County food-access profile · Washington

Snohomish County, WA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Snohomish 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).

23.5%
low-access pop.
9
food-desert tracts
8.8%
on SNAP
844K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WA

The food-access picture

23.5% of Snohomish County residents live in a low-access area, and 9 of its 149 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

70
low-access tracts
23K
food-desert residents
4.7%
households, no vehicle
8.0%
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 Snohomish County's low-access share at 23.5%, above the national share. 70 of the county's 149 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 167,839 people. 9 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 23,054 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 Snohomish County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Snohomish County's 23.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 55% of them and ranked #1,404 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Snohomish County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 149 census tracts in Snohomish 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 Snohomish County, WA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 79 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 61 limited, 9 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 149 tracts evaluated. 79 tracts adequate (53.0%) 61 tracts limited (40.9%) 9 tracts severe / food desert (6.0%) Adequate 53% Limited 41% Severe 6% Food-access tier distribution: Snohomish County, WA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Snohomish County vs. other Washington counties

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

% 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 Snohomish County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts149
Atlas Population (2010 basis)713,335
Low-Access Tracts70
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)9
Low-Access Population167,839
Low-Access Share23.5%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population23,054

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Snohomish County
IndicatorValue
Population844,430
Median Household Income$111,246
Poverty Rate8.0%well below the national average
SNAP Households27,910
SNAP Participation Rate8.8%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.7%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.2%
SNAP participation in Snohomish County 8.8%

About 8.8% of Snohomish County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 23.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 27,910 households here.
  • 4.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 9 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 Snohomish County

above the national share

9 of Snohomish County's 149 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 6.0% of all its tracts.

A further 61 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 70.

An estimated 167,839 residents, roughly 23.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 23,054 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 79 tracts (53.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Snohomish County

Snohomish County has 455 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 175 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 175

