County food-access profile · California
Lake County, CA
Most of Lake County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 4.2%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 24.3%
- on SNAP
- 68K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
4.2% of Lake County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 5.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 17.0%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Lake County fares better than most: just 4.2% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 2 of the county's 15 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,701 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,222 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 Lake County compares nationally
Food access in Lake County compares favorably nationally: its 4.2% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 9% of them (rank #2,859).
Lake County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 15 census tracts in Lake County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Lake County vs. other California counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California
- Lake 4.2
Lake County, CA
4.2 % low-access
- Alameda 8.1
Alameda County, CA
8.1 % low-access
- Alpine
Alpine County, CA
57 % low-access
- Amador 0.2
Amador County, CA
0.2 % low-access
- Butte 19.1
Butte County, CA
19.1 % low-access
- Calaveras 14.7
Calaveras County, CA
14.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 15 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 64,665 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,701 |
| Low-Access Share | 4.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,222 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 68,152 |
| Median Household Income | $60,621 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.0%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,553 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 24.3%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 24.3% of Lake County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 4.2% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 24.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,553 households here.
- 5.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Lake County
below the national share
1 of Lake County's 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 6.7% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 2,701 residents, roughly 4.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,222 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 13 tracts (86.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Lake County
Lake County has 70 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 35 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 35
- 3 brothers travel plaza, upper lake
- arco ampm, clearlake
- fast & easy mart 48, upperlake
- food gas go, clearlake oaks
- gas & food stop, clearlake
- gaytan family market, clearlake
- golden gate petroleum 12, lakeport
- h&s energy products 3006, lucerne
- h&s energy products llc 3003, clearlake oaks
- h&s energy products llc 3004, lower lake
- h&s energy products llc 3005, lakeport
- h&s energy products llc 3007, lakeport
- h&s energy products llc 3008, lakeport
- h&s energy products, llc 3009, nice
- hidden valley inc dba hidden valley food mart, middletown
- j s express market, clearlake
- john's market & deli, kelseyville
- js market, lower lake
- kool & kash market, clearlake
- kit corner market, kelseyville
- la fiesta market, lakeport
- lakeport express, lakeport
- lakeport shell, lakeport
- loch lomond market, middletown
- marina gas mart, nice
- middletown food n gas, middletown
- mt.konocti gas mart, kelseyville
- noble market & liquor, middletown
- park view market, clearlake
- redwood market 290, lakeport
- rotten robbie 65, lakeport
- soda bay market, kelseyville
- spring valley's pantry, clearlake oaks
- time to shop, clearlake
- valero - lakeshore dr, clearlake
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- cvs pharmacy 9943, lakeport
- dollar general 15238, nice
- dollar general 15401, clearlake oaks
- dollar general 18303, lakeport
- dollar tree 1242, lakeport
- dollar tree 4447, clearlake
- hardester's market #1, middletown
- la monarca market 2 llc, kelseyville
Supermarket · 7
- braitos riviera foods, kelseyville
- grocery outlet of hidden valley lake 409, middletown
- hardester's cobb market, cobb
- hardester's hidden valley market, hidden valley lake
- la monarca market, lower lake
- safeway 983, lakeport
- safeway 984, clearlake
Farmers' Market · 6
- clearlake certified farmer's market, clearlake
- cobb community farmers market, cobb
- hidden valley farmers market, middletown
- middletown farmers market 17-21-3, middletown
- saturday morning market at the mercantile, lakeport
- tuesday market at liberty park, lakeport
Super Store · 6
- bruno's shop smart 73, lakeport
- clearlake grocery outlet 110, clearlake
- foods etc., clearlake
- lakeport grocery outlet, lakeport
- mar-val's sentry market, nice
- walmart 1979, clearlake
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- kelseyville food count, kelseyville
- nylander's red & white store, clearlake oaks
- upper lake grocery, upper lake
Bakery Specialty · 2
- cecil's take n bake pizza, clearlake
- papa murphy's pizza ca238, lakeport
Large Grocery Store · 2
- lake view market, lucerne
- super chavez market, clearlake
Small Grocery Store · 1
- baby prime nutrition, clearlake
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in California
Compare Lake County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Food access nationally, California in context
Lake County sits inside California (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 Lake County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Lake County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Lake County? ▼
Is Lake County a food desert? ▼
What share of Lake 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.