Signature · 48 SNAP-authorized stores
Polk County, OR
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Polk 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).
- 25.9%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 19.8%
- on SNAP
- 90K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Polk County, OR
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 25.9% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +3.8 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 19.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 17% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Wallowa County ( -0.8 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Polk County ranks #1,224 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #13 of 36 counties in OR (25.9% low-access; 2 food-desert tracts).
- #1,224
- national by low-access %
- #13
- in OR
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 6K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 48 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Polk County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Polk County's 25.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 61% of them and ranked #1,225 most-affected nationwide.
Polk County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
12 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Polk County has 8 urban and 4 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Polk County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Oregon, not a full county-board reprint
- Wheeler
Wheeler 100%
100 % low-access
- Benton 27.9
Benton 27.9%
27.9 % low-access
- Polk 25.9
Polk 25.9%
25.9 % low-access
- Wallowa 25.1
Wallowa 25.1%
25.1 % low-access
- Douglas 23.2
Douglas 23.2%
23.2 % low-access
- Deschutes 23
Deschutes 23%
23 % low-access
- Tillamook 2.9
Tillamook 2.9%
2.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 12 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 75,403 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 19,526 |
| Low-Access Share | 25.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 6,089 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 89,662 |
| Median Household Income | $85,118 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,530 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 19.8%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.4% |
Thick SNAP store book in Polk County
Polk County has 48 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 24
- 7 star convenience store # 5, dallas
- 7 star convenience store 7, falls city
- 7-eleven 38797a, independence
- 7-eleven #24432g 24432g, salem
- center market #2, dallas
- center market #40, dallas
- center market 14, dallas
- circle k stores 2709635, monmouth
- circle k stores 2709639, salem
- circle s market, independence
- grand ronde food & fuel company, grand ronde
- jasrup inc. n/a, grand ronde
- jimmyz gas and market, independence
- monmouth market & deli, monmouth
- neighboorhood market #2 #2, monmouth
- neighborhood market, monmouth
- oregon market 3, dallas
- plaid pantry 062, salem
- plaid pantry 211, salem
- quality gas llc, salem
- rocket #7790 7790, dallas
- stop n save 10, rickreall
- sunrise market, independence
- us market 1030, salem
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- bi-mart 646, monmouth
- dollar general 18246, independence
- dollar tree 1971, dallas
- dollar tree 4148, salem
- dollartree 8747, independence
- walgreens 09650, salem
Super Store · 5
- dallas grocery outlet, dallas
- grocery outlet independence 513, independence
- roth's fresh markets 10, monmouth
- roth's fresh markets 12, salem
- walmart 2315, dallas
Farmers' Market · 4
- cultural harvest collective, monmouth
- dallas farmers market, dallas
- dallas or farmers market, dallas
- thursday west salem farmers market, salem
Bakery Specialty · 3
- papa murphy's or113 or113, salem
- papa murphys or114 or114, dallas
- papa murphys or122 or122, monmouth
Supermarket · 3
- safeway 412, salem
- safeway 4404, dallas
- winco foods 038, independence
Small Grocery Store · 2
- 7 star convenience store 0, independence
- american market 2, grand ronde
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- aspinwall's nursery & produce, salem
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Oregon
One of 35 counties in Oregon, 6 are shown here.
Compare Polk County vs Baker County → · All Oregon counties →
Nationwide peers for Polk County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Polk County, both outside Oregon so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside OR (25.9% here).
- Gates County, NC · 25.9% low-access
- Gates County, NC · 25.9% low-access
- Wright County, MN · 25.9% low-access
- Wright County, MN · 25.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside OR (19.8% here).
- Lea County, NM · 19.8% SNAP
- Lea County, NM · 19.8% SNAP
- Bristol County, MA · 19.8% SNAP
- Bristol County, MA · 19.8% 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.
Food access nationally, Oregon in context
Polk County sits inside Oregon (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Polk County, OR are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 41053. 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.