- 7-eleven 16946 e, bakersfield
- 7-eleven 18655 f, bakersfield
- 7-eleven 32376 a, bakersfield
- 7-eleven, bakersfield
- 7-eleven 16329, bakersfield
- 7-eleven 20317d, bakersfield
- 7-eleven 26701c, arvin
- 7-eleven, inc. 16549, bakersfield
- 7-eleven 26599, bakersfield
- 76 food mart, bakersfield
- 777 liquor, mojave
- 7th standard chevron, bakersfield
- 98 cent store, tehachapi
- a one market, bakersfield
- a&m market, lamont
- a-s smoke 4 less, ridgecrest
- aaa market, bakersfield
- airport texaco food mart, bakersfield
- am/pm - ssg bakersfield group, inc., bakersfield
- arvin market, arvin
- aarmann food and liquors, bakersfield
- all star market, bakersfield
- almond tree markert, delano
- alta vista liquor, bakersfield
- alvord st mini mart, ridgecrest
- am/pm arco, buttonwillow
- amarjyot llc 42218, bakersfield
- amigos liquor, shafter
- ampm 42226, bakersfield
- ampm arco 47010, bakersfield
- amt market, rosamond
- anthony's fast stop, bakersfield
- anthony's food and liquor, bakersfield
- arco 82651, rosamond
- arco ampm 42729 arco 42729, shafter
- arco am/pm 42496, delano
- arco ampm, bakersfield
- arco ampm, bakersfield
- arco ampm 42542, bakersfield
- arco ampm 42924, bakersfield
- arco ampm 66458, delano
- arco ampm 66463, bakersfield
- arco ampm 83856, bakersfield
- arco am/pm 82514, bakersfield
- arcoampm 42851 arco 42851, wasco
- arrow gas market, bakersfield
- artz's liquor & deli, taft
- arvin fastrip, arvin
- arvin petroleum inc. 47008, arvin
- azteca market, bakersfield
- baker discounts, bakersfield
- bashaar chevron, bakersfield
- beardsley market, bakersfield
- beer bank food mart, bakersfield
- beverage house liquor, bakersfield
- beverage house liquor # 22, maricopa
- beverage house liquor # 28, bakersfield
- big stop market, wasco
- blue clouds inc, bakersfield
- bodfish market, bodfish
- bros discount, groceries and more, inc., bakersfield
- brundage discount, bakersfield
- brundage lane am pm, bakersfield
- brundage petroleum inc. 42848, bakersfield
- buttermilk acres, ridgecrest
- buttonwillow 76, buttonwillow
- buttonwillow chevron, buttonwillow
- buttonwillow liquor & market, buttonwillow
- center street market, bakersfield
- cactus market, california city
- cal city fastrip 701, california city
- cali discount, bakersfield
- cali discount & smoke shop #3, bakersfield
- california chevron, bakersfield
- california market, bakersfield
- california mini-mart, bakersfield
- calimex market 3, bakersfield
- calloway market, bakersfield
- candy land party supply, shafter
- check point 7, bakersfield
- chester discount 1, bakersfield
- chester fastrip, bakersfield
- chester liquor inc, bakersfield
- chester wireless, bakersfield
- chevron 1979, lost hills
- chevron 2004, rosamond
- chevron tiger mart, wasco
- circle k 2720010, tehachapi
- circle k 2721161, wasco
- circle k 2721270, bakersfield
- circle k 2728605, bakersfield
- circle k 2728606, bakersfield
- circle k stores 2709227, bakersfield
- colony market, shafter
- columbus market 1, bakersfield
- community 7/24 inc, bakersfield
- country korner market, bodfish
- crazymart & smoke, bakersfield
- crushed ice market, bakersfield
- csg petroleum inc. 42983, bakersfield
- d&g liquors, bakersfield
- dj food mart, bakersfield
- don's liquor market & deli, frazier park
- day & night market, bakersfield
- delano 76 inc, delano
- delano discount, delano
- derrick liquor & groceries 3215, bakersfield
- derrick market, bakersfield
- derrick mini mart 3221, bakersfield
- dollar world & beauty supply, bakersfield
- dollar world +, bakersfield
- dollarworld airport 1, bakersfield
- dulai mini mart, bakersfield
- dulceria alebrijes, delano
- e-z trip, buttonwillow
- eastridge market, ridgecrest
- ez water, bakersfield
- easthill mobile, bakersfield
- easy stop market and liquor, ridgecrest
- edison mini mart, edison
- eds mini mart, ridgecrest
- edwards food mart 1, independence
- el milagro market, bakersfield
- el punto market, bakersfield
- emkco food mart, bakersfield
- empire gas & liquor, bakersfield
- extra mile, bakersfield
- ez foodmart, inc, bakersfield
- fastrip food store, rosamond
- fastrip food store, bakersfield
- fastrip food store, bakersfield
- fastrip food store, mojave
- fastrip food store 49, taft
- fastrip food store 633, bakersfield
- fastrip food stores 640, bakersfield
- fastrip food stores 642, bakersfield
