County food-access profile · California
Nevada County, CA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Nevada 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).
- 34.8%
- low-access pop.
- 6
- food-desert tracts
- 8.1%
- on SNAP
- 102K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.8% of Nevada County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 10
- low-access tracts
- 9K
- food-desert residents
- 4.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.0%
- 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 Nevada County's low-access share at 34.8%, above the national share. 10 of the county's 20 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 34,333 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 8,507 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 Nevada County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Nevada County's 34.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 81% of them and ranked #602 most-affected nationwide.
Nevada County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 20 census tracts in Nevada County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Nevada County vs. other California counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California
- Nevada
Nevada County, CA
34.8 % 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) | 98,764 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 10 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 6 |
| Low-Access Population | 34,333 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.8%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 8,507 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 102,481 |
| Median Household Income | $89,882 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,454 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.1%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 8.1% of Nevada County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 8.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,454 households here.
- 4.2% 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 Nevada County
above the national share
6 of Nevada 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.
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 10.
An estimated 34,333 residents, roughly 34.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 8,507 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 10 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Nevada County
Nevada County has 64 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 30 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 30
- 7 eleven 16965 c, truckee
- 7 eleven 24548c 24548c, truckee
- 7-eleven 42034h, penn valley
- alta sierra market, grass valley
- arco ampm 83675, grass valley
- bonanza market, nevada city
- brighton street grocery, grass valley
- cedar ridge country store, cedar ridge
- cedar ridge y market, grass valley
- chicago park store, grass valley
- combie deli & spirits, auburn
- express liquor & deli, grass valley
- grass valley chevron, grass valley
- h & s energy products 3065, auburn
- h&s energy products, llc 3063, truckee
- harmony ridge market, nevada city
- long's bottle shop, grass valley
- main street chevron, grass valley
- oak super market inc, grass valley
- penn valley shell 22, penn valley
- quik stop market 550107, grass valley
- rainbow market, nevada city
- rebel 0207, truckee
- ridge cafe, north san juan
- rocket #5428 5428, grass valley
- speedway 4458, grass valley
- super mart inc 5502, grass valley
- the corner store, grass valley
- toms sierra co., dba sierra energy 3, north san juan
- washington general store, washington
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- cvs pharmacy 9155, grass valley
- cvs pharmacy 9174, truckee
- combie market beer & wine, auburn
- dollar general 15010, grass valley
- dollar general 16348, penn valley
- dollar tree 2260, grass valley
- master's market, nevada city
- walgreens 10881, grass valley
Supermarket · 8
- holiday market 37, penn valley
- raley's 213, grass valley
- raley's o.n.e. market 125, truckee
- safeway 111, grass valley
- safeway 1266, truckee
- safeway 2842, grass valley
- save mart 608, grass valley
- save mart 627, truckee
Super Store · 7
- briarpatch food co-op, grass valley
- grass valley grocery outlet, grass valley
- grocery outlet of truckee, truckee
- new moon natural foods, truckee
- s p d market, nevada city
- spd market grass valley, inc., grass valley
- target store t2891, grass valley
Farmers' Market · 3
- nevada city farmers market, nevada city
- nevada county certified growers mkt-nevada city, grass valley
- western gateway farmers market, penn valley
Large Grocery Store · 3
- california organics, nevada city
- mother truckers, nevada city
- natural selection, grass valley
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa muphys #092 pm092, grass valley
- papa murphy's pizza 72, grass valley
Small Grocery Store · 2
- el barrio mexican market, grass valley
- mi pueblito market, truckee
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- penn valley market, penn valley
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in California
Compare Nevada County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Food access nationally, California in context
Nevada 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 Nevada County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Nevada County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Nevada County? ▼
Is Nevada County a food desert? ▼
What share of Nevada 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.