Where does Southeast Fairbanks Census Area rank for food access?

According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019), Southeast Fairbanks Census Area ranks #954 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #14 of 27 counties in AK, the same sort as the worst-food-deserts ranking. See /methodology#corpus-placement.

What share of Southeast Fairbanks Census Area has low food access?

29.7% of residents in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK 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 Southeast Fairbanks Census Area?

8.6% of households in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area receive SNAP, covering 214 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).

What is the poverty rate in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area?

The poverty rate in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK is 12.7%, with a median household income of $73,882 (Census ACS 2024).

Is Southeast Fairbanks Census Area a food desert?

1 of Southeast Fairbanks Census Area's 2 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 Southeast Fairbanks Census Area households lack a vehicle?

6.6% of households in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.

Signature · 1 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)

Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK

Southeast Fairbanks Census Area's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 29.7% low-access.

Compiled by Plainfoodaccess, Food Access Editorial Process · December 31, 2024

29.7%
low-access pop.: 1
food-desert tracts: 8.6%
on SNAP: 7K
residents (ACS 2024)

USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AK

USDA FARA access plate

County Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK

LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE

LA-ELEVATED 29.7% low-access
ABOVE-NATIONAL +7.6 pts vs US
LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
SNAP-LIGHT 8.6% SNAP
VEH-OK 6.6% no vehicle
DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Matanuska-Susitna Borough ( -0.8 pts)

Upper-band low-access

Southeast Fairbanks Census Area sits in the upper national band (29.7%, #954 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.

#954
national by low-access %: #14
in AK: 2
low-access tracts: 695
food-desert residents

Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.

Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (50% of tracts) .

How Southeast Fairbanks Census Area compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Southeast Fairbanks Census Area's 29.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 69% of them and ranked #956 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Southeast Fairbanks Census Area's elevated USDA tier split

2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Southeast Fairbanks Census Area has 0 urban and 2 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.

Lake and Peni…

100
Sitka City and

34.5
Southeast Fai…

29.7
Matanuska-Sus…

28.9
Anchorage

28.4
Kenai Peninsu…

23.7
Kusilvak

0

FARA 2019 · elevated low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
Indicator	Value
Census Tracts	2
Atlas Population (2010 basis)	7,029
Low-Access Tracts	2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)	1
Low-Access Population	2,090
Low-Access Share	29.7%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population	695

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
Indicator	Value
Population	7,068
Median Household Income	$73,882
Poverty Rate	12.7%below the national average
SNAP Households	214
SNAP Participation Rate	8.6%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle	6.6%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population	8.9%

Other Counties in Alaska

One of 29 counties in Alaska, 6 are shown here.

Aleutians East Borough

39.0% low-access · 14.5% SNAP

Aleutians West Census Area

21.4% low-access · 4.8% SNAP

Anchorage Municipality

28.4% low-access · 8.7% SNAP

Bethel Census Area

68.6% low-access · 42.4% SNAP

Bristol Bay Borough

56.3% low-access · 5.2% SNAP

Chugach Census Area

ACS data only · 9.8% SNAP

Compare Southeast Fairbanks Census Area vs Aleutians East Borough → · All Alaska counties →

Southeast Fairbanks Census Area inside a higher low-access state context

Southeast Fairbanks Census Area sits inside Alaska (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Read with this county

Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled 2026-06-23.

PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 02240. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.

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.