Signature · 509 SNAP-authorized stores
Pierce County, WA
Pierce County sits in the upper national band on low-access (33.7%, +11.6 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 33.7%
- low-access pop.
- 34
- food-desert tracts
- 12.3%
- on SNAP
- 930K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Pierce County, WA
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 33.7% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +11.6 pts vs US
- LILA-CLUSTER 34 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 12.3% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 20% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Thurston County ( -0.3 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Pierce County sits in the upper national band (33.7%, #696 of 3,079) with 34 LILA tracts.
- #696
- national by low-access %
- #9
- in WA
- 97
- low-access tracts
- 58K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 509 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Pierce County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Pierce County's 33.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 78% of them and ranked #696 most-affected nationwide.
Pierce County's elevated USDA tier split
172 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 34 LILA.
Pierce County is mostly urban by USDA tract type (155 urban, 17 rural), so most of its low-access count comes from the 1-mile test; the 17 rural tracts are held to 10 miles.
Pierce County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Washington, not a full county-board reprint
- Douglas
Douglas 55.5%
55.5 % low-access
- Clallam
Clallam 38.2%
38.2 % low-access
- Stevens
Stevens 36%
36 % low-access
- Pierce
Pierce 33.7%
33.7 % low-access
- Thurston
Thurston 33.4%
33.4 % low-access
- Franklin
Franklin 31.6%
31.6 % low-access
- San Juan 0
San Juan 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 172 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 795,225 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 97 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 34 |
| Low-Access Population | 268,040 |
| Low-Access Share | 33.7%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 58,247 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 930,319 |
| Median Household Income | $99,564 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.8%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 43,291 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.3%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.4%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.3% |
Thick SNAP store book in Pierce County
Pierce County has 509 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 14 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 291 locations (57% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
32 towns share the 509 authorized stores; Tacoma holds 41% of them. 16 of the 32 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Edgewood, Auburn, Dupont, Lake Tapps, Mckenna, South Prairie and 10 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Tacoma | 210 | 39 |
| Puyallup | 79 | 21 |
| Lakewood | 59 | 12 |
| Gig Harbor | 21 | 8 |
| Bonney Lake | 19 | 7 |
| Spanaway | 18 | 2 |
| Fife | 13 | 2 |
| Graham | 13 | 1 |
| University Place | 12 | 3 |
| Sumner | 8 | 3 |
Top 10 of 32 towns by store count.
Convenience Store · 291 (250 shown)
- 19th st chevron, tacoma
- 19th st grocery & deli, tacoma
- 56th street chevron, tacoma
- 6 ave gas 3, tacoma
- 6th ave grocery smoke & beer, tacoma
- 7 eleven #34587b, tacoma
- 7 eleven #38640a, sumner
- 7-12 grocery, tacoma
- 7-eleven #16686c, lakewood
- 7-eleven #24520e 24520, university place
- 7-eleven 16318e, tacoma
- 7-eleven 18863 c, lakewood
- 7-eleven 24449e, tacoma
- 7-eleven 32672 b, puyallup
- 7-eleven #15970f, spanaway
- 7-eleven #22622g, university place
- 7-eleven #26198d, lakewood
- 7-eleven #35603b, fife
- 7-eleven #38698b, puyallup
- 7-eleven #41705b, lakewood
- 7-eleven #42243a, bonney lake
