County food-access profile · California
Mendocino County, CA
Mendocino 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.
- 6
- food-desert tracts
- 17.4%
- on SNAP
- 90K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
14.5% of Mendocino County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
- 7.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.4%
- 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).
Mendocino County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 14.5% per the USDA Atlas. 6 of the county's 20 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 12,720 residents who live far from a supermarket. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,202 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 Mendocino County compares nationally
Mendocino 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).
Mendocino County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 20 census tracts in Mendocino County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Mendocino County vs. other California counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California
- Mendocino 14.5
Mendocino 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 | 20 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 87,841 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 6 |
| Low-Access Population | 12,720 |
| Low-Access Share | 14.5%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 5,202 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 90,244 |
| Median Household Income | $68,092 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.4%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,072 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.4%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.3%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.5% |
About 17.4% of Mendocino 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.
- 17.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,072 households here.
- 7.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 6 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 Mendocino County
near the national share
6 of Mendocino County's 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 30.0% of all its tracts.
An estimated 12,720 residents, roughly 14.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 5,202 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 14 tracts (70.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Mendocino County
Mendocino County has 97 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 45 locations (46% of the total), followed by supermarket.
Convenience Store · 45
- browns, willits
- center street market, point arena
- coyote valley convenience store, redwood valley
- express gas mart, willits
- express mart, ukiah
- foster's ranch market, laytonville
- gravier's chevron, laytonville
- hoppers corner store, potter valley
- jensens travel plaza, ukiah
- kwik pik market, ukiah
- leggett valley market, leggett
- lightels food & fuel, ukiah
- little bakers market, redwood valley
- littlerivermarket, little river
- nmso inc 8137, fort bragg
- noni s inc, fort bragg
- nor cal gasoline, fort bragg
- one stop shop, fort bragg
- prime market, ukiah
- park n take it / friends coffe house, laytonville
- quest mart, ukiah
- quik stop market 550140, ukiah
- redwood market 284, covelo
- redwood market 285, fort bragg
- redwood market 286, willits
- redwood market 287, ukiah
- redwood market 288, ukiah
- redwood market 289, ukiah
- sanel valley market, hopland
- shell circle k 42, willits
- sherwood market, willits
- shop and wash market, ukiah
- south side store, ukiah
- speedex gasoline, fort bragg
- speedway 4075, ukiah
- t & n market, willits
- talmage arco ampm, ukiah
- talmage store, ukiah
- the superette market grocery, ukiah
- tnt market, willits
- ukiah liquor & food, ukiah
- ukiah sinclair, ukiah
- village market, willits
- village market & liquor 2, willits
- walia express, ukiah
Supermarket · 11
- food maxx 473, ukiah
- gualala supermarket, inc., gualala
- geiger's long valley market, laytonville
- lucky 628, ukiah
- mariposa market, willits
- purity supermarket, fort bragg
- raley's 328, ukiah
- safeway 1583, ukiah
- safeway 965, willits
- safeway 978, fort bragg
- super chavez market, ukiah
Combination Grocery/Other · 10
- cvs pharmacy 3932, fort bragg
- cvs pharmacy 9822, ukiah
- dollar tree 2939, willits
- dollar tree 4060, ukiah
- dollar tree 5853, fort bragg
- dollar tree 8577, ukiah
- harvest at mendosas, mendocino
- harvest market, fort bragg
- s & b mkt & supply co, manchester
- walgreens 09525, ukiah
Farmers' Market · 7
- fort bragg farmers market, fort bragg
- hopland certified farmers market, hopland
- laytonville farmers market, laytonville
- mendocino farmers market, mendocino
- redwood valley certified farmers market, redwood valley
- ukiah saturday farmers market, ukiah
- willits certified farmers market na, willits
Small Grocery Store · 7
- anderson valley market, boonville
- boont berry farm, boonville
- corners of the mouth, mendocino
- down home foods no, fort bragg
- el torito, fort bragg
- tienda su pais, covelo
- westside renaissance market, ukiah
Super Store · 6
- costco 1297, ukiah
- grocery outlet of willits 261, willits
- keith's meat market, covelo
- surf super market, inc. 1, gualala
- ukiah groceryoulet 69, ukiah
- walmart 2052, ukiah
Bakery Specialty · 4
- papa murphy's pizza ca034, fort bragg
- papa murphy's take and bake pizza ca 051, ukiah
- papa murphy's take and bake pizza ca016, willits
- pizza etc, redwood valley
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- arena market and cafe, point arena
- lemon's philo market, philo
- m & j el yuca, fort bragg
- redwood valley market, redwood valley
Large Grocery Store · 2
- anchor bay store, gualala
- contreras meat market, ukiah
Food Buying Co-op · 1
- ukiah natural foods, ukiah
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in California
Compare Mendocino County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Food access nationally, California in context
Mendocino 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 Mendocino County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Mendocino County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Mendocino County? ▼
Is Mendocino County a food desert? ▼
What share of Mendocino 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.