PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Washington

Okanogan County, WA

Okanogan 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.

13.6%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
19.3%
on SNAP
43K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WA

The food-access picture

13.6% of Okanogan County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
4.2%
households, no vehicle
20.7%
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).

Okanogan County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.6% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,604 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,213 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 Okanogan County compares nationally

Okanogan County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.6% low-access share that beats 29% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,234).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Okanogan County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Okanogan 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 Okanogan County, WA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (80.0%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (20.0%) Adequate 80% Limited 0% Severe 20% Food-access tier distribution: Okanogan County, WA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Okanogan County vs. other Washington counties

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

% 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 Okanogan County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)41,120
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population5,604
Low-Access Share13.6%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,213

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Okanogan County
IndicatorValue
Population43,425
Median Household Income$63,207
Poverty Rate20.7%above the national average
SNAP Households3,380
SNAP Participation Rate19.3%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.2%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population6.4%
SNAP participation in Okanogan County 19.3%

About 19.3% of Okanogan County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 13.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 19.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,380 households here.
  • 4.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Okanogan County

near the national share

2 of Okanogan County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.

An estimated 5,604 residents, roughly 13.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,213 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (80.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Okanogan County

Okanogan County has 60 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 29 locations (48% of the total), followed by supermarket.

Convenience Store · 29

  • aeneas valley country store llc, tonasket
  • beaver trap, okanogan
  • chesaw highland store, oroville
  • chesawgold llc, oroville
  • chevron foodmart, oroville
  • colville fuels tribal trails, omak
  • conconully general store, conconully
  • conoco omak, omak
  • coulee view food and fuel, coulee dam
  • la comercial food store, brewster
  • la milpa, brewster
  • loomis kwik stop, loomis
  • los agaves llc, okanogan
  • malott country store, malott
  • monse general store 1, brewster
  • okanogan chevron, okanogan
  • omache chevron food mart, omak
  • omak 76 na, omak
  • omak food mart, omak
  • one stop mart 24, brewster
  • riverside grocery, riverside
  • stampede mini market, omak
  • super duper foods, oroville
  • super store, pateros
  • the carlton general store, carlton
  • the junction, tonasket
  • tj's snack shack, tonasket
  • tonasket food mart, tonasket
  • twisp chevron, twisp

Supermarket · 8

  • beyers market, tonasket
  • gene's harvest foods, omak
  • grant's market, tonasket
  • grocery outlet of omak 373, omak
  • harvest foods, coulee dam
  • okanogan iga 9347, okanogan
  • safeway 1194, omak
  • trading post, nespelem

Farmers' Market · 7

  • methow valley farmers market, twisp
  • okanogan valley farmers market, okanogan
  • omak farmers market, omak
  • oroville market association, oroville
  • smr cattle, oroville
  • tonasket farmers market association, tonasket
  • tonasket farmers market association, tonasket

Super Store · 5

  • akins harvest foods, oroville
  • brewster marketplace, brewster
  • frontier foods, oroville
  • walmart 1947, omak
  • winthrop village market, winthrop

Combination Grocery/Other · 4

  • dollar general 30599, oroville
  • dollar tree 3664, omak
  • double s meats, tonasket
  • hank's harvest foods 173, twisp

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • glover street market, twisp
  • okanogan food center, okanogan

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • mill hill custom meats llc, twisp
  • owens riverside meats, omak

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • mazama country store, mazama
  • okanogan river co-op, tonasket

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's wa137, omak

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Washington

Adams County
41.7% low-access · 18.9% SNAP
Asotin County
13.8% low-access · 18.6% SNAP
Benton County
22.8% low-access · 14.8% SNAP
Chelan County
18.1% low-access · 12.0% SNAP
Clallam County
38.2% low-access · 13.0% SNAP
Clark County
21.7% low-access · 12.1% SNAP

Compare Okanogan County vs Adams County → · All Washington counties →

Food access nationally, Washington in context

Okanogan County sits inside Washington (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 Okanogan County has low food access? ▼
13.6% of residents in Okanogan County, WA 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 Okanogan County? ▼
19.3% of households in Okanogan County receive SNAP, covering 3,380 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Okanogan County? ▼
The poverty rate in Okanogan County, WA is 20.7%, with a median household income of $63,207 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Okanogan County a food desert? ▼
2 of Okanogan 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 Okanogan County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.2% of households in Okanogan 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.