- 7-eleven 17509g, tacoma
- 7-eleven 18563 f, lakewood
- 7-eleven 2361-18585d 2361-18585, tacoma
- 7-eleven 27298 a, tacoma
- 7-eleven 29989d, puyallup
- 7-eleven 32308c, tacoma
- 7-eleven 35274 a, tacoma
- 7-eleven 35356b, lakewood
- 7-eleven 35512a, tacoma
- 7-eleven 38722, fife
- 7-eleven 42047h, spanaway
- 7-eleven, inc 19614a, puyallup
- 7-eleven #14442f, tacoma
- 7-eleven #16319f, puyallup
- 7-eleven #20872g, spanaway
- 7-eleven #22433f, tacoma
- 7-eleven #22892a, puyallup
- 7-eleven #26153f, edgewood
- 7-eleven #35012c, tacoma
- 7-eleven #35360c, tacoma
- 7-eleven #38429a, puyallup
- 7-eleven #38557a, tacoma
- 7-eleven #38699b, tacoma
- 7-eleven #38701a, lakewood
- 7-eleven #38727a, bonney lake
- 7-eleven #41103b, fife
- 7-eleven 14457e, tacoma
- 7-eleven 18194d, tacoma
- 7-eleven 26857c, tacoma
- 7-eleven 32307d, tacoma
- 7-eleven 35013a, tacoma
- 7-eleven 38454a, tacoma
- 72nd st. chevron, tacoma
- 72nd street chevron, tacoma
- 72nd booze mart, tacoma
- 72nd deli & market, tacoma
- 76 golden given, tacoma
- 96th smoke & beer mini mart, tacoma
- a grocery, edgewood
- apex grocery & gas, tacoma
- alder 76, tacoma
- am / pm, tacoma
- american lake market, lakewood
- ampm mini mart, bonney lake
- anderson island general store, llc, anderson island
- arco ampm 7039, graham
- arco ampm 7053, graham
- arco ampm 7061, tacoma
- arco ampm 7065, puyallup
- arco ampm 7066, gig harbor
- arco ampm 7069, tacoma
- arco ampm 7072, spanaway
- arco ampm 83037, tacoma
- arnold's grocery, south prairie
- arsh vahora inc., auburn
- asal llc, tacoma
- ashford general store, ashford
- b&g ent inc, lakewood
- barney & bernie's grocery deli, spanaway
- barneys corner 76, eatonville
- bonney lake grocery, bonney lake
- bonneylake arco, bonney lake
- bridgeport chevron, lakewood
- bridgeway market, gig harbor
- buckley pit stop 2638957, buckley
- burnett store, buckley
- center street deli mart, tacoma
- canyon pizza & mini mart, puyallup
- canyon road gas & deli mart, puyallup
- cappy's produce, tacoma
- carrols corner, graham
- center & union arco ampm 83031, tacoma
- checkers food mart, tacoma
- chevron 1008, dupont
- chevron 1194, bonney lake
- chevron 1195, puyallup
- chevron best food mart, tacoma
- community food mart, spanaway
- corner store, tacoma
- day & night grocery, sumner
- dobashi market, tacoma
- dupont grocery inc, dupont
- el kora, puyallup
- elbe supply, elbe
- ez mart, tacoma
- ez shop, tacoma
- fern hill food mart, tacoma
- fields arco am pm 5490, tacoma
- fife shell food mart, fife
- five star deli, lakewood
- food store inc, tacoma
- four corners foodmart, lakewood
- frederickson market, puyallup
- g. fuel, tacoma
- garry's grocery store, tacoma
- gds northwest, tacoma
- golden food mart, tacoma
- golden rule grocery, puyallup
- graham's best store, graham
- gravelly lake 76/madhav inc, lakewood
- handy deli grocery, tacoma
- handymart grocery deli, tacoma
- hiway grocery, bonney lake
- handy corner food store, puyallup
- handy corner grocery, tacoma
- harvest time country store, gig harbor
- hassin mini market, tacoma
- high fife chevron, fife
- home country store, lakebay
- home shell food mart, lakebay
- hosmer 76, tacoma
- in n out grocery 1, tacoma
- in-&-out grocery-&-deli 1, tacoma
- inn & out grocery 1, tacoma
- j & p deli mart, tacoma
- j's market, lakewood
- jb bonney lake mart, bonney lake
- jj's deli & grocery, tacoma
- johnson's corner grocery, graham
- jacksons food store 658, milton
- jacksons food stores 639, edgewood
- jacksons food stores 641, tacoma
- jacksons food stores 642, tacoma
- jacksons food stores 644, tacoma
- jacksons food stores 646, tacoma
- jacksons food stores 647, sumner
- jacksons food stores 648, puyallup
- jacksons food stores 649, puyallup
- jacksons food stores 657, puyallup
- jb foodmart, tacoma
- juba african market 1, puyallup
- k & j mart, tacoma
- kings deli & mart, lakewood
- kapowsin gas & grocery, graham
- key center shell, gig harbor
- key peninsula station, gig harbor
- kings deli & grocery, tacoma
