County food-access profile · California
San Luis Obispo County, CA
San Luis Obispo County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 18.6%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 8.2%
- on SNAP
- 282K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
18.6% of San Luis Obispo County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 53 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 23
- low-access tracts
- 11K
- food-desert residents
- 3.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.9%
- 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).
San Luis Obispo County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.6% per the USDA Atlas. 23 of the county's 53 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 50,212 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 10,932 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 San Luis Obispo County compares nationally
San Luis Obispo County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.6% low-access share that beats 42% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,809).
San Luis Obispo County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 53 census tracts in San Luis Obispo County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
San Luis Obispo County vs. other California counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California
- San Luis Obispo 18.6
San Luis Obispo County, CA
18.6 % 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 | 53 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 269,637 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 23 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 50,212 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.6%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 10,932 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 281,555 |
| Median Household Income | $97,446 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.9%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 8,972 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.2%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.4% |
About 8.2% of San Luis Obispo County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 18.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 8.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 8,972 households here.
- 3.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 San Luis Obispo County
near the national share
1 of San Luis Obispo County's 53 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 1.9% of all its tracts.
A further 22 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 23.
An estimated 50,212 residents, roughly 18.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 10,932 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 30 tracts (56.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County has 181 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 86 locations (48% of the total), followed by super store.
Convenience Store · 86
- 7 eleven 17658d 17658d, pismo beach
- 7 eleven 25473e, atascadero
- 7 eleven store 16777 e, arroyo grande
- 7 eleven store 21006 e, san luis obispo
- 7 eleven store 26949b, arroyo grande
- 7 eleven store 27835 d, san luis obispo
- 7-11 35066, atascadero
- 7-eleven 16780d, grover beach
- 7-eleven 25115b, san luis obispo
- 7-eleven 35287, grover beach
- a-1 liquor, templeton
- appys liquor, paso robles
- arco #42093, paso robles
- arco ampm 66414, atascadero
- arroyo grande enterprise inc., arroyo grande
- arroyo grande liquor & market, arroyo grande
- arroyo grande valero, arroyo grande
- baywood market, los osos
- beverage house liquor # 14, san luis obispo
- beverage house liquor market, grover beach
- bob n jans bottle shop, cambria
- broad st 76 express 1, san luis obispo
- broad street shell 200, san luis obispo
- cal poly campus market, san luis obispo
- cambria general store, cambria
- chevron 1970, san luis obispo
- chevron 1971, paso robles
- chevron 1972, nipomo
- chevron 1976, san luis obispo
- circle k 2721197, atascadero
- circle k 2721232, atascadero
- conserv fuel 6112, san luis obispo
- conserv fuel 6131, san luis obispo
- cregor's market, paso robles
- del mar market, morro bay
- grover beach petrolem inc. dba kautz cevron 5016, grover beach
- guadalajara market #2, grover beach
- h & s energy products 2053, arroyo grande
- harvest natural foods, atascadero
- high tide market, grover beach
- j&j liquor & food mart, paso robles
- john's valero, san luis obispo
- johnsons market & gifts, oceano
- la salsa market, shandon
- last chance liquor, arroyo grande
- laurel lane market and liquor, san luis obispo
- los osos liquor, los osos
- lucky 7, morro bay
- market express, grover beach
- margarita plaza liquor, santa margarita
- market grand avenue, san luis obispo
- market university union, san luis obispo
- mission market liquor & deli, san miguel
- moller retail 6103, san luis obispo
- morro bay chevron, morro bay
- morro bay market, morro bay
- morro bay mart, morro bay
- morro gas, morro bay
- oceano market & gas, oceano
