County food-access profile · California
Riverside County, CA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Riverside 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).
- 24.5%
- low-access pop.
- 61
- food-desert tracts
- 12.5%
- on SNAP
- 2.5M
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
24.5% of Riverside County residents live in a low-access area, and 61 of its 453 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 198
- low-access tracts
- 153K
- food-desert residents
- 4.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.6%
- 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 Riverside County's low-access share at 24.5%, above the national share. 198 of the county's 453 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 536,054 people. 61 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 152,519 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 Riverside County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Riverside County's 24.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 57% of them and ranked #1,332 most-affected nationwide.
Riverside County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 453 census tracts in Riverside County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Riverside County vs. other California counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California
- Riverside
Riverside County, CA
24.5 % 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 | 453 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 2,189,641 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 198 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 61 |
| Low-Access Population | 536,054 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.5%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 152,519 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,478,600 |
| Median Household Income | $93,074 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 97,172 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.5%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 12.5% of Riverside County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 24.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 97,172 households here.
- 4.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 61 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 Riverside County
above the national share
61 of Riverside County's 453 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 13.5% of all its tracts.
A further 137 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 198.
An estimated 536,054 residents, roughly 24.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 152,519 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 255 tracts (56.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Riverside County
Riverside County has 1,336 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 198 locations (15% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 198
- 90 supermarket no, riverside
- aj oriental market, palm springs
- asian mini mart, menifee
- belky meat market, wildomar
- clarks nutritional centers, rancho mirage
- cvs 5267, menifee
- cvs 9746, riverside
- cvs pharmacy 10434, menifee
- cvs pharmacy 10998, norco
- cvs pharmacy 1520, cathedral city
- cvs pharmacy 2050, indio
- cvs pharmacy 3033, hemet
- cvs pharmacy 3058, moreno valley
- cvs pharmacy 3341, la quinta
- cvs pharmacy 5497, coachella
- cvs pharmacy 5958, eastvale
- cvs pharmacy 7554, murrieta
- cvs pharmacy 7786, murrieta
- cvs pharmacy 8816, corona
- cvs pharmacy 8848, winchester
- cvs pharmacy 8896, temecula
- cvs pharmacy 8897, riverside
- cvs pharmacy 8943, san jacinto
- cvs pharmacy 9134, indio
- cvs pharmacy 9153, rancho mirage
- cvs pharmacy 9157, murrieta
- cvs pharmacy 9190, corona
- cvs pharmacy 9502, hemet
- cvs pharmacy 9550, temecula
- cvs pharmacy 9606, temecula
- cvs pharmacy 9610, moreno valley
- cvs pharmacy 9616, cathedral city
- cvs pharmacy 9646, palm desert
- cvs pharmacy 9654, lake elsinore
- cvs pharmacy 9718, norco
- cvs pharmacy 9728, corona
- cvs pharmacy 9779, indian wells
- cvs pharmacy 9799, riverside
- cvs pharmacy 9803, riverside
- cvs pharmacy 9804, palm springs
- cvs pharmacy 9817, temecula
- cvs pharmacy 9847, lake elsinore
- cvs pharmacy 9849, riverside
- cvs pharmacy 9910, riverside
- cvs pharmacy 9918, temecula
- cvs pharmacy 9920, temecula
- chapala market, thermal
- dollar general 13379, desert hot springs
- dollar general 13576, perris
- dollar general 14003, blythe
- dollar general 17052, homeland
- dollar general 17975, cabazon
- dollartree 08112, san jacinto
- dollartree 10379, riverside
- dollartree 10384, riverside
- dollartree 10404, moreno valley
- dollartree 10405, palm desert
- dollartree 10425, palm springs
- dollartree 10489, corona
- dollartree 10511, eastvale
- dollartree 10521, hemet
- dollartree 10528, moreno valley
- dollartree 10541, lake elsinore
- dollartree 10548, menifee
- dollartree 10558, temecula
- dollartree 10568, moreno valley
- dollartree 10577, jurupa valley
- dollartree 7609, winchester
- dollartree 7789, san jacinto
- dollartree 8481, san jacinto
- dollartree 8641, palm desert
- dollartree 8670, moreno valley
- dollartree 9126, norco
- dollartree 9402, moreno valley
- dollar general 13066, banning
- dollar general 13575, hemet
- dollar general 13764, indio
- dollar general 13805, san jacinto
- dollar general 14279, calimesa
- dollar general 14322, perris
- dollar general 17283, anza
- dollar general 21495, lake elsinore
- dollar general 21972, blythe
- dollar general 22407, desert hot springs
- dollar tree 1803, riverside
- dollar tree 2022, palm desert
- dollar tree 2216, corona
- dollar tree 2244, riverside
- dollar tree 2326, murrieta
