PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Washington

Kittitas County, WA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Kittitas 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).

23.5%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
12.3%
on SNAP
47K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WA

The food-access picture

23.5% of Kittitas County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
4.4%
households, no vehicle
14.4%
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 Kittitas County's low-access share at 23.5%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 8 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 9,596 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,976 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 Kittitas County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Kittitas County's 23.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 55% of them and ranked #1,404 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Kittitas County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Kittitas County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Kittitas County, WA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (37.5%) 1 tracts limited (12.5%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (50.0%) Adequate 38% Limited 13% Severe 50% Food-access tier distribution: Kittitas County, WA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Kittitas County vs. other Washington counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Washington

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Kittitas County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)40,915
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population9,596
Low-Access Share23.5%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,976

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Kittitas County
IndicatorValue
Population47,172
Median Household Income$73,804
Poverty Rate14.4%near the national average
SNAP Households2,459
SNAP Participation Rate12.3%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.4%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.4%
SNAP participation in Kittitas County 12.3%

About 12.3% of Kittitas County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 23.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 12.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,459 households here.
  • 4.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Kittitas County

above the national share

4 of Kittitas County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 50.0% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 9,596 residents, roughly 23.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,976 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (37.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Kittitas County

Kittitas County has 36 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 22 locations (61% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 22

  • 18th street deli, ellensburg
  • 7-eleven #17053a, ellensburg
  • 7eleven, ellensburg
  • astro express mart 113, ellensburg
  • bob summit deli & bp, inc, snoqualmie pass
  • circle k 2706038, ellensburg
  • coyote corner, kittitas
  • happys market, ellensburg
  • johnny's mart, kittitas
  • jacksons food stores # 248 248, ellensburg
  • kittitas food mart, kittitas
  • love's travel stop 413, ellensburg
  • rv town, easton
  • short stop #1, ellensburg
  • short stop 6, cle elum
  • shree travel plaza, thorp
  • smitty's conoco, ellensburg
  • store 1195, ellensburg
  • sunrise quick stop, ellensburg
  • the roslyn grocery, roslyn
  • warrior quick stop, cle elum
  • warriors quick stop 3, ellensburg

Combination Grocery/Other · 6

  • bi-mart 621, ellensburg
  • cvs pharmacy 11656, ellensburg
  • dollar general 22673, kittitas
  • dollar tree 2942, ellensburg
  • dollar tree 7665, cle elum
  • super 1 foods 130, ellensburg

Supermarket · 3

  • ellensburg grocery outlet 195, ellensburg
  • safeway 1135, cle elum
  • safeway 1630, ellensburg

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's pizza wa127, ellensburg

Farmers' Market · 1

  • kittitas county farmers market, ellensburg

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • wildflower geights market, cle elum

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • better life natural food, ellensburg

Super Store · 1

  • fred meyer 652, ellensburg

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Washington

Adams County
41.7% low-access · 18.9% SNAP
Asotin County
13.8% low-access · 18.6% SNAP
Benton County
22.8% low-access · 14.8% SNAP
Chelan County
18.1% low-access · 12.0% SNAP
Clallam County
38.2% low-access · 13.0% SNAP
Clark County
21.7% low-access · 12.1% SNAP

Compare Kittitas County vs Adams County → · All Washington counties →

Food access nationally, Washington in context

Kittitas County sits inside Washington (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Kittitas County has low food access? ▼
23.5% of residents in Kittitas County, WA live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Kittitas County? ▼
12.3% of households in Kittitas County receive SNAP, covering 2,459 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Kittitas County? ▼
The poverty rate in Kittitas County, WA is 14.4%, with a median household income of $73,804 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Kittitas County a food desert? ▼
4 of Kittitas County's 8 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Kittitas County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.4% of households in Kittitas County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.