- one stop food store, paso robles
- one stop store, paso robles
- paco ampm, paso robles
- paloma creek market inc, atascadero
- paso robles arco ampm 42072, paso robles
- paso robles mart, paso robles
- pier liquor, oceano
- pioneer gas & mart, paso robles
- pismo beach arco ampm 81594, pismo beach
- pismo market, pismo beach
- poppy pismo beach 503, pismo beach
- price street market, pismo beach
- star mso 68584, paso robles
- star mso 68613, san luis obispo
- star mso 68614, san luis obispo
- san luis obispo fast fill market 145, san luis obispo
- san simeon liquor market, san simeon
- sandys liquor, san luis obispo
- savage spirits & deli, paso robles
- singh chevron 1, templeton
- slo beverage n more inc, san luis obispo
- stop n buy, nipomo
- stuarts morro bay mobil 1, morro bay
- the pit stop, cambria
- university spirit gas & mini mart, san luis obispo
- village market, san luis obispo
- wayside liquor, paso robles
Super Store · 24
- cookie crock market, cambria
- california fresh market 2, pismo beach
- california fresh market slo, san luis obispo
- costco wholesale 0741, san luis obispo
- grocery outlet of arroyo grande 428, arroyo grande
- grocery outlet of atascadero 186, atascadero
- grocery outlet of paso robles, paso robles
- grocery outlet of san luis obispo 254, san luis obispo
- los osos grocery outlet, los osos
- nipomo grocery outlet 464, nipomo
- oak hill market, paso robles
- ralphs 271, los osos
- ralphs 656, san luis obispo
- smart & final 358, arroyo grande
- smart & final 392, paso robles
- smart & final 912, atascadero
- smart & final 913, san luis obispo
- smart & final 939, paso robles
- spencer's fresh markets, morro bay
- target store t-1120, paso robles
- target store t-2759, san luis obispo
- walmart 2099, paso robles
- walmart 2556, arroyo grande
- whole foods market 10584, san luis obispo
Combination Grocery/Other · 22
- cvs pharmacy 9345, san luis obispo
- cvs pharmacy 9592, arroyo grande
- cvs pharmacy 9662, san luis obispo
- cvs pharmacy 9782, nipomo
- cvs pharmacy 9873, san luis obispo
- cvs pharmacy 9892, pismo beach
- cvs pharmacy 9909, atascadero
- cvs pharmacy 9925, paso robles
- dollartree 10399, san luis obispo
- dollartree 10402, atascadero
- dollartree 7073, paso robles
- dollartree 8847, los osos
- dollartree 9321, paso robles
- dollar general 17422, san miguel
- dollar tree 1485, san luis obispo
- dollar tree 1943, arroyo grande
- dollar tree 2293, paso robles
- dollar tree 3246, morro bay
- dollar tree 3631, atascadero
- family dollar 12468, morro bay
- jj's market, arroyo grande
- walgreens 07210, atascadero
Supermarket · 19
- aldi 79174, arroyo grande
- albertson's 1345, morro bay
- albertson's 314, paso robles
- carniceria la barata, paso robles
- food 4 less 10, atascadero
- food 4 less 11, san luis obispo
- food 4 less 12, paso robles
- food 4 less 13, arroyo grande
- lassens natural foods & vitamins sl, san luis obispo
- slo food co-op, san luis obispo
- sprouts farmers market 427, san luis obispo
- trader joe's 117, arroyo grande
- trader joe's 211, templeton
- trader joe's 41, san luis obispo
- vons 1621, nipomo
- vons 2306, san luis obispo
- vons 2314, atascadero
- vons 2560, grover beach
- vons 4607, nipomo
Farmers' Market · 10
- arroyo grande farmers' market, arroyo grande
- atascadero farmers market, atascadero
- baywood farmers market, los osos
- cambria farmers market, cambria
- country farm and craft market, paso robles
- downtown slo farmers' market, san luis obispo
- morro bay market, morro bay
- paso robles farmers market, paso robles
- saturday san luis obispo farmers' market, san luis obispo
- templeton farmers market, templeton
Medium Grocery Store · 10
- cayucos supermarket 1, cayucos
- de bu of pismo beach, pismo beach
- healthy babies, paso robles
- la placita market, nipomo
- nurtured families 1, grover beach
- san miguel market & deli, san miguel
- san miguel market & deli #2, los osos
- soto's true earth market, cambria
- super carniceria la chiquita, nipomo
- suprema meat market, atascadero
Large Grocery Store · 6
- central market, oceano
- gather natural market, atascadero
- la mexicana market, paso robles
- la reyna market, paso robles
- mi guadalajara meat market llc, grover beach
- sunshine health food, morro bay
Small Grocery Store · 3
- premium meat market 1, san luis obispo
- san luis oriental market, san luis obispo
- san miguel market and deli, shandon
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- mercado y carniceria la mia, inc. 2, nipomo
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in California
Compare San Luis Obispo County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Food access nationally, California in context
San Luis Obispo 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 San Luis Obispo County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in San Luis Obispo County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in San Luis Obispo County? ▼
Is San Luis Obispo County a food desert? ▼
What share of San Luis Obispo 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.