Signature · 8.2% SNAP (11th pct in WA)
King County, WA
King 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.
- 22
- food-desert tracts
- 8.2%
- on SNAP
- 2.3M
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County King County, WA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-MODERATE 16.7% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -5.4 pts vs US
- LILA-CLUSTER 22 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 8.2% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 11.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 6% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Grays Harbor County (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, King County ranks #1,971 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #26 of 38 counties in WA (16.7% low-access; 22 food-desert tracts).
- #1,971
- national by low-access %
- #26
- in WA
- 135
- low-access tracts
- 47K
- 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: 8.2% SNAP (11th pct in WA) (-3.9 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How King County compares nationally
King 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 #1,971).
King County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
397 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 22 LILA.
King County is mostly urban by USDA tract type (375 urban, 22 rural), so most of its low-access count comes from the 1-mile test; the 22 rural tracts are held to 10 miles.
King County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Washington, not a full county-board reprint
- Douglas
Douglas 55.5%
55.5 % low-access
- Chelan 18.1
Chelan 18.1%
18.1 % low-access
- King 16.7
King 16.7%
16.7 % low-access
- Grays Harbor 16.7
Grays Harbor 16.7%
16.7 % low-access
- Spokane 16.7
Spokane 16.7%
16.7 % low-access
- Lewis 16.2
Lewis 16.2%
16.2 % low-access
- San Juan 0
San Juan 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 397 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 1,931,249 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 135 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 22 |
| Low-Access Population | 323,094 |
| Low-Access Share | 16.7%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 47,436 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,287,171 |
| Median Household Income | $124,746 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 77,601 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.2%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 11.2%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.8% |
Thick SNAP store book in King County
King County has 1,168 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 14 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 472 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
37 towns share the 1,168 authorized stores; Seattle holds 38% of them. 6 of the 37 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Black Diamond, Pacific, Algona, Ashford, Ravensdale, Skykomish.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 439 | 135 |
| Kent | 107 | 47 |
| Renton | 71 | 20 |
| Auburn | 66 | 16 |
| Federal Way | 63 | 22 |
| Bellevue | 61 | 28 |
| Kirkland | 45 | 19 |
| Burien | 36 | 11 |
| Shoreline | 34 | 12 |
| Tukwila | 30 | 7 |
Top 10 of 37 towns by store count.
Convenience Store · 472 (250 shown)
- 212th chevron 205191, kent
- 24 east hill market, kent
- 24/7 convenience store 1, seattle
- 24/7 grocery, seattle
- 2nd ave grocery, seattle
- 365 mart 12702, seattle
- 405 express mart, renton
- 5 mile lakeside grocery, auburn
- 56th street market, seattle
- 7 eleven 26055b, seattle
- 7 eleven 35056 a, renton
- 7 eleven 35532b 35532, seattle
- 7 eleven 38806a, kent
- 7-eleven #20188e 20188, kent
- 7-eleven 14360 a, seattle
- 7-eleven 14436e, seattle
- 7-eleven 14438 g, seattle
- 7-eleven 14443 d, tukwila
- 7-eleven 14463 e, seattle
- 7-eleven 17355 e, bellevue
- 7-eleven 17463c, federal way
- 7-eleven 22866 c, tukwila
