County food-access profile · California
Sonoma County, CA
Sonoma 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.
- 13.3%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 8.0%
- on SNAP
- 485K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
13.3% of Sonoma County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 99 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 28
- low-access tracts
- 12K
- food-desert residents
- 4.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.9%
- 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).
Sonoma County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.3% per the USDA Atlas. 28 of the county's 99 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 64,338 residents who live far from a supermarket. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 12,493 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 Sonoma County compares nationally
Sonoma County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.3% low-access share that beats 28% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,255).
Sonoma County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 99 census tracts in Sonoma County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Sonoma County vs. other California counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California
- Sonoma 13.3
Sonoma County, CA
13.3 % 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 | 99 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 483,878 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 28 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 64,338 |
| Low-Access Share | 13.3%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 12,493 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 485,040 |
| Median Household Income | $104,674 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.9%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 15,299 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.0%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.1% |
About 8.0% of Sonoma County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 13.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 8.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 15,299 households here.
- 4.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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 Sonoma County
near the national share
4 of Sonoma County's 99 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 4.0% of all its tracts.
A further 24 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 28.
An estimated 64,338 residents, roughly 13.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 12,493 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 71 tracts (71.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Sonoma County
Sonoma County has 340 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 145 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 145
- 7 eleven 33277a, santa rosa
- 7 eleven 14125a 14125a, santa rosa
- 7 eleven 16885e 16885e, sebastopol
- 7 eleven 19232f 19232f, santa rosa
- 7 eleven 2365 35064c, cloverdale
- 7 eleven 2365-35353c 35353c, santa rosa
- 7 eleven 24323c 24323c, petaluma
- 7 eleven 27912f 27912f, petaluma
- 7 eleven 41351a 41351a, santa rosa
- 7-eleven 14140g, sonoma
- 7-eleven 14141d, santa rosa
- 7-eleven 16268g, sonoma
- 7-eleven 16806e, santa rosa
- 7-eleven 17464c, petaluma
- 7-eleven 18019d 18019d, petaluma
- 7-eleven 24288b, santa rosa
- 7-eleven 33389a, rohnert park
- 7-eleven 34334a, santa rosa
- 7-eleven store 14144g, santa rosa
- 9th st market, santa rosa
- a & l market, rohnert park
- am liquor & grocery, cloverdale
- agius grocery, petaluma
- aj's mini mart, geyserville
- am mini market, santa rosa
- andys liquor & fine wine inc, boyes hot spring
- arco ampm, santa rosa
- arco ampm 7204, santa rosa
- bills market, santa rosa
- bj's market, santa rosa
- bali liquor & foods, cloverdale
- bento market, santa rosa
- bills market, santa rosa
- bills market & deli #2, sebastopol
- boyes spring food center, sonoma
- corby shell, santa rosa
- cotati market, cotati
- cs grocery, santa rosa
- campus market, santa rosa
- chevron 1511, petaluma
- chevron 1528, rohnert park
- chevron 1755, sonoma
- chevron 1759, santa rosa
- chevron 1775, petaluma
- chevron 2201, santa rosa
- circle k healdsburg, healdsburg
- citrus spirits and market, cloverdale
- cleveland shell 123, santa rosa
- cotati chevron, cotati
- country wine & liquor, sebastopol
- dave's market, inc, santa rosa
- dulceria las tapatias, santa rosa
- dutton shell 122, santa rosa
- east cotati shell 115, rohnert park
- easy stop market 2, rohnert park
- el verano market, el verano
- extramile 297, cotati
- fairwest grocery, petaluma
- fast & easy mart windsor, windsor
- fast and easy mart, santa rosa
- fast and easy mart, rohnert park
- fast gas & market 1, santa rosa
- fast gas & mini mart - cloverdale, cloverdale
- fast gas & mini mart 1, santa rosa
- fast mart, rohnert park
- fast and easy mart, santa rosa
- flamingo 76, santa rosa
- forest hill market, monte rio
- fulton market 01, fulton
- glen ellen grocery, glen ellen
- golfcourse76, rohnert park
- grog shop liquor and deli, santa rosa
- guerneville road shell 121, santa rosa
- h&s energy products llc 2046, petaluma
- h&s energy products llc 3001, santa rosa
- h&s energy products llc 3002, santa rosa
- harrys market, santa rosa
- healdsburg chevron & carwash, healdsburg
- hembree shell 130, windsor
- hopper market, santa rosa
- humboldt market & liquor, santa rosa
- jjollys, santa rosa
- kwick pik market, rohnert park
- kwik shop, santa rosa
- larkfield union 76 106, santa rosa
- lazzini's market & deli, santa rosa
- liquor mart, santa rosa
- md liquor & food, santa rosa
- md liquor & food 15, windsor
- md liquor & food 2, santa rosa
- md liquor & foods 9, rohnert park
- martins market and deli, cotati
- md gas and food #14, guerneville
- md liquor & food # 7, graton
- md liquor and food, guerneville
- md market, healdsburg
- nmso 58308, santa rosa