- kp smoke & beer & wine, lakebay
- ks mart, tacoma
- lake city food mart, lakewood
- lake tapps deli and gas inc, lake tapps
- lake tapps mini mart, lake tapps
- lakes grocery & gas, lakewood
- lakewood 76, lakewood
- lakewood food and gas, lakewood
- lakewood shell, lakewood
- lively market & deli, tacoma
- love's travel stop 448, tacoma
- lucky food mart, lakewood
- lucky food store, lakewood
- lucky iii food store, tacoma
- main gas and grocery, tacoma
- major petroleum, tacoma
- manang biday sari sari store, lakewood
- match mini mart, buckley
- mckenna food mart, mckenna
- mckenna quick stop 1, mckenna
- meadow food mart 1, university place
- meadow park chevron, lakewood
- meridian arco am/pm food mart, puyallup
- meridian chevron, puyallup
- meridian chevron, puyallup
- meridian food mart, puyallup
- midland chevron 1, tacoma
- midland food center, tacoma
- milton spirit gas station, milton
- mobil edgewood, edgewood
- mountain highway chevron, spanaway
- mountain hwy gas & deli, spanaway
- narrows market, tacoma
- new day market, tacoma
- new oakes st market, tacoma
- nisqually markets, lakewood
- nisqually markets, frederickson, puyallup
- oakes st circle k, tacoma
- oceania island mini mart llc, lakewood
- ohop valley grocery, eatonville
- ok food mart, gig harbor
- ok grocery, spanaway
- olympic grocery, tacoma
- omg food mart, fircrest
- orchard shell food mart, university place
- orting food mart, orting
- p & m deli mart, puyallup
- p c deli mart, steilacoom
- p&j deli mart, tacoma
- pdq deli & mart, tacoma
- peter's grocery, tacoma
- portland avenue 76, tacoma
- pacific chevron, tacoma
- pacific liquor, tacoma
- pacific quick stop, spanaway
- pacific shell, pacific
- park ave foods, tacoma
- parkland shell food mart, tacoma
- payless smoke & mart, tacoma
- pearl shell, tacoma
- pearl shell food mart, tacoma
- people mart, lakewood
- people mart 10, milton
- pick & go grocery, tacoma
- pilot 1173, tacoma
- pioneer grocery, puyallup
- pops deli mart, tacoma
- port of tacoma shell food mart, fife
- portland market, tacoma
- proctor shell, tacoma
- puyallup food center, puyallup
- puyallup shell, puyallup
- quickstop market, university place
- qwik mart, bonney lake
- r h inovations inc - river road food mart, puyallup
- ratd enterprises inc, lakewood
- rocket #5503 5503, puyallup
- rocket #5528 5528, tacoma
- rocket #5529 5529, tacoma
- rocket #5574 5574, puyallup
- rosedale mart, gig harbor
- roy market and deli, roy
- roy y shell, spanaway
- s & s petroleum 62518, bonney lake
- spanaway deli mart, tacoma
- ss quick stop grocery, tacoma
- sahota mart v, inc., sumner
- salena company llc, tacoma
- sarbat da bhala iv, eatonville
- shaw road food mart, puyallup
- shell food mart, tacoma
- slice of life, tacoma
Showing 250 of 509 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Washington
One of 38 counties in Washington, 6 are shown here.
Compare Pierce County vs Adams County → · All Washington counties →
Counties near Pierce County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Pierce County, both outside Washington so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside WA (33.7% here).
- Frederick County, VA · 33.7% low-access
- Charlotte County, VA · 33.7% low-access
- Kleberg County, TX · 33.7% low-access
- Cherokee County, TX · 33.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside WA (12.3% here).
- Campbell County, VA · 12.3% SNAP
- Racine County, WI · 12.3% SNAP
- Franklin County, VT · 12.3% SNAP
- Upshur County, TX · 12.3% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Washington among Pacific states
Washington ranks 3rd of 5 Pacific states by population-weighted low-access (23.1%). Pierce County, at 33.7%, runs 10.6 pts above the Washington rate.
- Alaska 30.9%
- Hawaii 26.7%
- Washington 23.1%
- Oregon 16.9%
- California 13.3%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Pierce County, WA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 53053. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.