County food-access profile · California
Marin County, CA
Marin 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.
- 11.9%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 5.5%
- on SNAP
- 258K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
11.9% of Marin County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 15
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 4.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.3%
- 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).
Marin County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 11.9% per the USDA Atlas. 15 of the county's 55 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 30,005 residents who live far from a supermarket. 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 Marin County compares nationally
Marin County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 11.9% low-access share that beats 25% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,353).
Marin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 55 census tracts in Marin County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Marin County vs. other California counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California
- Marin 11.9
Marin County, CA
11.9 % 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 | 55 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 252,409 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 15 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 30,005 |
| Low-Access Share | 11.9%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,943 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 257,969 |
| Median Household Income | $149,091 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.3%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,615 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.5%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.5% |
About 5.5% of Marin County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 11.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 5.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,615 households here.
- 4.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $149,091 with a 8.3% 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 Marin County
near the national share
A further 15 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 15.
An estimated 30,005 residents, roughly 11.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,943 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 40 tracts (72.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Marin County
Marin County has 121 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 34 locations (28% of the total), followed by super store.
Convenience Store · 34
- 4th street shell 119, san rafael
- 7 eleven 14130e, sausalito
- 7 eleven 14136e, mill valley
- 7 eleven 15957f, fairfax
- 7 eleven 19157d 19157d, novato
- 7 eleven 2366 14143f, novato
- 7 eleven inc 14157c, mill valley
- 7 eleven store 14128b, fairfax
- 7 eleven store 14132e, san rafael
- 7 eleven store 14146f, san rafael
- 7-eleven #14154e, mill valley
- 7-eleven 14139, san rafael
- alcos famous market & deli, novato
- chevron 1548, greenbrae
- chevron 1551, novato
- chevron station 1570, corte madera
- chevron station 2208, san rafael
- circle k 2705784, san rafael
- delong avenue shell 112, novato
- don's market & liquor, fairfax
- drake shell 106, greenbrae
- enfrente shell 113, novato
- famous market & deli, san rafael
- fuel 24/7 at woodlands, kentfield
- inverness store, inverness
- irwin shell 117, san rafael
- miwok shell 109, novato
- more for less 4, san rafael
- new bait shop & deli market 1, sausalito
- northgate shell 118, san rafael
- novato 76, novato
- novato shell 110, novato
- rossi's black point station, novato
- west novato shell 111, novato
Super Store · 27
- cardenas 216, san rafael
- costco wholesale 0141, novato
- fairfax market, fairfax
- good earth natural foods, fairfax
- good earth natural foods, mill valley
- grocery outlet of san rafael 459, san rafael
- harvest market, novato
- marin scottys market inc, san rafael
- mill valley market, mill valley
- mollie stone's markets, sausalito
- mollie stone's markets #4, greenbrae
- marin city grocery outlet 544, sausalito
- marinwood market, san rafael
- novato grocery outlet, novato
- smart & final 526, san rafael
- supermercado mi tierra llc #6, san rafael
- target 3240, sausalito
- target store 2772, san rafael
- target store t-0692, novato
- united markets, inc., san anselmo
- united markets, inc., san rafael
- whole foods market 10009, mill valley
- whole foods market 10071, san rafael
- whole foods market 10234, novato
- whole foods market 10337, mill valley
- woodlands market kf, kentfield
- woodlands market tib, belvedere tiburon
Supermarket · 18
- andronicos community market 2455, san anselmo
- driver's market, sausalito
- lucky 732, novato
- nugget market 14, tiburon
- nugget market 15, corte madera
- nugget market 16, novato
- safeway 1723, san anselmo
- safeway 2318, corte madera
- safeway 2718, mill valley
- safeway 653, san rafael
- safeway 788, mill valley
- safeway 932, san rafael
- safeway 979, novato
- safeway 2828, novato
- spouts farmers market 288, san rafael
- trader joe's 198, novato
- trader joe's 235, greenbrae
- trader joe's 61, san rafael
Combination Grocery/Other · 17
- cvs pharmacy 1483, belvedere tiburon
- cvs pharmacy 9219, greenbrae
- cvs pharmacy 9316, novato
- cvs pharmacy 9370, san anselmo
- cvs pharmacy 9529, san rafael
- cvs pharmacy 9913, mill valley
- cvs pharmacy 9947, novato
- dollartree 9694, san rafael
- dollar tree 3480, novato
- dollar tree 4393, novato
- dollar tree 4724, san rafael
- palace market, point reyes station
- santa venetia market, san rafael
- stinson beach market, stinson beach
- walgreens 04559, mill valley
- walgreens 13584, san rafael
- walgreens 4625, san rafael
Farmers' Market · 8
- agricultural institute of marin farmers market, san rafael
- downtown novato community farmers market, novato
- downtown san rafael mkt/ag institute of marin, san rafael
- fairfax community farmers market, fairfax
- marin farmers market/ag institute of marin, san rafael
- novato hamilton landing farmers' market, novato
- pt reyes farmers market, point reyes station
- tomales farmers market, tomales
Medium Grocery Store · 8
- asian market 0, san rafael
- bolinas people's store, bolinas
- brothers farmer market, novato
- casa del palmar 6, novato
- jasmin market, san rafael
- la chulada market, novato
- lotus market, san rafael
- rojas mexican market, novato
Small Grocery Store · 5
- el prado market, san rafael
- la carreta market, novato
- primetime nutrition 527, san rafael
- sausalito market, sausalito
- woodacre market and deli, woodacre
Large Grocery Store · 2
- bolinas supermarket, bolinas
- quezada market and deli, novato
Delivery Route · 1
- rollin root/ag institute of marin, san rafael
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- central food carnicerias #4, novato
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in California
Compare Marin County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Food access nationally, California in context
Marin 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 Marin County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Marin County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Marin County? ▼
Is Marin County a food desert? ▼
What share of Marin 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.