  • 128th mobil gas station, everett
  • 212 market, stanwood
  • 24 hour deli marathon, everett
  • 365 mart 18733, lynnwood
  • 4th street market & deli, marysville
  • 56th ave. market, mountlake terrace
  • 7-eleven #23929d, bothell
  • 7-eleven 23258d, mukilteo
  • 7-eleven 24074 d, everett
  • 7-eleven 27288 b, lynnwood
  • 7-eleven 33166 a, everett
  • 7-eleven #14393d, bothell
  • 7-eleven 16080f, edmonds
  • 7-eleven 18726f, mountlake terrace
  • 7-eleven 23176a, mukilteo
  • 7-eleven 23271 c, monroe
  • 7-eleven 34585b, everett
  • 7-eleven #15755f, lynnwood
  • 7-eleven #18490d, lake stevens
  • 7-eleven #21001g, arlington
  • 7-eleven #23107f, lynnwood
  • 7-eleven #23378f, bothell
  • 7-eleven #25054g, everett
  • 7-eleven #34746b, lynnwood
  • 7-eleven #38481a, arlington
  • 7-eleven #38808c, marysville
  • 7-eleven #41108a, everett
  • 7-eleven #41564a, everett
  • 7-eleven 21464g, snohomish
  • 7-eleven 29536b, marysville
  • 7-eleven 32681c, everett
  • 7-eleven#18861g, marysville
  • a & r kaushal arco ampm, lynnwood
  • a1 gas and food, arlington
  • arco ampm, monroe
  • alpine market, everett
  • am pm mini mart, everett
  • am/pm mini market 82786, mountlake terrace
  • am/pm mini mart 5443, everett
  • am/pm mini mart 83155, lynnwood
  • and foods, marysville
  • arco, marysville
  • arco am/pm mini mart everett, everett
  • arco am/pm mini mart lynnwood 83011, lynnwood
  • arco ampm, arlington
  • arco ampm 07025, everett
  • arco ampm 7028, everett
  • arco ampm 7091, stanwood
  • arco ampm 7175, lake stevens
  • arlington arco am/pm 203, arlington
  • ayush & ansh arco 83127, snohomish
  • big j mini mart, everett
  • black eagles, everett
  • bob's market and deli, stanwood
  • bothell mobil, bothell
  • brier grocery, brier
  • broadway chevron, everett
  • broadway deli mart, everett
  • broadway grocery n/a, everett
  • broadway marathon, everett
  • broadway shell food mart, everett
  • bryant general store 2, arlington
  • buffalo chevron, everett
  • casino chevron, everett
  • casino rd shell food mart, everett
  • casino tesoro, everett
  • cathcart grocery, snohomish
  • cheeper, arlington
  • chevron 1112, everett
  • chevron 1117, everett
  • clearview food mart, snohomish
  • corner market, monroe
  • crossroads market & car wash, arlington
  • d & j ez mini mart, everett
  • day & nite grocery, lynnwood
  • donna's travel plaza, marysville
  • dulceria el chavito, lynnwood
  • e-z deli mart, mountlake terrace
  • ez corner mart, mountlake terrace
  • eds bay mart, edmonds
  • emanuel shell in arlington, arlington
  • emanuel shell in lynnwood, lynnwood
  • emanuel shell in monroe, monroe
  • emanuel shell in south everett, everett
  • everett chevron, everett
  • everett mall am/pm, everett
  • everett mall chevron, everett
  • evergreen chevron, everett
  • evergreen food store, everett
  • evergreen shell food mart, everett
  • evergreen way am pm, everett
  • express stop 76 gas station, snohomish
  • ez mart, everett
  • family market & deli, everett
  • fast eddies, everett
  • five corner mart, edmonds
  • grove street market, marysville
  • getchell station, lake stevens
  • glacier 76, everett
  • go mart, granite falls
  • gold bar market, gold bar
  • goodies food market, mountlake terrace
  • grove street food mart, marysville
  • h&h market & deli, everett
  • happy food mart, lake stevens
  • index general store, index
  • j-bro's gluten free market, bothell
  • jacksons food store 22822, bothell
  • jacksons food stores 601, marysville
  • jacksons food stores 602, everett
  • jacksons food stores 605, everett
  • jacksons food stores 606, mill creek
  • jacksons food stores 607, lynnwood
  • jacksons food stores 608, mountlake terrace
  • jacksons food stores 609, edmonds
  • jacksons food stores 611, snohomish
  • jacksons food stores 612, snohomish
  • jacksons food stores 656, monroe
  • john's handy mart, mukilteo
  • kim's convenience, lynnwood
  • krispe grocery, everett
  • lucky grocery, everett
  • lake connor grocery, lake stevens
  • lake godwin store, stanwood
  • lake stevens chevron, lake stevens
  • lake stevens mini mart, lake stevens
  • lakewood station general store, marysville
  • las glorias llc, everett
  • lucky market grocery, everett
  • lynnwood food mart, lynnwood
  • m & m mart, marysville
  • machias food mart, snohomish
  • manor market 1, lynnwood
  • mariner food mart, everett
  • market basket, everett
  • martha lake food & gas, lynnwood
  • martha lake market, lynnwood
  • mary filo llc, arlington
  • mexico lindo mexican store, granite falls
  • mill creek shell, mill creek
  • mini mart, everett
  • moe's market, lynnwood
  • monroe chevron, monroe
  • mountain deli mart 1, gold bar
  • mountain loop country store, darrington
  • mountain loop general store, granite falls
  • mt view chevron, sultan
  • mukilteo arco am/pm 208, mukilteo
  • mukilteo blvd 76, everett
  • new berry market, lynnwood
  • olivia park chevron, everett
  • one stop deli & grocery, everett
  • one5 ballinger inc, edmonds
  • paradise food mart, snohomish
  • paradise lake chevron, woodinville
  • peca,llc dba la mixteca del norte, everett
  • pecks drive market, everett
  • pilot travel center 1103, arlington
  • pioneer gas, arlington
  • pioneer station, lake stevens
  • plutus in lynnwood, lynnwood
  • priest point grocery, tulalip
  • quick stop, arlington
  • quick stop, marysville
  • rainbow market, snohomish
  • red barn shell, monroe
  • rocket #5091 5091, lynnwood
  • rocket #5470 5470, arlington
  • rocket #5500 5500, mill creek
  • rocket #5502 5502, monroe
  • rocket #5929 5929, bothell
  • rocket 5927 5927, edmonds
  • ron's food market, everett
  • rose's gas & grocery, everett
  • rt grocery corner llc, everett