- 7-eleven 22984, auburn
- 7-eleven 23228 c, federal way
- 7-eleven 24404b, seattle
- 7-eleven 25525 d, seattle
- 7-eleven 26818 f, seatac
- 7-eleven 27284 b, federal way
- 7-eleven 27311 c, kent
- 7-eleven, des moines
- 7-eleven #14354d, shoreline
- 7-eleven #16365f, seattle
- 7-eleven #16547c, seattle
- 7-eleven #19042a, seattle
- 7-eleven #23931g, seattle
- 7-eleven #27742b, seatac
- 7-eleven #38700a, auburn
- 7-eleven 14355a, seattle
- 7-eleven 14392b 14392b, seattle
- 7-eleven 14402 d, redmond
- 7-eleven 14439a, auburn
- 7-eleven 14481 e, auburn
- 7-eleven 19911d, kirkland
- 7-eleven 20249d, auburn
- 7-eleven 21833c, woodinville
- 7-eleven 22625d, shoreline
- 7-eleven 23109d, seattle
- 7-eleven 2360-19338d, redmond
- 7-eleven 2360-29078b, seattle
- 7-eleven 26268d, federal way
- 7-eleven 27219c, auburn
- 7-eleven 27304b 27304b, kirkland
- 7-eleven 27901 g, seattle
- 7-eleven 34144b, kent
- 7-eleven 34475a, seattle
- 7-eleven 34636b, renton
- 7-eleven 35675b, kent
- 7-eleven 37134a, seattle
- 7-eleven 37558a, bellevue
- 7-eleven 39637, kent
- 7-eleven 39638a, renton
- 7-eleven 39639a, kent
- 7-eleven 42048h, federal way
- 7-eleven store 17257b, shoreline
- 7-eleven store 35334 a, auburn
- 7-eleven store 39836a, auburn
- 7-eleven, seatac
- 7-eleven #14368b, seattle
- 7-eleven #14396e, seattle
- 7-eleven #14441a, renton
- 7-eleven #14476g, des moines
- 7-eleven #15525e, seatac
- 7-eleven #16022g, seattle
- 7-eleven #16545g, seattle
- 7-eleven #18553e, seattle
- 7-eleven #23020e, seattle
- 7-eleven #23559e, bellevue
- 7-eleven #24410b 24410b, renton
- 7-eleven #26939d, seattle
- 7-eleven #38597a, kent
- 7-eleven #38862a, pacific
- 7-eleven #41883a, seattle
- 7-eleven 14373c, seattle
- 7-eleven 14470b, seattle
- 7-eleven 22671b, kent
- 7-eleven 23525f, seattle
- 7-eleven 23895d, seattle
- 7-eleven 23930c, bothell
- 7-eleven 23938e, auburn
- 7-eleven 25303d, kent
- 7-eleven 27030b, tukwila
- 7-eleven 32658c, renton
- 7-eleven 35333b, auburn
- 7-eleven 37068a, seattle
- 7-eleven 37755a, seattle
- 7-eleven 38365a, seattle
- 7-eleven 38805a, enumclaw
- 7-eleven 38807a, kent
- 7-eleven 39835a, kent
- 7-eleven store # 14408, renton
- 76 food mart n/a, black diamond
- a st arco, auburn
- a1 mart, seattle
- abc grocery, des moines
- allentown superette, tukwila
- auburn valley chevron, auburn
- abyssinia market, seattle
- alite choice, kent
- all star grocery, seatac
- ampm lake meridian, kent
- andys handy mart, burien
- ar mercer mini mart, seattle
- arco am-pm 82611, kent
- arco am pm arco, federal way
- arco am/pm fairwood, renton
- arco am/pm store 9027, kirkland
- arco ampm, federal way
- arco ampm 00818, seattle
- arco ampm 05481, woodinville
- arco ampm 7013, seattle
- arco ampm 7040, kent
- arco ampm 7044, bellevue
- arco ampm 7050, shoreline
- arco ampm 7052, renton
- arco ampm 7055, kirkland
- arco ampm 7059, woodinville
- arco ampm 7064, auburn
- arco ampm 7070, auburn
- arco ampm 7073, covington
- arco ampm 7112, bellevue
- arco ampm 7155, seattle
- arco ampm 7189, tukwila
- arco ampm 83833, federal way
- ascend chevron, seattle
- ashford valley grocery, ashford
- asia hiwave city, bellevue
- asle service station llc. 83941, seattle
- auburn chevron 59082, auburn
- auburn north shell food mart, auburn
- auburn shell, federal way
- auburn south shell mart, auburn
- auburn way chevron extramile 308592, auburn
- auburnway grocery, auburn
- aurora 76, seattle
- aurora mini mart 4451, seattle
- aurora mini mart inc / capitol hill arco, seattle
- aurora village 76, shoreline
- aurora village mart, shoreline
- ay caramba market llc, seattle
- ayush & ansh inc ii ampm 5491, renton
- ayyan inc, renton
- bellevue shell food mart, bellevue
- ballard 76, seattle
- ballard snack shack, seattle
- beacon avenue shell foodmart, seattle
- beacon hill 76 1, seattle
- bel-red arco am pm food mart, bellevue
- belltown grocery, seattle
- belltown market, seattle
- benson mart, kent
