County food-access profile · California
Sutter County, CA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Sutter 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).
- 26.5%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 13.2%
- on SNAP
- 99K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
26.5% of Sutter County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 21 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 11
- low-access tracts
- 8K
- food-desert residents
- 5.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.4%
- 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 Sutter County's low-access share at 26.5%, above the national share. 11 of the county's 21 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 25,089 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 7,709 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 Sutter County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Sutter County's 26.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 62% of them and ranked #1,186 most-affected nationwide.
Sutter County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 21 census tracts in Sutter County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Sutter County vs. other California counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California
- Sutter
Sutter County, CA
26.5 % 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 | 21 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 94,737 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 11 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 25,089 |
| Low-Access Share | 26.5%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 7,709 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 98,857 |
| Median Household Income | $79,704 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.4%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,385 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.2%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
About 13.2% of Sutter County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 26.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,385 households here.
- 5.5% 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 Sutter County
above the national share
4 of Sutter County's 21 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 19.0% of all its tracts.
A further 7 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 11.
An estimated 25,089 residents, roughly 26.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 7,709 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 10 tracts (47.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Sutter County
Sutter County has 94 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 52 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 52
- 7 eleven 17952, yuba city
- 7-eleven #14073 d, yuba city
- 7-eleven #17333 c, yuba city
- 7-eleven 14074a, yuba city
- 7-eleven store 39336a, yuba city
- 99 travel center llc 209703, yuba city
- beehive market 1, yuba city
- bogue 99 am/pm 82042, yuba city
- circle k 2721156, yuba city
- civic energy center, yuba city
- colusa grey inc 82697, yuba city
- cooper market food & liquor, yuba city
- dvr mobil mart, yuba city
- dhamis mini mart, yuba city
- g mart, yuba city
- gill's liquor & food, robbins
- gustavos, live oak
- h&s energy products llc 3024, live oak
- h&s energy products llc 3029, yuba city
- holly oak gas & grocery, yuba city
- lil stop food & liquor, yuba city
- mg liquor & grocery, live oak
- mr paul's market, yuba city
- mann bros grocery meat market, yuba city
- mann fairground plaza, yuba city
- mike's mini mart, yuba city
- miles market, yuba city
- neighborhood market, yuba city
- new stop, yuba city
- nicolaus express mart, nicolaus
- percy ave market, yuba city
- quik stop market 2153, yuba city
- quick n shop, yuba city
- quik stop market #551133, yuba city
- quik stop market #551151, yuba city
- quik stop market 1136, yuba city
- quik stop market 2150, yuba city
- s s mini mart, yuba city
- sr food & liquor garden highway, yuba city
- shop'n save, yuba city
- south butte market & meats, sutter
- super power mart, live oak
- sutter food & gas n/a, sutter
- sutter mini market, sutter
- tim's mini mart, yuba city
- township market, yuba city
- us mart, yuba city
- washington market, yuba city
- warren's market, yuba city
- wilbur market, yuba city
- yuba city chevron, yuba city
- zs supermarket, yuba city
Combination Grocery/Other · 14
- big bazzar, yuba city
- cvs pharmacy 9932, yuba city
- dollar general 16953, sutter
- dollartree 8807, yuba city
- dollar general 21150, yuba city
- dollar tree 1218, yuba city
- flavors of india grocery store, yuba city
- la merchandise, yuba city
- lulu's tortilleria & salsas, yuba city
- masala market, yuba city
- punjab bazaar, yuba city
- walgreens 12259, yuba city
- walgreens 7433, yuba city
- walgreens 993, yuba city
Supermarket · 7
- bel air 521, yuba city
- el bajio market 2, live oak
- el toro loco market llc, yuba city
- food maxx 471, yuba city
- la superior yuba, inc. 8, yuba city
- raley's 242, yuba city
- winco foods 026, yuba city
Medium Grocery Store · 6
- bills market, yuba city
- el ranchito mkt, live oak
- new delhi palace, yuba city
- noble halal market 1, yuba city
- panaderia flores, yuba city
- yuba halal market, yuba city
Small Grocery Store · 6
- bombay video, inc., yuba city
- kozat discount store, yuba city
- los portales market and taqueria, yuba city
- may elston's philippine grocery store, yuba city
- meridian market, meridian
- prime time nutrition 587, yuba city
Super Store · 6
- dollar general market 14170, live oak
- grocery outlet of yuba city, yuba city
- new earth market, lp, yuba city
- sam's club 6405, yuba city
- target store t-0318, yuba city
- walmart 1903, yuba city
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy 36, yuba city
Farmers' Market · 1
- companion farms certified farmers market 5121cfm19, yuba city
Seafood Specialty · 1
- goldfish seafood market 2, yuba city
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in California
Compare Sutter County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Food access nationally, California in context
Sutter 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 Sutter County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Sutter County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Sutter County? ▼
Is Sutter County a food desert? ▼
What share of Sutter 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.