County food-access profile · California
Tehama County, CA
Tehama 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.
- 19.1%
- low-access pop.
- 6
- food-desert tracts
- 13.9%
- on SNAP
- 65K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
19.1% of Tehama County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 6K
- food-desert residents
- 6.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.6%
- 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).
Tehama County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 19.1% per the USDA Atlas. 6 of the county's 11 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 12,115 residents who live far from a supermarket. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,325 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 Tehama County compares nationally
Tehama County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.1% low-access share that beats 44% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,761).
Tehama County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 11 census tracts in Tehama County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Tehama County vs. other California counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California
- Tehama 19.1
Tehama County, CA
19.1 % 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 | 11 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 63,463 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 6 |
| Low-Access Population | 12,115 |
| Low-Access Share | 19.1%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 6,325 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 65,167 |
| Median Household Income | $63,784 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.6%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,457 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.9%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.7% |
About 13.9% of Tehama County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 19.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,457 households here.
- 6.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 6 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 Tehama County
near the national share
6 of Tehama County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 54.5% of all its tracts.
An estimated 12,115 residents, roughly 19.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 6,325 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (45.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Tehama County
Tehama County has 64 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 36 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 36
- 7 eleven 43088a, red bluff
- 7-eleven (janda) 20054 e, corning
- adobe minimart, red bluff
- ampm, red bluff
- ampm, red bluff
- antelope liquor & gas, red bluff
- basra mini mart, corning
- corning 76 90, corning
- corning chevron, inc. em#6053, corning
- corning fuel stop llc, corning
- cost u less 1, los molinos
- crosslands 6, los molinos
- food mart valero 50, red bluff
- gk country store, corning
- guy's corner market, gerber
- harvey's market, proberta
- jills fresh stop market deli, red bluff
- jackson food mart, red bluff
- liquor cabinet #1 n/a, corning
- liquor warehouse (1), corning
- little country store, cottonwood
- love's travel stop 410, corning
- more for less 26, red bluff
- maruti red bluff, red bluff
- nmso, inc. 68191, red bluff
- number one stop, red bluff
- olive city market, corning
- petro stopping centers 309, corning
- red bluff food mart, red bluff
- red bluff gas, red bluff
- red bluff shell, red bluff
- solano st liquor & grocery, corning
- sunshine food and gas, red bluff
- ta corning 040, corning
- vina market and deli, vina
- woodson bridge rv park, corning
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- cvs pharmacy 3937, red bluff
- dollar general 14473, red bluff
- dollar general 17266, proberta
- dollar general 14507, los molinos
- dollar general 15653, corning
- dollar tree 1230, red bluff
- dollar tree 2486, corning
- walgreens 07653, red bluff
Supermarket · 7
- corning food center, corning
- food maxx 476, red bluff
- grocery outlet of corning 510, corning
- nu-way market, los molinos
- raley's 233, red bluff
- safeway 2295, corning
- sav mor foods 32, corning
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- carniceria dos amigos, corning
- carniceria mi pueblo, corning
- los amigos meat market, red bluff
Super Store · 3
- dollar general market 14292, red bluff
- grocery outlet of red bluff 398, red bluff
- walmart 1608, red bluff
Bakery Specialty · 2
- corning papa murphy's pizza, corning
- papa murphy's take n bake pizza ca021, red bluff
Farmers' Market · 2
- corning's thursday night farmers market, corning
- red bluff certified farmer's market, red bluff
Large Grocery Store · 1
- a & r custom butchering, red bluff
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- carniceria martinez, corning
Small Grocery Store · 1
- best town market, red bluff
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in California
Compare Tehama County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →
Food access nationally, California in context
Tehama 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 Tehama County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Tehama County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Tehama County? ▼
Is Tehama County a food desert? ▼
What share of Tehama 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.