County food-access profile · California
Placer County, CA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Placer 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).
- 31.9%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 5.7%
- on SNAP
- 419K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
31.9% of Placer County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 84 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 40
- low-access tracts
- 18K
- food-desert residents
- 4.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 6.8%
- 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 Placer County's low-access share at 31.9%, above the national share. 40 of the county's 84 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 111,251 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 17,793 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 Placer County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Placer County's 31.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 74% of them and ranked #820 most-affected nationwide.
Placer County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 84 census tracts in Placer County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Placer County vs. other California counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California
- Placer
Placer County, CA
31.9 % low-access
- Alameda 8.1
Alameda County, CA
8.1 % low-access
- Alpine
Alpine County, CA
57 % low-access
- Amador 0.2
Amador County, CA
0.2 % low-access
- Butte 19.1
Butte County, CA
19.1 % low-access
- Calaveras 14.7
Calaveras County, CA
14.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 84 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 348,432 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 40 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 111,251 |
| Low-Access Share | 31.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 17,793 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 419,156 |
| Median Household Income | $115,998 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.8%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 9,051 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.7%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.3% |
About 5.7% of Placer County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 31.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 5.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 9,051 households here.
- 4.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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 Placer County
above the national share
4 of Placer County's 84 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 4.8% of all its tracts.
A further 36 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 40.
An estimated 111,251 residents, roughly 31.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 17,793 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 44 tracts (52.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Placer County
Placer County has 221 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 104 locations (47% of the total), followed by supermarket.
Convenience Store · 104
- 7 eleven 14064c, roseville
- 7 eleven 14077g, tahoe city
- 7 eleven 15882f, auburn
- 7 eleven 17525a 17525a, carnelian bay
- 7 eleven 21000g 21000g, auburn
- 7 eleven 23009g, olympic valley
- 7 eleven 2364 21401c, roseville
- 7 eleven 32867d 32867d, rocklin
- 7 eleven 34671b, rocklin
- 7 eleven 35290a, roseville
- 7 eleven 35877a, rocklin
- 7 eleven 36476a, roseville
- 7 eleven 39337c 39337c, roseville
- 7 eleven 39619b 39619b, roseville
- 7 eleven 41816a 41816a, roseville
- 7 eleven 43081a, newcastle
- 7 eleven store 35994a, rocklin
- 7-eleven 39471, lincoln
- 7-eleven 42032h, dutch flat
- 7-eleven store 18109 d, roseville
- ak discount market, roseville
- aerys gas & liquor, rocklin
- arco am pm 83667, rocklin
- arco am/pm, roseville
- arco ampm 7157, roseville
- arco ampm 7168, granite bay
- arco ampm 7170, lincoln
- arco ampm 7171, auburn
- arco ampm 81757, roseville
- arco ampm 82516, rocklin
- arco ampm 83111, roseville
- auburn 76, auburn
- auburn beacon valero, auburn
- auburn valero, auburn
- colfax market, colfax
- carols market and deli, newcastle
- chevron, roseville
- chevron, lincoln
- chevron 1321, roseville
- chevron 1521, auburn
- chevron 1581, rocklin
- chevron 1756, roseville
- chevron 1769, lincoln
- chevron 1787, roseville
- colfax food and gas, colfax
- dutch flat trading post, dutch flat
- dry creek am/pm, auburn
- ez stop food mart, rocklin
- fast pak market, penryn
- fiddyment chevron, roseville
- fine wine & liquor, roseville
- foothills shell 25, roseville
- full stop market, lincoln
- h & s energy products 3066, roseville
- h & s energy products 3067, roseville
- h&s energy products llc 3020, lincoln
- h&s energy products llc 3021, roseville
- h&s energy products llc 3022, lincoln
- h&s energy products llc 3023, rocklin
- h&s energy products llc 3039, roseville
- hassan & sons 1010, auburn
- hira petroleum inc 1, roseville
- k and t 390 inc. 2654018, auburn
- lincoln am pm, lincoln
- maidu market, auburn
- maverik, inc 641, rocklin
- olas market, roseville
- palm liqour 1, auburn
- parmar fuels inc. 96002353, roseville
- quality market, newcastle
- quick mart iquor, roseville
- quik stop market 9103, rocklin
- rose liquor & food & gas, roseville
