County food-access profile · Nevada
Lyon County, NV
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Lyon 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).
- 39.3%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 11.0%
- on SNAP
- 62K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
39.3% of Lyon County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
- 2.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.7%
- 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 Lyon County's low-access share at 39.3%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 10 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 20,419 people. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Lyon County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Lyon County's 39.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 86% of them and ranked #427 most-affected nationwide.
Lyon County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Lyon County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Lyon County vs. other Nevada counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Nevada
- Lyon
Lyon County, NV
39.3 % low-access
- Carson City 14.3
Carson City, NV
14.3 % low-access
- Churchill 18.9
Churchill County, NV
18.9 % low-access
- Clark 19
Clark County, NV
19 % low-access
- Douglas
Douglas County, NV
50.1 % low-access
- Elko 16.1
Elko County, NV
16.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 51,980 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 20,419 |
| Low-Access Share | 39.3%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 5,093 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 61,680 |
| Median Household Income | $80,812 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,603 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.0%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.4% |
About 11.0% of Lyon County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 39.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,603 households here.
- 2.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $80,812 with a 11.7% poverty rate.
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 Lyon County
above the national share
A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 20,419 residents, roughly 39.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 5,093 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Lyon County
Lyon County has 49 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 28 locations (57% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 28
- 24 seven - silver springs, silver springs
- 7-eleven store 23201e, fernley
- best value liquor & smoke, fernley
- bridge market, yerington
- carniceria el pariente, fernley
- dayton valley fuel & liquor, dayton
- dayton valley mart, dayton
- dayton valley mini mart, dayton
- fernley fox peak, fernley
- fernley liquor & smoke & 99 cent store, fernley
- friends liquor, silver springs
- general store, mound house
- golden gate petroleum 79, yerington
- grab & go liquor 3, yerington
- infinity liquor & wine, yerington
- jacksons food store 0138, yerington
- jacksons food stores 27, fernley
- love's travel stops 246, fernley
- main st. gas and food mart, fernley
- maverik, inc 412, dayton
- maverik, inc 440, yerington
- pilot travel center 1005, fernley
- pilot travel center 340, fernley
- quik stop market 550171, fernley
- red rock liquor & smoke, mound house
- silver crossing, llc, silver springs
- spring market, silver springs
- stagecoach market, silver springs
Combination Grocery/Other · 10
- dollar general 13997, yerington
- dollar general 14469, dayton
- dollar general 13524, silver springs
- dollar tree 3159, dayton
- dollar tree 5071, fernley
- family dollar 10149, fernley
- family dollar 8857, silver srpings
- family dollar 8922, yerington
- family dollar store 10378, dayton
- walgreens 12488, n fernley
Super Store · 3
- dayton grocery outlet bargain market 391, dayton
- smith's food & drug 392, dayton
- walmart 4370, fernley
Supermarket · 3
- grocery outlet of fernley 396, fernley
- raley's 122, fernley
- raley's 123, yerington
Farmers' Market · 2
- fernley poolside farmers market, fernley
- healthy communities/community roots, dayton
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphys nv29029, fernley
Large Grocery Store · 1
- supermarket chapala llc, yerington
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- stagecoach country market, silver springs
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Nevada
Compare Lyon County vs Carson City → · All Nevada counties →
Food access nationally, Nevada in context
Lyon County sits inside Nevada (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 Lyon County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Lyon County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Lyon County? ▼
Is Lyon County a food desert? ▼
What share of Lyon 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.