PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Idaho

Payette County, ID

Payette 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.

19.6%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
15.6%
on SNAP
27K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 ID

The food-access picture

19.6% of Payette County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

2
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
3.7%
households, no vehicle
10.2%
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).

Payette County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 19.6% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 4 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,427 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 Payette County compares nationally

Payette County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.6% low-access share that beats 45% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,715).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Payette County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 4 census tracts in Payette 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 Payette County, ID USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 4 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (50.0%) 2 tracts limited (50.0%) Adequate 50% Limited 50% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Payette County, ID
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Payette 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 Payette County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts4
Atlas Population (2010 basis)22,623
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population4,427
Low-Access Share19.6%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,638

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Payette County
IndicatorValue
Population26,771
Median Household Income$67,673
Poverty Rate10.2%below the national average
SNAP Households1,516
SNAP Participation Rate15.6%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.7%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.8%
SNAP participation in Payette County 15.6%

About 15.6% of Payette County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 19.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,516 households here.
  • 3.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $67,673 with a 10.2% 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 Payette County

near the national share

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.

An estimated 4,427 residents, roughly 19.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,638 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Payette County

Payette County has 21 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 14 locations (67% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 14

  • extramile 9, payette
  • ez mart, new plymouth
  • jacksons food stores 065, payette
  • jacksons food stores 237, fruitland
  • lowells mini mart, new plymouth
  • minit market, payette
  • maverik, inc 367, payette
  • maverik, inc 425, fruitland
  • payette fast & easy 5410, payette
  • pick & pack grocery, fruitland
  • sand hollow country store n/a, caldwell
  • stinker store 43, fruitland
  • stinker store 45, caldwell
  • total health, llc, fruitland

Combination Grocery/Other · 4

  • dollar general 24204, payette
  • dollar tree 6415, payette
  • family dollar 12796, new plymouth
  • family dollar store 6941, payette

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • red barn produce, fruitland

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • pilgrim market, new plymouth

Supermarket · 1

  • albertsons 168, payette

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 Payette County vs Ada County → · All Idaho counties →

Food access nationally, Idaho in context

Payette 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 Payette County has low food access? ▼
19.6% of residents in Payette 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 Payette County? ▼
15.6% of households in Payette County receive SNAP, covering 1,516 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Payette County? ▼
The poverty rate in Payette County, ID is 10.2%, with a median household income of $67,673 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Payette County a food desert? ▼
0 of Payette County's 4 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Payette County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.7% of households in Payette 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.