- fastrip oswell 347, bakersfield
- fred's country liquor store, bakersfield
- fairfax shell mini mart, bakersfield
- fairview market, bakersfield
- family discount, shafter
- famoso travel center, mc farland
- fast break market & gas, bakersfield
- fast lane food store, mcfarland
- fastrip 560, bakersfield
- fastrip 773, bakersfield
- fastrip food store #35, delano
- fastrip food store #44, delano
- fastrip food store #7798 7798, ridgecrest
- fastrip food store 346, bakersfield
- fastrip food store 619, bakersfield
- fastrip food store 705, bakersfield
- fastrip food store 894, ridgecrest
- fastrip food store 929, taft
- fastrip food store 933, bakersfield
- fastrip food stores 601, delano
- fastrip food stores 602, shafter
- fill n fresh, bakersfield
- food mart, bakersfield
- food mart, bakersfield
- freeway liquors, bakersfield
- front street mini mart, buttonwillow
- full house liquor, bakersfield
- g & a mini mart, taft
- greenacres fastrip, inc., bakersfield
- gas 4 less, bakersfield
- gas and go, tehachapi
- gas n liquor food mart, bakersfield
- gasko mart, bakersfield
- georgie's mart & liquor, boron
- gerges chevron, taft
- gm din, inc., johannesburg
- golden state mobil, bakersfield
- grab n go mini mart and smoke shop, bakersfield
- grand avenue coast inc 42396, bakersfield
- green acres liquor, bakersfield
- h & g corner market, bakersfield
- howard's mini mart 6, bakersfield
- haley mart, bakersfield
- harrys market, bakersfield
- highland manor liquor, bakersfield
- highway 155 market & cafe, glennville
- hillside gas & mart, bakersfield
- howard's mini mart, bakersfield
- in and out liquor mart, bakersfield
- ion fuel inc 1, lamont
- ismaili market, arvin
- j & a country club inc, bakersfield
- j & b's brookside market, bakersfield
- j & m market, arvin
- jj liquor, bakersfield
- joe's market, wasco
- jr food mart, bakersfield
- jasmins bakery & donuts inc, shafter
- jeje and mejana, bakersfield
- jess mini mart, ridgecrest
- jmj market, bakersfield
- johns market liquor, bakersfield
- juanita's bakery, bakersfield
- jug 'n' rose, taft
- k & s food store 143, bakersfield
- kenk usa 62546, ridgecrest
- kenk usa 62548, tehachapi
- kentucky market, bakersfield
- kings discount, bakersfield
- kv bottle shop, lake isabella
- kwik stop market inc, mojave
- lucky 7 1, delano
- la buena carniceria and liquor store, bakersfield
- la favorita market, delano
- la oaxaquena de bakersfield, bakersfield
- la paloma market, bakersfield
- lamont fastrip 7772, lamont
- larsons food store, bakersfield
- latino market, bakersfield
- lebec valero, lebec
- lincoln street market, bakersfield
- liquor queen 1, bakersfield
- los amigos market 1, inc., bakersfield
- los quetzales, bakersfield
- los tacos stop market, bakersfield
- lost hills 76, lost hills
- lost hills travel center inc, lost hills
- love's travel stop 392, tehachapi
- love's travel stop 755, boron
- love's travel stop 830, bakersfield
- love's travel stops 230, lost hills
- lucky #7 food store, bakersfield
- lucky 1 market, bakersfield
Showing 250 of 766 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in California
One of 57 counties in California, 6 are shown here.
Compare Kern County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Nationwide peers for Kern County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Kern County (20.2%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside California.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside CA (23.8% here).
- Bradley County, AR · 23.8% low-access
- Pike County, IL · 23.8% low-access
- Shawnee County, KS · 23.8% low-access
- Hampden County, MA · 23.8% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside CA (20.2% here).
- Montgomery County, AL · 20.2% SNAP
- Wayne County, GA · 20.2% SNAP
- St. John the Baptist Parish, LA · 20.2% SNAP
- Sampson County, NC · 20.2% 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.
California among Pacific states
California ranks 5th of 5 Pacific states by population-weighted low-access (13.3%). Kern County, at 23.8%, runs 10.5 pts above the California rate.
- Alaska 30.9%
- Hawaii 26.7%
- Washington 23.1%
- Oregon 16.9%
- California 13.3%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Kern County, CA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 06029. 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.