- dollar tree 2770, riverside
- dollar tree 2954, hemet
- dollar tree 2972, corona
- dollar tree 2977, riverside
- dollar tree 2980, perris
- dollar tree 3135, moreno valley
- dollar tree 3552, blythe
- dollar tree 3598, palm springs
- dollar tree 3621, beaumont
- dollar tree 3898, lake elsinore
- dollar tree 4073, moreno valley
- dollar tree 4120, hemet
- dollar tree 4209, indio
- dollar tree 4216, palm springs
- dollar tree 4294, temecula
- dollar tree 4353, norco
- dollar tree 4396, murrieta
- dollar tree 4400, menifee
- dollar tree 4605, corona
- dollar tree 4620, palm desert
- dollar tree 4690, banning
- dollar tree 4730, temecula
- dollar tree 5061, moreno valley
- dollar tree 5279, hemet
- dollar tree 5354, riverside
- dollar tree 5401, lake elsinore
- dollar tree 5415, menifee
- dollar tree 5497, moreno valley
- dollar tree 5594, la quinta
- dollar tree 5836, coachella
- dollar tree 6449, riverside
- dollar tree 6583, riverside
- dollar tree 6586, hemet
- dollar tree 6587, cathedral city
- dollar tree 6661, corona
- dollar tree 7259, calimesa
- dollar tree 7451, riverside
- dollar tree 7761, jurupa valley
- dollar tree 7883, norco
- dollar tree 8515, murrieta
- dollar tree 9666, murrieta
- dulceria la victoria, perris
- el torito meat market, mira loma
- el super toro loco #5, cathedral city
- family dollar 10072, riverside
- family dollar 12299, mecca
- family dollar 8996, hemet
- family dollar 9074, banning
- family dollar 9171, moreno valley
- family dollar 9182, moreno valley
- family dollar 9421, beaumont
- family dollar store 10225, coachella
- family dollar store 10254, lake elsinore
- family dollar store 10499, indio
- family dollar store 10501, riverside
- hemet asian market, hemet
- india sweets and groceries, riverside
- international india bazaar, riverside
- k&k market, banning
- la sierra natural foods, riverside
- motherland african foods market, corona
- oby international african/ carribean store, moreno valley
- phil-am enterprises oriental market, moreno valley
- pioneer cash & carry 2, riverside
- seoul asian market, murrieta
- su carniceria, riverside
- torres brothers produce inc., coachella
- walgreens 01080, hemet
- walgreens 01081, hemet
- walgreens 01995, murrieta
- walgreens 02712, riverside
- walgreens 04756, palm desert
- walgreens 04757, bermuda dunes
- walgreens 05301, cathedral city
- walgreens 07303, corona
- walgreens 07591, corona
- walgreens 07714, beaumont
- walgreens 07765, la quinta
- walgreens 07786, riverside
- walgreens 07990, riverside
- walgreens 09021, san jacinto
- walgreens 09080, indio
- walgreens 09229, cathedral city
- walgreens 09486, lake elsinore
- walgreens 09616, moreno valley
- walgreens 09781, indio
- walgreens 09884, murrieta
- walgreens 09885, palm springs
- walgreens 10242, palm desert
- walgreens 10366, calimesa
- walgreens 10368, san jacinto
- walgreens 10703, indio
- walgreens 1079, palm springs
- walgreens 10948, murrieta
- walgreens 11611, coachella
- walgreens 13657, mira loma
- walgreens 13813, lake elsinore
- walgreens 13833, riverside
- walgreens 5037, desert hot springs
- walgreens 5038, hemet
- walgreens 5182, banning
- walgreens 5220, moreno valley
- walgreens 5349, hemet
- walgreens 5527, moreno valley
- walgreens 6126, sun city
- walgreens 6127, menifee
- walgreens 7262, riverside
- walgreens 7410, murrieta
- walgreens 9641, rancho mirage
Convenience Store · 45
- 1000 palms valero, thousand palms
- 22nd shell station, banning
- 4 bros liquor, cabazon
- 4 bros liquor 4, banning
- 4 bros liquor n/a, banning
- 5 corner liquor, san jacinto
- 6th street liquor store, corona
- 7 days market, hemet
- 7 eleven 34637, palm springs
- 7 eleven 35342, hemet
- 7 eleven 36028a, cathedral city
- 7 eleven store 13967 g, corona
- 7 eleven store 13968 e, riverside
- 7 eleven store 13984 f, riverside
- 7 eleven store 16552 e, riverside
- 7 eleven store 16825e, jurupa valley
- 7 eleven store 17964 e, moreno valley
- 7 eleven store 20764 d, corona
- 7 eleven store 211239635a, moreno valley
- 7 eleven store 22375 c, desert hot springs
- 7 eleven store 23520 c, moreno valley
- 7 eleven store 27635 d, riverside
- 7 eleven store 29685 b, norco
- 7 eleven store 33587a, san jacinto
- 7 eleven store 34218 b, riverside
- 7 eleven store 34489 d, cathedral city
- 7 eleven store 35311 b, indio
- 7 eleven store 36818a, riverside
- 7 eleven store 36872 b, riverside
- 7 eleven store 37140a, riverside
- 7 eleven store 37338 a, perris
- 7 eleven store 37623 a, wildomar
- 7 eleven store 37720 a, jurupa valley
- 7 eleven store 37977a, cathedral city
- 7 eleven store 38325 a, hemet
- 7 eleven store 38490 a, menifee
- 7 eleven store 38520 b, riverside
- 7 eleven store 38595 a, indio
- 7 eleven store 38603 a, riverside
- 7 eleven store 38687 a, murrieta
- 7 eleven store 38762 a, calimesa
- 7 eleven store 38766 a, eastvale
- 7 eleven store 38768 a, winchester
- 7 eleven store 39498 b, murrieta
- 7 eleven store 39756 a, riverside
Bakery Specialty · 7
- la jarochita tortilleria, perris
- mi tierra bakery, coachella
- panaderia del pueblo, indio
- panaderia jalisco bakery, jurupa valley
- tj bakery inc, san jacinto
- villanueva bakery, mecca
- yvette's bakery, riverside
Showing 250 of 1,336 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in California
Compare Riverside County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Food access nationally, California in context
Riverside 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 Riverside County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Riverside County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Riverside County? ▼
Is Riverside County a food desert? ▼
What share of Riverside 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.