County food-access profile · California
Madera County, CA
Madera 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.
- 14.5%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 21.7%
- on SNAP
- 161K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
14.5% of Madera County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 23 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 8K
- food-desert residents
- 5.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 19.2%
- 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).
Madera County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 14.5% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 23 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 21,867 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 8,175 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 Madera County compares nationally
Madera County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.5% low-access share that beats 31% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,157).
Madera County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 23 census tracts in Madera County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Madera County vs. other California counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California
- Madera 14.5
Madera County, CA
14.5 % 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 | 23 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 150,865 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 21,867 |
| Low-Access Share | 14.5%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 8,175 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 160,940 |
| Median Household Income | $76,627 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 9,864 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 21.7%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.9% |
About 21.7% of Madera County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 14.5% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 21.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 9,864 households here.
- 5.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Madera County
near the national share
3 of Madera County's 23 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 13.0% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 21,867 residents, roughly 14.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 8,175 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 18 tracts (78.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Madera County
Madera County has 150 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 12 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 77 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 77
- 1 stop liquor & gas, madera
- 41 gas food & liquor, madera
- 7 eleven 2368 37940a, oakhurst
- 99 cents & more, madera
- ampm, madera
- bj's gas and liquor, madera
- bass fork star, north fork
- be sweet & treats llc, chowchilla
- bonita market, madera
- central sales & services llc, madera
- chowchilla star mart, chowchilla
- chowchilla valero, chowchilla
- convience store with gas station, coarsegold
- country club food mart, madera
- county mini mart, madera
- e-z trip, madera
- el changarro mx2, madera
- emma's taqueria y carniceria, madera
- farmers market, madera
- fast n esy 10, madera
- fast n esy 32, chowchilla
- gmg food store 101, madera
- grocery plus llc, madera
- gateway market 1, madera
- gateway xpress, madera
- harry's liqour and gas, madera
- hwy 41 arco am pm, madera
- jb family food center inc., madera
- jiffy food mart, chowchilla
- joes food mart, chowchilla
- junction 209 travel center, madera
- ker's gas & lube inc, madera
- la plaza 24, madera
- liquor locker, madera
- love's travel stop 736, madera
- lucky7 #2, madera
- madera mobil, madera
- madera ave market, madera
- madera mini mart 1, madera
- madera u save liquor, madera
- madera valero, madera
- madtown dino mart, madera
- mexicali market, madera
- mi oaxaquena, madera
- mi reina market, madera
- monty's liquor, madera
- nim nobe general store, north fork
- o'neals marketplace, o'neals
- oakhurst mini mart & liquor llc, oakhurst
- pj express mart, madera
- pal brothers llc, madera
- parkwood mart, madera
- pilot 1275, madera
- pilot travel center 365, madera
- pioneer market 1, chowchilla
- plaza market & restaurant, madera
- quality liquor & food, chowchilla
- rancho market, madera
- rancho valero, madera
- rk family mart, madera
- rocket #0251 0251, madera
- s & k mini market, chowchilla
- s & k mini mart 3, madera
- s & k mini mart 4, madera
- s.a.n. partnership, madera
- six star chevron, madera
- six star food mart, madera
- sunny market & liquor, madera
- sunrise food mart, madera
- sws fuel inc, madera
- tackle box, madera
- the 3 kings bakery, madera
- ta madera 919, madera
- the old corral grocery and tackle shop, oakhurst
- united park, inc., chowchilla
- vallee food store 2, coarsegold
- yosemite fuel stop, coarsegold
Combination Grocery/Other · 19
- cvs pharmacy 9159, madera
- cvs pharmacy 9935, oakhurst
- cvs pharmacy 9986, madera
- dollar general 13620, madera
- dollar general 16945, coarsegold
- dollar general 18287, madera
- dollar general 14907, madera
- dollar general 15374, madera
- dollar tree 1220, madera
- dollar tree 4566, oakhurst
- dollar tree 5835, chowchilla
- dollar tree 6451, madera
- dollar tree 7959, madera
- family dollar 9310, madera
- los tres hermanos ranch 2, madera
- patiala shahi indian restaurant & grocery inc, madera
- punjabi kitchen and grocers, madera
- walgreens 11242, madera
- walgreens 6453, madera
Medium Grocery Store · 13
- baby nutrition #5 5, madera
- bills quick stop inc, madera
- carniceria & taqueria don chuy, madera
- coarsegold market, coarsegold
- dulceria mojica #3 3, madera
- el vecino market, madera
- la carniceria y taqueria jalisco, madera
- la mexicana carniceria y taqueria, chowchilla
- la mexicana grocery 2, chowchilla
- mercado las palmas, madera
- mi rancho market, madera
- trujillo's meat market, madera
- yosemite mostly 99 cent & dis cig, madera
Supermarket · 10
- burg health pharmacy, inc 11, madera
- grocery outlet of madera 270, madera
- hillside supermarket, coarsegold
- raley's 340, oakhurst
- rancho san miguel 24, madera
- save mart 77, madera
- save mart 103, chowchilla
- state foods chowchilla, chowchilla
- state foods madera, madera
- vons 2409, oakhurst
Small Grocery Store · 7
- baby's nutrition care, chowchilla
- carniceria y taqueria mexico, madera
- la vina market, madera
- primetime 555, madera
- south c market, madera
- the gnarly carrot, north fork
- the pines market, bass lake
Super Store · 7
- dollar general market 14298, chowchilla
- food 4 less 101, madera
- la esperanza food center, madera
- oakhurst grocery outlet, oakhurst
- smart & final store 831, madera
- vallarta supermarket 52, madera
- walmart 1583, madera
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 6
- carniceria el mercado, madera
- carniceria y taqueria tio chema, madera
- el realito de oro market, madera
- gus' meat locker, madera
- jj meats, madera
- the butcher boss, madera
Large Grocery Store · 4
- carniceria mi pueblo, madera
- el mercado, madera
- food fair market, madera
- north fork supermarket, north fork
Bakery Specialty · 3
- papa murphy's 102, madera
- papa murphy's take n bake ca-327, oakhurst
- romeo's take-n-bake pizza, madera
Farmers' Market · 2
- chowchilla's farmers market, chowchilla
- neighborhood farmers market #810, madera
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- eddie's farm market, chowchilla
Seafood Specialty · 1
- av food distribution, madera
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in California
Compare Madera County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Food access nationally, California in context
Madera 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 Madera County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Madera County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Madera County? ▼
Is Madera County a food desert? ▼
What share of Madera 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.