PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Idaho

Nez Perce County, ID

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Nez Perce 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).

27.8%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
7.3%
on SNAP
43K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 ID

The food-access picture

27.8% of Nez Perce County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
5.7%
households, no vehicle
12.2%
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 Nez Perce County's low-access share at 27.8%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 10 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 10,898 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,842 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 Nez Perce County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Nez Perce County's 27.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 65% of them and ranked #1,095 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Nez Perce County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Nez Perce 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 Nez Perce County, ID USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (50.0%) 4 tracts limited (40.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (10.0%) Adequate 50% Limited 40% Severe 10% Food-access tier distribution: Nez Perce County, ID
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Nez Perce County vs. other Idaho counties

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

% 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 Nez Perce County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)39,265
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population10,898
Low-Access Share27.8%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,842

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Nez Perce County
IndicatorValue
Population42,697
Median Household Income$72,599
Poverty Rate12.2%below the national average
SNAP Households1,267
SNAP Participation Rate7.3%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.7%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.0%
SNAP participation in Nez Perce County 7.3%

About 7.3% of Nez Perce County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 27.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 7.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,267 households here.
  • 5.7% 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 Nez Perce County

above the national share

1 of Nez Perce County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 10.0% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 10,898 residents, roughly 27.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,842 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Nez Perce County

Nez Perce County has 35 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (60% of the total), followed by supermarket.

Convenience Store · 21

  • bryden xpress mart, lewiston
  • holiday stationstore 2746511, lewiston
  • larry's foods, lewiston
  • liberty mart, lewiston
  • liberty mart north, lewiston
  • maverik, inc 457, lewiston
  • neighborhood market bryden, lewiston
  • neighborhood market central, lewiston
  • neighborhood market downtown, lewiston
  • neighbors a1 market and gas, lewiston
  • north lewiston 62, lewiston
  • southway 66, lewiston
  • stinker store 112, lewiston
  • stinker store 34, lewiston
  • stinker store 36, lewiston
  • stinker store 42, lewiston
  • thain chevron 64, lewiston
  • vig's produce & garden, lewiston
  • nomnom 62217, lewiston
  • nomnom 62218, lewiston
  • nomnom 62219, lewiston

Supermarket · 7

  • a & b foods 1, lewiston
  • a&b foods, lewiston
  • albertsons 238, lewiston
  • lewiston grocery outlet, lewiston
  • urm cash & carry #2, lewiston
  • valley foods, lapwai
  • winco foods 128, lewiston

Combination Grocery/Other · 4

  • cvs pharmacy 11643, lewiston
  • dollar tree 3142, lewiston
  • rosauer's food & drug ctr 133, lewiston
  • walgreens 02679, lewiston

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • franz bakery outlet 9041, lewiston
  • papa murphy's id009, lewiston

Farmers' Market · 1

  • lewiston farmers market, lewiston

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Idaho

Ada County
30.4% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Adams County
25.5% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Bannock County
34.7% low-access · 14.6% SNAP
Bear Lake County
25.9% low-access · 4.7% SNAP
Benewah County
23.3% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Bingham County
32.3% low-access · 10.3% SNAP

Compare Nez Perce County vs Ada County → · All Idaho counties →

Food access nationally, Idaho in context

Nez Perce County sits inside Idaho (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 Nez Perce County has low food access? ▼
27.8% of residents in Nez Perce County, ID 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 Nez Perce County? ▼
7.3% of households in Nez Perce County receive SNAP, covering 1,267 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Nez Perce County? ▼
The poverty rate in Nez Perce County, ID is 12.2%, with a median household income of $72,599 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Nez Perce County a food desert? ▼
1 of Nez Perce County's 10 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 Nez Perce County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.7% of households in Nez Perce 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.