County food-access profile · Washington
Mason County, WA
Mason 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.
- 13.2%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 15.2%
- on SNAP
- 68K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
13.2% of Mason County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 3.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.3%
- 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).
Mason County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.2% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 14 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,008 residents who live far from a supermarket. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,667 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 Mason County compares nationally
Mason County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.2% low-access share that beats 28% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,259).
Mason County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 14 census tracts in Mason County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Mason County vs. other Washington counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Washington
- Mason 13.2
Mason County, WA
13.2 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, WA
41.7 % low-access
- Asotin 13.8
Asotin County, WA
13.8 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, WA
22.8 % low-access
- Chelan
Chelan County, WA
18.1 % low-access
- Clallam
Clallam County, WA
38.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 14 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 60,699 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,008 |
| Low-Access Share | 13.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,667 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 67,982 |
| Median Household Income | $83,270 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,954 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.2%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.4% |
About 15.2% of Mason County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 13.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,954 households here.
- 3.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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 Mason County
near the national share
4 of Mason County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 28.6% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 8,008 residents, roughly 13.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,667 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 9 tracts (64.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Mason County
Mason County has 48 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 26 locations (54% of the total), followed by small grocery store.
Convenience Store · 26
- airport grocery, shelton
- agate store, shelton
- am/pm gas station, shelton
- bayshore shell corporation, shelton
- ben's deli mart, allyn
- bucks prairie mercantile, elma
- dayton store, shelton
- deer creek store, shelton
- eldon store 3, lilliwaup
- food mart, shelton
- hillcrest shell, shelton
- james food mart, shelton
- la guatemalteca, belfair
- la loma meat market, shelton
- lake cushman store, hoodsport
- matlock general store, matlock
- micky's deli, shelton
- olympic food mart, shelton
- olympic texaco, shelton
- randy's short stop 1, belfair
- spencer lake grocery, shelton
- sunset beach grocery & deli, belfair
- taylor town store and subway, shelton
- third generation limerick market, shelton
- twin totems deli & grocery, shelton
- union food mart, union
Small Grocery Store · 5
- jay's farmstand 3, shelton
- mi pueblo market 1, shelton
- shelton fruits corp, shelton
- shelton latino market, shelton
- tienda mi tierra guatemala llc 1, belfair
Super Store · 5
- belfair grocery outlet 609, belfair
- fred meyer 603, shelton
- hood canal market fresh, hoodsport
- qfc 101, belfair
- walmart 2121, shelton
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar tree 3217, shelton
- elena's tienda 1, shelton
- rivera's mini-mart, shelton
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- allyn market, allyn
- rivera's markets 01, shelton
- shelton shop and hop, llc, shelton
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa murphy's take 'n' bake pizza wa173, shelton
- papa murphys belfair wa175, belfair
Supermarket · 2
- safeway 1571, belfair
- safeway 585, shelton
Farmers' Market · 1
- shelton farmers market, shelton
Large Grocery Store · 1
- home meat service, shelton
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Washington
Compare Mason County vs Adams County → · All Washington counties →
Food access nationally, Washington in context
Mason County sits inside Washington (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 Mason County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Mason County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Mason County? ▼
Is Mason County a food desert? ▼
What share of Mason 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.