PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Oregon

Klamath County, OR

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

34.3%
low-access pop.
6
food-desert tracts
23.7%
on SNAP
70K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OR

The food-access picture

34.3% of Klamath County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

10
low-access tracts
8K
food-desert residents
6.6%
households, no vehicle
18.3%
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 Klamath County's low-access share at 34.3%, above the national share. 10 of the county's 20 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 22,781 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 8,478 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 Klamath County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Klamath County's 34.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 79% of them and ranked #649 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Klamath County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 20 census tracts in Klamath 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 Klamath County, OR USDA-defined food-access tiers: 10 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 6 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 20 tracts evaluated. 10 tracts adequate (50.0%) 4 tracts limited (20.0%) 6 tracts severe / food desert (30.0%) Adequate 50% Limited 20% Severe 30% Food-access tier distribution: Klamath County, OR
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Klamath County vs. other Oregon counties

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

% 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 Klamath County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts20
Atlas Population (2010 basis)66,380
Low-Access Tracts10
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)6
Low-Access Population22,781
Low-Access Share34.3%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population8,478

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Klamath County
IndicatorValue
Population70,247
Median Household Income$58,830
Poverty Rate18.3%above the national average
SNAP Households6,861
SNAP Participation Rate23.7%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.6%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.8%
SNAP participation in Klamath County 23.7%

About 23.7% of Klamath County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 34.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 23.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,861 households here.
  • 6.6% 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 Klamath County

above the national share

6 of Klamath County's 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 30.0% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 10.

An estimated 22,781 residents, roughly 34.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 8,478 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 10 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Klamath County

Klamath County has 75 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 44 locations (59% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 44

  • 140 country store, klamath falls
  • 7 star convenience store 8, klamath falls
  • 7 star convenience store 9, klamath falls
  • altamont market, klamath falls
  • ama 97 north inc, klamath falls
  • barney's family market, midland
  • bly chevron, bly
  • castel's southside chevron, klamath falls
  • chemult chevron, chemult
  • crater lake junction travel center, chiloquin
  • crescent shell inc., crescent
  • ez market & gas, klamath falls
  • ez market 2, klamath falls
  • ez market 3, klamath falls
  • fast break bonanza market 6810, bonanza
  • fast break homedale market 6510, klamath falls
  • fast break river market 6710, keno
  • fast mart kf inc, klamath falls
  • gilchrist grocery & deli, inc., gilchrist
  • gino's market, klamath falls
  • greensprings market and deli inc, klamath falls
  • h&s stations, llc 5028, klamath falls
  • hasco stations, llc 8039, klamath falls
  • homedale mini mart, klamath falls
  • jo's motel and campground, fort klamath
  • kush smokes & grocery store, klamath falls
  • liens store, klamath falls
  • love's travel stop 823, klamath falls
  • madison market 6210, klamath falls
  • mountain market, chemult
  • multi-site management llc #823 534, klamath falls
  • murphy's market, klamath falls
  • odell sportsman center 1, crescent lake
  • oregon avenue shell and food mart, klamath falls
  • palomino deli & mini mart, beatty
  • parkway mini mart inc, klamath falls
  • pilot travel center 133, chemult
  • pilot travel center 504, klamath falls
  • riy's market inc, klamath falls
  • stop n go deli mart, klamath falls
  • that thing & go, klamath falls
  • washburn market 6310, klamath falls
  • whistler's trading post inc., chiloquin
  • worden truck stop, klamath falls

Combination Grocery/Other · 8

  • bi-mart 611, klamath falls
  • dollar general 16696, chiloquin
  • dollar general 18282, crescent
  • dollar general 16686, merrill
  • dollar general 18772, klamath falls
  • dollar general 21342, klamath falls
  • dollar tree 2757, klamath falls
  • el torito supermarket klamath falls, klamath falls

Small Grocery Store · 6

  • bonanza general store, bonanza
  • chiloquin market, chiloquin
  • sycan store, bly
  • squaw flat store, sprague river
  • the keno store, keno
  • tienda de dios, klamath falls

Super Store · 4

  • fred meyer 165, klamath falls
  • grocery outlet of klamath falls 149, klamath falls
  • sherms thunderbird market 2, klamath falls
  • walmart 1772, klamath falls

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • malin market, malin
  • martins food center no, merrill
  • papa murphy's or104, klamath falls

Supermarket · 3

  • holiday market 63, klamath falls
  • natural grocers u158, klamath falls
  • safeway 577, klamath falls

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • franz bakery outlet 9003, klamath falls
  • papa murphy's or061, klamath falls

Farmers' Market · 2

  • bonanza oregon farmers market nafmnp, bonanza
  • klamath falls farmers market, klamath falls

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • diamond s meat co, klamath falls
  • howards meat center, klamath falls

Delivery Route · 1

  • west coast steak and seafood company, klamath falls

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Oregon

Baker County
37.9% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Benton County
27.9% low-access · 13.3% SNAP
Clackamas County
17.3% low-access · 10.1% SNAP
Clatsop County
12.4% low-access · 15.3% SNAP
Columbia County
6.1% low-access · 15.6% SNAP
Coos County
10.6% low-access · 23.4% SNAP

Compare Klamath County vs Baker County → · All Oregon counties →

Food access nationally, Oregon in context

Klamath County sits inside Oregon (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 Klamath County has low food access? ▼
34.3% of residents in Klamath County, OR 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 Klamath County? ▼
23.7% of households in Klamath County receive SNAP, covering 6,861 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Klamath County? ▼
The poverty rate in Klamath County, OR is 18.3%, with a median household income of $58,830 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Klamath County a food desert? ▼
6 of Klamath County's 20 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 Klamath County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.6% of households in Klamath 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.