County food-access profile · California
Napa County, CA
Napa 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.
- 12.1%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 6.9%
- on SNAP
- 135K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
12.1% of Napa County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 8
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 4.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.5%
- 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).
Napa County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 12.1% per the USDA Atlas. 8 of the county's 40 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 16,493 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 Napa County compares nationally
Napa County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.1% low-access share that beats 25% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,335).
Napa County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 40 census tracts in Napa County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Napa County vs. other California counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California
- Napa 12.1
Napa County, CA
12.1 % 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 | 40 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 136,484 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 8 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 16,493 |
| Low-Access Share | 12.1%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,589 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 134,869 |
| Median Household Income | $111,471 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.5%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,425 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.9%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.0% |
About 6.9% of Napa County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 12.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 6.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,425 households here.
- 4.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $111,471 with a 8.5% 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 Napa County
near the national share
A further 8 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.
An estimated 16,493 residents, roughly 12.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,589 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 32 tracts (80.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Napa County
Napa County has 65 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (38% of the total), followed by supermarket.
Convenience Store · 25
- 7 eleven 14135b 14135b, napa
- 7 eleven 14152g 14152g, napa
- 7 eleven 18813e 18813e, napa
- 7 eleven 41611a, napa
- 7 eleven store 35704b, american canyon
- 7-eleven 14138 b, napa
- 7-eleven 16640 d, american canyon
- 7-eleven 14129a, napa
- 7-eleven 14131b, napa
- bellair shell 108, napa
- chevron 1541, napa
- chevron 1774, napa
- chevron 2206, american canyon
- circle k stores 2709226, american canyon
- conserv fuel 40, napa
- fairview market, napa
- fast & easy mart 59, napa
- i s gasmart inc, calistoga
- jefferson market, napa
- kwikee mart, napa
- more for less 21, calistoga
- pueblo market, napa
- val's liquor, napa
- valley liquor & gas station, napa
- vintage food mart, saint helena
Supermarket · 11
- azteca market - napa, napa
- economy market, napa
- lucky 730, napa
- lucky 731, napa
- nob hill foods 623, napa
- napa grocery outlet 271, napa
- raley's 319, napa
- safeway 1883, american canyon
- safeway 2449, napa
- safeway 2605, saint helena
- trader joe's 128, napa
Combination Grocery/Other · 10
- brown's valley market, inc., napa
- cvs pharmacy 1804, napa
- cvs pharmacy 7141, napa
- cvs pharmacy 9214, napa
- dollar tree 5987, napa
- howell mountain market, angwin
- la tapatia market napa inc 2, napa
- napa valley farm, napa
- walgreens 11365, american canyon
- walgreens 11822, napa
Super Store · 10
- cal mart, calistoga
- costco wholesale 1679, napa
- la morenita market, napa
- mi familia market inc, napa
- north napa grocery outlet 435, napa
- target store t-1026, napa
- target store t-1438, napa
- walmart 1651, american canyon
- walmart 2925, napa
- whole foods market 10288, napa
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- azteca market, saint helena
- la corona market, calistoga
- puerto vallarta market, calistoga
- radio shark, napa
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa murphy's pizza-napa-ca033 ca033, napa
- papa murphy's take and bake pizza ca195, american canyon
Farmers' Market · 2
- downtown napa farmers' market, napa
- st helena farmers market, st helena
Large Grocery Store · 1
- lola's market 4, napa
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in California
Compare Napa County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Food access nationally, California in context
Napa 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 Napa County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Napa County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Napa County? ▼
Is Napa County a food desert? ▼
What share of Napa 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.