- petaluma shell 113, petaluma
- pelican plaza grocery & deli, bodega bay
- pic & pay market, glen ellen
- pohley's market, windsor
- quick pick market, santa rosa
- quick pick market, santa rosa
- quik stop market #551057, petaluma
- quik stop market 2035, santa rosa
- quik stop market 4141, cloverdale
- redwood drive shell 177, rohnert park
- redwood market 291, cloverdale
- redwood market 292, windsor
- redwood market 293, santa rosa
- redwood market 294, santa rosa
- redwood market 295, santa rosa
- rocket #5426 5426, cotati
- rotten robbie 40, santa rosa
- rotten robbie 41, rohnert park
- rotten robbie 60, santa rosa
- rotten robbie 61, forestville
- rotten robbie 62, sebastopol
- rotten robbie 63, healdsburg
- s. r. food & liquor, santa rosa
- sequoia mini market, sebastopol
- steel bear deli, petaluma
- stony point market, santa rosa
- safeway 5824 fuel center, santa rosa
- sam market #16, santa rosa
- sam's market #17, healdsburg
- sam's market 14, forestville
- sams market 11, santa rosa
- san's market, santa rosa
- santa rosa chevron 001, santa rosa
- santa rosa junior college petaluma bookstore 1599, petaluma
- sebastopol fast fill market, santa rosa
- sonoma valley market, sonoma
- south city market, petaluma
- speedway 6178, petaluma
- steele lane shell 120, santa rosa
- the bodega country store, bodega
- tides 76 mini mart, bodega bay
- todd road shell 124, santa rosa
- valley of the moon fast fill market, santa rosa
- wagon wheel liquor, santa rosa
- wally's liquor & deli, santa rosa
- windsor market 7, windsor
- windsor palms market, windsor
- windsor shell 128, windsor
Combination Grocery/Other · 40
- anna's seafood, petaluma
- big bazaar, rohnert park
- cvs pharmacy 1173, healdsburg
- cvs pharmacy 345, cloverdale
- cvs pharmacy 9152, sonoma
- cvs pharmacy 9163, petaluma
- cvs pharmacy 9393, santa rosa
- cvs pharmacy 9480, petaluma
- cvs pharmacy 9656, santa rosa
- cvs pharmacy 9872, sebastopol
- cvs pharmacy 9928, rohnert park
- cvs pharmacy 9931, windsor
- cvs pharmacy 9946, santa rosa
- cvs pharmacy 9948, santa rosa
- chhean's market 1, rohnert park
- dollartree 10412, rohnert park
- dollartree 10625, windsor
- dollartree 11073, santa rosa
- dollartree 9669, santa rosa
- dollar general store 16271, cloverdale
- dollar tree 1868, rohnert park
- dollar tree 2162, santa rosa
- dollar tree 2168, santa rosa
- dollar tree 2262, healdsburg
- dollar tree 3827, sonoma
- dollar tree 4593, santa rosa
- dollar tree 5022, petaluma
- dollar tree 5290, cotati
- dollar tree 5851, santa rosa
- dollar tree 7357, petaluma
- dollartree 8858, rohnert park
- fast and easy mart, petaluma
- molsberry market inc., santa rosa
- ortega's market, santa rosa
- phnom penh, santa rosa
- santa rosa grocery outlet, santa rosa
- speer's market, forestville
- walgreens 3084, cotati
- walgreens 3297, santa rosa
- walgreens 6722, santa rosa
Medium Grocery Store · 25
- apna bazaar, cotati
- aroon thai market, santa rosa
- asia mart, santa rosa
- asian market, santa rosa
- bartletts market, monte rio
- casa del mole, healdsburg
- cotijas market, cloverdale
- dahlia & sage community market, cloverdale
- el coyote market and deli, sonoma
- el pacifico market, rohnert park
- el rey market, rohnert park
- el torito supermarket, santa rosa
- el torito supermarket 2, rohnert park
- european foods store, santa rosa
- fuel & food market, santa rosa
- kabayan filipino market, rohnert park
- kenwood market & deli, kenwood
- la chulada, petaluma
- la morenita market no. 3, sonoma
- martins market, windsor
- mekong market, santa rosa
- oakmont village market, santa rosa
- ray's food center, santa rosa
- rojas mexican market 2, petaluma
- sonoma valley fruit basket #1, sonoma
Farmers' Market · 19
- cloverdale certified farmers market, cloverdale
- cotati community farmers market, cotati
- guerneville certified farmers market, guerneville
- healdsburg certified farmers market, healdsburg
- healdsburg certified farmers market 2, healdsburg
- mercadito roseland farmers' market, santa rosa
- petaluma east side farmers market, petaluma
- petaluma walnut park farmers market, petaluma
- rohnert park farmers market, rohnert park
- santa rosa certified farmers market, santa rosa
- santa rosa certified farmers market, santa rosa
- santa rosa community farmers market, santa rosa
- santa rosa wednesday night market, santa rosa
- sebastopol certified farmers market, sebastopol
- sonoma valley farmers' market, sonoma
- sonoma's tuesday night market, sonoma
- the occidental community farmers market, occidental
- the springs community farmers' market, boyes hot springs
- windsor certified farmers market, windsor
Large Grocery Store · 14
- asian food market, santa rosa
- bohemian market, occidental
- carniceria mendoza, santa rosa
- castanedas marketplace, windsor
- el pacifico market, santa rosa
- el rey market, forestville
- estrellas market and taqueria, windsor
- mikes truck garden, fulton
- ortega's market 2, petaluma
- pacific markets #14, sebastopol
- penngrove market, penngrove
- sam's market 18, santa rosa
- shelton's natural foods market, healdsburg
- super latino market and bakery 1, santa rosa
Bakery Specialty · 5
- papa murphy 26, santa rosa
- papa murphy pizza 25, santa rosa
- papa murphy's ca071, sebastopol
- papa murphy's pizza 1, petaluma
- papa murphy's pizza ca066, cotati
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- imwalle's gardens, santa rosa
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- carniceria juanita, santa rosa
Showing 250 of 340 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in California
Compare Sonoma County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Food access nationally, California in context
Sonoma 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 Sonoma County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Sonoma County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Sonoma County? ▼
Is Sonoma County a food desert? ▼
What share of Sonoma 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.