- roseville mini market, roseville
- raley's 2280, lincoln
- raley's rocklin 2588, rocklin
- rebel 0206, tahoe city
- rebel 0211, kings beach
- rocket #5432 5432, rocklin
- rocklin am/pm, rocklin
- rocklin chevron, rocklin
- rocklin gas, rocklin
- rose food and liquor, roseville
- roseville mobil circle k 129, roseville
- roseville shell, roseville
- rowdy randy, auburn
- super k food & liquor store, auburn
- secret ravine shell 87, rocklin
- servo energy inc, roseville
- shaan petroleum, roseville
- simon and kevin brothers inc, sheridan
- smart stop liquor, roseville
- speedway 1462, auburn
- speedway 1464, auburn
- stone tree liquor & food, loomis
- stop & shop, roseville
- sunset am pm, rocklin
- taylor road shell 51, roseville
- thunder liquors, rocklin
- woody's market & deli, loomis
- weimar food and liquor, weimar
- west oaks shell 19, rocklin
- woodcreek oaks am pm, roseville
- zebra town deli & liquor, lincoln
Supermarket · 43
- bel air 509, roseville
- bel air 512, roseville
- bel air 517, auburn
- bel air 518, rocklin
- grocery outlet 121, roseville
- holiday market 38, auburn
- holiday market 61, meadow vista
- mercado loco, roseville
- nugget market 10, roseville
- nugget market 18, granite bay
- nugget market 7, roseville
- raley's 227, roseville
- raley's 229, auburn
- raley's 231, loomis
- raley's 412, granite bay
- raley's 228, roseville
- raley's 230, lincoln
- raley's o.n.e 222, roseville
- safeway 1592, kings beach
- safeway 1617, roseville
- safeway 1761, lincoln
- safeway 1866, rocklin
- safeway 1890, roseville
- safeway 1899, roseville
- safeway 2258, tahoe city
- safeway 2286, rocklin
- safeway 0381, tahoe city
- safeway 2620, roseville
- safeway 2695, roseville
- safeway 3122, auburn
- safeway 5841 fuel center 5841, roseville
- save mart 600, auburn
- save mart 616, rocklin
- save mart 617, roseville
- save mart 626, tahoe city
- sprouts farmers market 219, roseville
- sprouts farmers market 408, roseville
- sprouts farmers market 428, lincoln
- sunrise natural foods 2, roseville
- trader joe's rocklin commons 228, rocklin
- trader joe's roseville (north) 266, roseville
- trader joe's 80, roseville
- winco foods 031, roseville
Combination Grocery/Other · 29
- cvs pharmacy 2661, rocklin
- cvs pharmacy 3947, auburn
- cvs pharmacy 5091, roseville
- cvs pharmacy 9150, auburn
- cvs pharmacy 9526, granite bay
- cvs pharmacy 9535, lincoln
- cvs pharmacy 9914, auburn
- cvs pharmacy 9958, roseville
- cvs pharmacy 9976, tahoe city
- cvs pharmacy 9993, roseville
- dollartree 11006, roseville
- dollar general 16086, foresthill
- dollar general store 16185, colfax
- dollar tree 1212, auburn
- dollar tree 1248, roseville
- dollar tree 1848, rocklin
- dollar tree 3223, roseville
- dollar tree 3960, rocklin
- dollar tree 5422, lincoln
- dollar tree 6827, lincoln
- india market roseville 0, roseville
- new moon natural foods, tahoe city
- sari-sari oriental market, inc, roseville
- walgreens 02170, auburn
- walgreens 12525, lincoln
- walgreens 16058, roseville
- walgreens 5501, roseville
- walgreens 6036, granite bay
- walgreens 6915, rocklin
Super Store · 22
- amazon fresh maq9, roseville
- briarpatch food co-op rca, auburn
- costco wholesale 0029, roseville
- costco wholesale 1371, loomis
- grocery outlet of auburn, ca 87, auburn
- mar-val's sierra market 10, colfax
- rocklin grocery outlet, rocklin
- sam's club 6621, roseville
- smart & final 711, auburn
- smart & final 729, roseville
- target store 2604, rocklin
- target store t-0267, roseville
- target store t-1097, auburn
- target store t-1502, roseville
- target store t-2214, lincoln
- worton's foresthill grocery, foresthill
- walmart 1988, roseville
- walmart 3587, rocklin
- walmart 5979, lincoln
- walmart neighborhood market 3090, rocklin
- walmart supercenter 4202, roseville
- whole foods market 10230, roseville
Medium Grocery Store · 9
- bharat spice bazar llc 1, roseville
- east west foods, roseville
- el charro market inc, auburn
- european deli beryozka, rocklin
- figs n olives, roseville
- la mexicana market, kings beach
- panaderia la michoacana, lincoln
- reliance supermart, roseville
- zs indian market and halal meat, roseville
Bakery Specialty · 7
- papa murphy 53, rocklin
- papa murphy's pizza ca176, lincoln
- papa murphy's take 'n' bake pizza ca152, auburn
- papa murphy's take 'n' bake pizza ca214, roseville
- papa murphy's take and bake pizza ca230, roseville
- papa murphys 86, roseville
- papa murphys pizza ca330, roseville
Small Grocery Store · 4
- international grocery supermarket, rocklin
- main street grocery, roseville
- roseville halal mart llc 1, roseville
- sante mary deli & market, roseville
Farmers' Market · 1
- sutter roseville medical center farmers market, roseville
Large Grocery Store · 1
- sunrise natural foods 1, auburn
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- roseville meat company, roseville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in California
Compare Placer County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Food access nationally, California in context
Placer County sits inside California (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 Placer County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Placer County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Placer County? ▼
Is Placer County a food desert? ▼
What share of Placer 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.