- best of the best mini mart, seattle
- bill and johns food mart, renton
- bkkn llc, seattle
- boeing field chevron, tukwila
- bothell deli & grocery, bothell
- bothell shell, bothell
- boulevard liquor, seattle
- boulevard park chevron, seattle
- brar benson mart, renton
- broadway roy gas, seattle
- brookside grocery, auburn
- brown's corner short stop, auburn
- burien 76, burien
- burien shell, burien
- burien usa, burien
- burien76, seattle
- c & c food store, seattle
- c & f food store, seattle
- c & y one stop mart, renton
- chevron station 1013, maple valley
- capital international deli, seattle
- carniceria la esperanza, seatac
- cenex convenience store, black diamond
- chandler's bay korean chicken and mart 1, kent
- checkers iii, seattle
- chevron 1005, renton
- chevron 1007, auburn
- chevron 1113, seattle
- chevron 1121, shoreline
- chevron 1153, kent
- chevron 1193, bellevue
- cigar king, kent
- circle food store, renton
- circle k stores 2709648, seattle
- circle k stores 2709649, seattle
- circle k stores 2709650, seattle
- circle k stores 2709651, seattle
- circle k stores 2709652, seattle
- circle k stores 2709653, seattle
- circle k stores 2709654, kirkland
- circle k stores 2709655, kent
- city neighbor inc. 82481, seattle
- columbia city market, seattle
- columbia city mart 01, seattle
- corner market, federal way
- corner store, seattle
- country corner grocery, enumclaw
- crossroads chevron, bellevue
- culinary convenience, seattle
- cumberland grocery, enumclaw
- d unik oriental foods 1, shoreline
- dash point arco, federal way
- delridge deli, seattle
- des moines market., des moines
- dollar etc, seatac
- dollar plus auburn n/a, auburn
- dulceria mexico y tienda latina 2, auburn
- ez mart, des moines
- east hill am/pm 82542, kent
- east kent shell, kent
- east lake specialty market, seattle
- east main short stop, auburn
- eastlake market, seattle
- easy smoke shop and market llc, seattle
- elliott shell food mart, seattle
- emanuel 76 in normandy park, normandy park
- emanuel 76 on redmond fall city rd, redmond
- emanuel shell in lake hills, bellevue
- emanuel shell on 104th kent, kent
- emm and ess, shoreline
- enchanted parkway chevron, federal way
- ez mart, auburn
- ez mart, seattle
- fall city market llc, fall city
- federal way chevron 42090, federal way
- feleg food mart none, seattle
- fisherman's terminal food mart, seattle
- food mart & gas, seattle
- foss market inc, covington
- fremont 76, seattle
- fremont shell, seattle
- fresh del & mart, seattle
- friendly food mart, seattle
- friendly gas station, shoreline
- gas n grab, enumclaw
- george's deli, seattle
- georgetown shell, seattle
- gmburien llc, burien
- grab n snack on graham 2063709743, seattle
- grady way chevron 99114, renton
Showing 250 of 1,168 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 Washington
One of 38 counties in Washington, 6 are shown here.
Compare King County vs Adams County → · All Washington counties →
Nationwide peers for King County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for King County (8.2%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Washington.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside WA (16.7% here).
- Columbia County, NY · 16.7% low-access
- Latah County, ID · 16.7% low-access
- Haralson County, GA · 16.7% low-access
- Waynesboro city, VA · 16.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside WA (8.2% here).
- Green County, WI · 8.2% SNAP
- Outagamie County, WI · 8.2% SNAP
- Leon County, TX · 8.2% SNAP
- Newport County, RI · 8.2% 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.
Washington among Pacific states
Washington ranks 3rd of 5 Pacific states by population-weighted low-access (23.1%). King County, at 16.7%, runs 6.4 pts below the Washington 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 King County, WA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 53033. 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.