County food-access profile · Wyoming
Sweetwater County, WY
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Sweetwater 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).
- 21.5%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 7.4%
- on SNAP
- 42K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
21.5% of Sweetwater County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 2.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.9%
- 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).
USDA data puts Sweetwater County's low-access share at 21.5%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 12 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 9,400 people. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Sweetwater County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Sweetwater County's 21.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 50% of them and ranked #1,567 most-affected nationwide.
Sweetwater County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 12 census tracts in Sweetwater County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Sweetwater County vs. other Wyoming counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wyoming
- Sweetwater 21.5
Sweetwater County, WY
21.5 % low-access
- Albany
Albany County, WY
28.8 % low-access
- Big Horn 18.7
Big Horn County, WY
18.7 % low-access
- Campbell
Campbell County, WY
36.7 % low-access
- Carbon
Carbon County, WY
57.8 % low-access
- Converse 12.2
Converse County, WY
12.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 12 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 43,806 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 9,400 |
| Low-Access Share | 21.5%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,290 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 41,542 |
| Median Household Income | $75,034 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.9%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,289 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.3% |
About 7.4% of Sweetwater County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 21.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,289 households here.
- 2.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $75,034 with a 12.9% poverty rate.
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 Sweetwater County
above the national share
A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 9,400 residents, roughly 21.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,290 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (58.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Sweetwater County
Sweetwater County has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 22 locations (65% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 22
- 24 hour c store 01, rock springs
- alta 6222, rock springs
- alta 6224, rock springs
- alta 6227, rock springs
- alta 6228, rock springs
- alta 6229, green river
- fast stop 1134 inc., rock springs
- loaf n jug 750150, rock springs
- loaf n jug 750152, green river
- loaf n jug 750153, green river
- loaf n jug 750154, green river
- loaf n jug 750159, rock springs
- love's travel stop 888, green river
- loves travel stop 310, wamsutter
- maverik 5057, rock springs
- maverik 5059, rock springs
- maverik 5286, rock springs
- maverik, inc 345, green river
- maverik, inc 741, rock springs
- one9 fuel stop 1251, wamsutter
- pilot travel center 764, rock springs
- smith's fuel center 182, rock springs
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- dollartree 9550, rock springs
- dollar general 31077, green river
- dollar tree 2891, rock springs
- family dollar 6014, green river
- family dollar 8278, rock springs
- walgreens 09092, rock springs
Super Store · 3
- smiths food & drug center 182, rock springs
- smiths food & drug center 187, green river
- walmart sc 1461, rock springs
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's wyo10, rock springs
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- carniceria el primo, rock springs
Supermarket · 1
- albertsons 3342, rock springs
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Wyoming
Compare Sweetwater County vs Albany County → · All Wyoming counties →
Food access nationally, Wyoming in context
Sweetwater County sits inside Wyoming (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 Sweetwater County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Sweetwater County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Sweetwater County? ▼
Is Sweetwater County a food desert? ▼
What share of Sweetwater 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.