County food-access profile · Washington
Pierce County, WA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Pierce 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).
- 33.7%
- low-access pop.
- 34
- food-desert tracts
- 12.3%
- on SNAP
- 930K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
33.7% of Pierce County residents live in a low-access area, and 34 of its 172 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 97
- low-access tracts
- 58K
- food-desert residents
- 5.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.8%
- 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 Pierce County's low-access share at 33.7%, above the national share. 97 of the county's 172 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 268,040 people. 34 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 58,247 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 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: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 172 census tracts in Pierce County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Pierce County vs. other Washington counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Washington
- Pierce
Pierce County, WA
33.7 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, WA
41.7 % low-access
- Asotin 13.8
Asotin County, WA
13.8 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, WA
22.8 % low-access
- Chelan
Chelan County, WA
18.1 % low-access
- Clallam
Clallam County, WA
38.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| 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% |
About 12.3% of Pierce County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 33.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 43,291 households here.
- 5.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 34 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 Pierce County
above the national share
34 of Pierce County's 172 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 19.8% of all its tracts.
A further 63 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 97.
An estimated 268,040 residents, roughly 33.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 58,247 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 75 tracts (43.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Pierce County
Pierce County has 509 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 169 locations (33% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 169
- 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
Combination Grocery/Other · 59
- aa meats inc, lakewood
- amazon go (bowser) iwa2, puyallup
- amazon go (bowser) iwa3, puyallup
- asian grocery store, tacoma
- bites of the world and groceries, tacoma
- cvs pharmacy 11023, lakewood
- cvs pharmacy 11653, tacoma
- cvs pharmacy 11662, puyallup
- cvs pharmacy 11673, gig harbor
- cvs pharmacy 11674, tacoma
- chez mama martha african market, lakewood
- dollartree 6273, puyallup
- dollartree 9419, puyallup
- dollar tree 2272, university place
- dollar tree 2282, spanaway
- dollar tree 2344, tacoma
- dollar tree 2450, puyallup
- dollar tree 2595, milton
- dollar tree 2816, tacoma
- dollar tree 2941, lakewood
- dollar tree 2987, tacoma
- dollar tree 4094, lakewood
- dollar tree 4435, puyallup
- dollar tree 4493, tacoma
- dollar tree 5819, graham
- dollar tree 5969, spanaway
- dollar tree 6009, tacoma
- dollar tree 6414, bonney lake
- dollar tree 7067, lakewood
- dollar tree 7133, fife
- dollar tree 8254, tacoma
- dollar tree 8313, gig harbor
- dona la patrona, tacoma
- gloria african store llc, tacoma
- maie 1, tacoma
- mama g intl african market, graham
- sari sari store, puyallup
- spice world, puyallup
- valley liquidation, tacoma
- walgreens 03514, tacoma
- walgreens 03519, tacoma
- walgreens 03723, university pl
- walgreens 04064, lakewood
- walgreens 04760, tacoma
- walgreens 05150, tacoma
- walgreens 05697, tacoma
- walgreens 05951, puyallup
- walgreens 06102, puyallup
- walgreens 06260, edgewood
- walgreens 06814, puyallup
- walgreens 07137, university place
- walgreens 07677, auburn
- walgreens 10304, puyallup
- walgreens 12910, gig harbor
- walgreens 3581, tacoma
- walgreens 7173, graham
- walgreens 7356, tacoma
- war pony fife, fife
- war pony xpress smoke shop, tacoma
Bakery Specialty · 22
- franz bakery 9032, tacoma
- franz bakery outlet 9031, tacoma
- papa murphys wa-096, parkland
- papa murphys wa-122, puyallup
- papa murphys wa-138, tacoma
- papa murphys wa-177, orting
- papa murphy pizza wa182, graham
- papa murphy's pizza wa090, lakewood
- papa murphy's pizza wa106, bonney lake
- papa murphy's pizza wa109, spanaway
- papa murphy's pizza wa118, tacoma
- papa murphy's pizza wa131, milton
- papa murphy's pizza wa141, university place
- papa murphy's pizza wa150, tacoma
- papa murphy's pizza wa160, puyallup
- papa murphy's pizza wa163, gig harbor
- papa murphy's pizza wa184, sumner
- papa murphy's pizza wa197, gig harbor
- papa murphy's take 'n' bake pizza wa083, tacoma
- papa murphy's wa-084, puyallup
- papa murphy's wa-146, puyallup
- papa murphys pizza wa195, puyallup
Showing 250 of 509 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Washington
Compare Pierce County vs Adams County → · All Washington counties →
Food access nationally, Washington in context
Pierce County sits inside Washington (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 Pierce County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Pierce County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Pierce County? ▼
Is Pierce County a food desert? ▼
What share of Pierce 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.