PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Oregon

Malheur County, OR

Malheur 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.

8.9%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
28.3%
on SNAP
32K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OR

The food-access picture

8.9% of Malheur County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
6.7%
households, no vehicle
17.6%
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).

Malheur County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.9% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 2,794 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,297 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 Malheur County compares nationally

Malheur County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.9% low-access share that beats 18% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,575).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Malheur County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Malheur 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 Malheur County, OR USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (71.4%) 1 tracts limited (14.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (14.3%) Adequate 71% Limited 14% Severe 14% Food-access tier distribution: Malheur County, OR
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Malheur 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 Malheur County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)31,313
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population2,794
Low-Access Share8.9%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,297

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Malheur County
IndicatorValue
Population31,954
Median Household Income$54,519
Poverty Rate17.6%above the national average
SNAP Households2,916
SNAP Participation Rate28.3%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.7%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population11.7%
SNAP participation in Malheur County 28.3%

About 28.3% of Malheur County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 8.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 28.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,916 households here.
  • 6.7% 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 Malheur County

near the national share

1 of Malheur County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% 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 2,794 residents, roughly 8.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,297 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (71.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Malheur County

Malheur County has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 14 locations (37% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 14

  • farmers supply coop, ontario
  • farmers supply coop 68, vale
  • jacksons food stores 013, ontario
  • jacksons food stores 100, ontario
  • jacksons food stores 235, ontario
  • jacksons food stores 243, ontario
  • la morenita market llc, nyssa
  • love's travel stop 372, ontario
  • mrs. z's, jordan valley
  • ontario mini market and produce, ontario
  • ontario sinclair, ontario
  • owyhee grocery, nyssa
  • stockmans market, ontario
  • t & t country store, huntington

Combination Grocery/Other · 10

  • bi-mart 617, ontario
  • chase natural, inc. dba chase's market, ontario
  • dollartree 10321, vale
  • dollar general 22669, vale
  • dollar general 22872, nyssa
  • dollar general 24464, ontario
  • dollar tree 3727, ontario
  • m&w markets 15, vale
  • m&w markets 3, nyssa
  • walgreens 10054, ontario

Farmers' Market · 3

  • nyssa farmers market, nyssa
  • ontario saturday market, ontario
  • vale farmers & crafters association nafmnp, vale

Supermarket · 3

  • albertsons 131, ontario
  • grocery outlet, ontario
  • winco foods 147, ontario

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • franz family bakery outlet 9070, ontario
  • papa murphy's or079, ontario

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • gonzalez market 1, ontario
  • guerreros market, ontario

Super Store · 2

  • red apple marketplace 18490, ontario
  • walmart 1951, ontario

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • morrison meats, vale

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • rico pan bakery 2, ontario

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 Malheur County vs Baker County → · All Oregon counties →

Food access nationally, Oregon in context

Malheur 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 Malheur County has low food access? ▼
8.9% of residents in Malheur 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 Malheur County? ▼
28.3% of households in Malheur County receive SNAP, covering 2,916 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Malheur County? ▼
The poverty rate in Malheur County, OR is 17.6%, with a median household income of $54,519 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Malheur County a food desert? ▼
1 of Malheur County's 7 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 Malheur County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.7% of households in Malheur 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.