PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Wyoming

Natrona County, WY

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Natrona County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

34.0%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
6.5%
on SNAP
80K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WY

The food-access picture

34.0% of Natrona County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

9
low-access tracts
7K
food-desert residents
4.5%
households, no vehicle
9.6%
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).

USDA data puts Natrona County's low-access share at 34.0%, above the national share. 9 of the county's 18 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 25,625 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,918 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 Natrona County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Natrona County's 34.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 79% of them and ranked #670 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Natrona County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 18 census tracts in Natrona 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 Natrona County, WY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 9 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 8 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 18 tracts evaluated. 9 tracts adequate (50.0%) 8 tracts limited (44.4%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (5.6%) Adequate 50% Limited 44% Severe 6% Food-access tier distribution: Natrona County, WY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Natrona County vs. other Wyoming counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wyoming

% 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 Natrona County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts18
Atlas Population (2010 basis)75,450
Low-Access Tracts9
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population25,625
Low-Access Share34.0%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,918

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Natrona County
IndicatorValue
Population79,977
Median Household Income$72,156
Poverty Rate9.6%below the national average
SNAP Households2,197
SNAP Participation Rate6.5%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.5%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.7%
SNAP participation in Natrona County 6.5%

About 6.5% of Natrona County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 34.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 6.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,197 households here.
  • 4.5% 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 Natrona County

above the national share

1 of Natrona County's 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.6% of all its tracts.

A further 8 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.

An estimated 25,625 residents, roughly 34.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,918 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 9 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Natrona County

Natrona County has 49 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 25

  • big d oil 19, midwest
  • big d oil 52, casper
  • big d oil 53, casper
  • big d oil 63, casper
  • common cents food store 202, casper
  • common cents food store 204, casper
  • good 2 go store 215, casper
  • good 2 go store 216, casper
  • hat six travel center 1, evansville
  • homax oil sales 2, casper
  • loaf n jug 750103, casper
  • loaf n jug 750105, casper
  • loaf n jug 750106, casper
  • loaf n jug 750109, casper
  • loaf n jug 750110, casper
  • loaf n jug 750111, casper
  • loaf n jug 750127, evansville
  • loaf n jug 750130, casper
  • loaf n jug 750131, casper
  • maverik 547, mills
  • mcj enterprises inc dba maxs, casper
  • pilot travel center 758, casper
  • smith's fuel center 185, casper
  • stinker store 216, casper
  • stinker store 217, casper

Combination Grocery/Other · 11

  • dollar general 23300, mills
  • dollar general 23350, casper
  • dollar general 23397, casper
  • dollar tree 3288, casper
  • dollar tree 3851, casper
  • family dollar 12722, casper
  • family dollar 13933, casper
  • family dollar 5767, mills
  • family dollar 6081, casper
  • walgreens 07462, casper
  • walgreens 07601, casper

Super Store · 6

  • ridley's family markets 1132, casper
  • sam's club 6425, casper
  • smiths food & drug center 185, casper
  • target stores t- 0164, casper
  • walmart sc 1617, casper
  • walmart sc 3778, casper

Supermarket · 3

  • albertsons 60, casper
  • albertsons 62, casper
  • natural grocers by vitamin cottage u047, casper

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • papa murphy's wy002, casper
  • papa murphy's wy011, casper

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • brattis meat market, casper
  • frank's butcher shop & liquor, casper

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Wyoming

Albany County
28.8% low-access · 4.1% SNAP
Big Horn County
18.7% low-access · 5.3% SNAP
Campbell County
36.7% low-access · 3.4% SNAP
Carbon County
57.8% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Converse County
12.2% low-access · 6.7% SNAP
Crook County
27.0% low-access · 0.6% SNAP

Compare Natrona County vs Albany County → · All Wyoming counties →

Food access nationally, Wyoming in context

Natrona County sits inside Wyoming (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 Natrona County has low food access? ▼
34.0% of residents in Natrona County, WY 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 Natrona County? ▼
6.5% of households in Natrona County receive SNAP, covering 2,197 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Natrona County? ▼
The poverty rate in Natrona County, WY is 9.6%, with a median household income of $72,156 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Natrona County a food desert? ▼
1 of Natrona County's 18 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 Natrona County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.5% of households in Natrona 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.