Signature · 5 LILA tracts (41.7% of tracts)

Stevens County, WA

Stevens County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 5 LILA tracts (41.7% of the book) alongside 36.0% low-access.

36.0%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
15.0%
on SNAP
48K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WA

USDA FARA access plate

County Stevens County, WA

LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE

  • LA-ELEVATED 36.0% low-access
  • ABOVE-NATIONAL +13.9 pts vs US
  • LILA-POCKET 5 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-HEAVY 15.0% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 4.1% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-DENSE 42% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Clallam County (+ 2.2 pts)

Upper-band low-access

Stevens County sits in the upper national band (36.0%, #554 of 3,079) with 5 LILA tracts.

#554
national by low-access %
#8
in WA
6
low-access tracts
5K
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: 5 LILA tracts (41.7% of tracts) .

How Stevens County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Stevens County's 36.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 82% of them and ranked #554 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Stevens County's elevated USDA tier split

12 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 5 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for Stevens County, WA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (50.0%) 1 tracts limited (8.3%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (41.7%) Adequate 50% Limited 8% Severe 42% Food-access tier distribution: Stevens County, WA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Stevens County has 3 urban and 9 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.

Stevens County vs nearby high low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Washington, not a full county-board reprint

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

FARA 2019 · elevated low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Stevens County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)43,531
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population15,665
Low-Access Share36.0%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,443

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Stevens County
IndicatorValue
Population48,067
Median Household Income$69,327
Poverty Rate12.0%below the national average
SNAP Households2,915
SNAP Participation Rate15.0%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.1%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.5%

Thick SNAP store book in Stevens County

Stevens County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (36% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 15

  • # 1 store, ford
  • arden 1 stop, colville
  • colville conoco, colville
  • express mart chewelah, chewelah
  • fruitland service inc, fruitland
  • hico 1, chewelah
  • loon lake exxon, loon lake
  • loon lake self service, loon lake
  • m&m's corner, fruitland
  • rivers edge 1 stop, northport
  • southtown 76, colville
  • spoko fuel chewelah, chewelah
  • suncrest mart, nine mile falls
  • whitty's chevron, colville
  • yellow pine chevron, kettle falls

Combination Grocery/Other · 9

  • columbia community creamery na, chewelah
  • dollartree 10113, chewelah
  • dollar general 23098, chewelah
  • dollar general 23347, loon lake
  • dollar general 23396, springdale
  • dollar general 30343, nine mile falls
  • dollar tree 2425, colville
  • rosauers supermarket 150, nine mile falls
  • super 1 foods 135, colville

Supermarket · 4

  • divine corp 1, addy
  • kettle falls harvest foods, kettle falls
  • safeway 337, chewelah
  • safeway 385, colville

Farmers' Market · 3

  • chewelah farmers market, chewelah
  • northeast washington farmer's market, colville
  • suncrest landscape farmers market, nine mile falls

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • all seasons grocery & hardware, loon lake
  • bluecreek mercantile, chewelah
  • hunters market llc, hunters

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • springdale grocery & hardware, springdale
  • valley market, valley

Super Store · 2

  • colville grocery outlet, colville
  • walmart 2016, colville

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's wa169, colville

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • front porch produce & antiques, addy

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • wellpinit trading post, wellpinit

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • gallo meats llc, colville

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).

Other Counties in Washington

One of 38 counties in Washington, 6 are shown here.

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

Counties near Stevens County's elevated low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Stevens County, both outside Washington so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.

Similar low-access share

Nearest low-access rates outside WA (36.0% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside WA (15.0% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Stevens County inside a higher low-access state context

Stevens County sits inside Washington (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 .

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 Stevens County, WA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 53065. 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.