PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Oregon

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 2019 Census ACS 2024 OR

The food-access picture

25.9% of Polk County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
4.8%
households, no vehicle
12.7%
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 Polk County's low-access share at 25.9%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 12 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 19,526 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,089 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 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.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Polk County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Polk 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 Polk County, OR USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (50.0%) 4 tracts limited (33.3%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 50% Limited 33% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Polk County, OR
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Polk County vs. other Oregon counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Oregon

% 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 Polk County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)75,403
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population19,526
Low-Access Share25.9%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,089

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Polk County
IndicatorValue
Population89,662
Median Household Income$85,118
Poverty Rate12.7%below the national average
SNAP Households6,530
SNAP Participation Rate19.8%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.8%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.4%
SNAP participation in Polk County 19.8%

About 19.8% of Polk County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 25.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 19.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,530 households here.
  • 4.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Polk County

above the national share

2 of Polk County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 19,526 residents, roughly 25.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,089 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers 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 retailers.

Other Counties in Oregon

Baker County
37.9% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Benton County
27.9% low-access · 13.3% SNAP
Clackamas County
17.3% low-access · 10.1% SNAP
Clatsop County
12.4% low-access · 15.3% SNAP
Columbia County
6.1% low-access · 15.6% SNAP
Coos County
10.6% low-access · 23.4% SNAP

Compare Polk County vs Baker County → · All Oregon counties →

Food access nationally, Oregon in context

Polk County sits inside Oregon (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 Polk County has low food access? ▼
25.9% of residents in Polk County, OR 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 Polk County? ▼
19.8% of households in Polk County receive SNAP, covering 6,530 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Polk County? ▼
The poverty rate in Polk County, OR is 12.7%, with a median household income of $85,118 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Polk County a food desert? ▼
2 of Polk County's 12 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Polk County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.8% of households in Polk 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.