Combination Grocery/Other · 56

  • alida's bakery, everett
  • amazon go ils4, mill creek
  • bisrat market, lynnwood
  • cvs 10450, lynnwood
  • cvs pharmacy 10747, everett
  • cvs pharmacy 11650, mill creek
  • cvs pharmacy 11652, snohomish
  • cvs pharmacy 11663, mountlake terrace
  • cvs pharmacy 11666, marysville
  • cvs pharmacy 11667, edmonds
  • cvs pharmacy 11671, arlington
  • cvs pharmacy 11672, stanwood
  • cvs pharmacy 11682, everett
  • cvs pharmacy 11685, bothell
  • cvs pharmacy 11688, lake stevens
  • cvs pharmacy 11695, lynnwood
  • cypress mini mart, lynnwood
  • dollartree 10688, everett
  • dollartree 7361, stanwood
  • dollartree 8825, lynnwood
  • dizayus african market, everett
  • dollar tree 2306, everett
  • dollar tree 2415, lake stevens
  • dollar tree 3258, monroe
  • dollar tree 4010, everett
  • dollar tree 4178, edmonds
  • dollar tree 4196, lynnwood
  • dollar tree 4285, marysville
  • dollar tree 4444, arlington
  • dollar tree 4564, lynnwood
  • dollar tree 4961, everett
  • dollar tree 5424, bothell
  • dollar tree 5898, everett
  • dollar tree 5963, snohomish
  • dollar tree 6078, arlington
  • dollar tree 6086, mill creek
  • dollar tree 7550, marysville
  • gambela supermarket n/a, lynnwood
  • indian spices store, lake stevens
  • midnight grocery store, everett
  • miller's produce, lake stevens
  • oriental african mini mart, everett
  • tg market, lynnwood
  • tom thumb grocery, lake stevens
  • walgreens 03765, lynnwood
  • walgreens 04730, everett
  • walgreens 05598, everett
  • walgreens 06302, lynnwood
  • walgreens 06307, mukilteo
  • walgreens 06614, bothell
  • walgreens 06720, lynnwood
  • walgreens 07570, everett
  • walgreens 12933, lake stevens
  • walgreens 15158, marysville
  • walgreens 15404, edmonds
  • walgreens 7132, everett

Bakery Specialty · 19

  • franz bakery outlet 9027, everett
  • franz bakery outlet 9028, lynnwood
  • franz family bakery outlet 9062, everett
  • papa murphys wa-086, mountlake terrace
  • papa murphy's 010, monroe
  • papa murphy's pizza (mukilteo) 072, lynnwood
  • papa murphy's pizza wa025, mill creek
  • papa murphy's pizza wa029, bothell
  • papa murphy's pizza wa095, marysville
  • papa murphy's pizza wa190, everett
  • papa murphy's wa - 097, arlington
  • papa murphy's wa - 178, arlington
  • papa murphy's wa-009, lynnwood
  • papa murphy's wa-050, snohomish
  • papa murphy's wa-070, everett
  • papa murphy's wa-098, lake stevens
  • papa murphy's wa-108, everett
  • papa murphy's wa-144, edmonds
  • papa murphy's wa-159, stanwood

Showing 250 of 455 authorized retailers, largest categories first.

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Washington

Compare Snohomish County vs Adams County → · All Washington counties →

Food access nationally, Washington in context

Snohomish County sits inside Washington (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 Snohomish County has low food access?
23.5% of residents in Snohomish County, WA 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 Snohomish County?
8.8% of households in Snohomish County receive SNAP, covering 27,910 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Snohomish County?
The poverty rate in Snohomish County, WA is 8.0%, with a median household income of $111,246 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Snohomish County a food desert?
9 of Snohomish County's 149 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 Snohomish County households lack a vehicle?
4.7% of households in Snohomish 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.