PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · California

Tuolumne County, CA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Tuolumne 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).

27.8%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
11.7%
on SNAP
54K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 CA

The food-access picture

27.8% of Tuolumne County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

3
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
5.2%
households, no vehicle
10.4%
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 Tuolumne County's low-access share at 27.8%, above the national share. 3 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 15,410 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 Tuolumne County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Tuolumne County's 27.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 65% of them and ranked #1,095 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Tuolumne County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Tuolumne County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Tuolumne County, CA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (72.7%) 3 tracts limited (27.3%) Adequate 73% Limited 27% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Tuolumne County, CA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Tuolumne County vs. other California counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in California

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

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Tuolumne County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)55,365
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population15,410
Low-Access Share27.8%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,411

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Tuolumne County
IndicatorValue
Population54,498
Median Household Income$77,404
Poverty Rate10.4%below the national average
SNAP Households2,662
SNAP Participation Rate11.7%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population6.2%
SNAP participation in Tuolumne County 11.7%

About 11.7% of Tuolumne County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 27.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,662 households here.
  • 5.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $77,404 with a 10.4% 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 Tuolumne County

above the national share

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 15,410 residents, roughly 27.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,411 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (72.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Tuolumne County

Tuolumne County has 41 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • 7-eleven 42035h, jamestown
  • 7-eleven, inc. 26688j, twain harte
  • arco ampm 7132, sonora
  • bear creek station, tuolumne
  • chevron extramile, sonora
  • columbia market, columbia
  • crystal falls mini mart, sonora
  • eagle mart - sinclair, big oak flat
  • houseboat mighty mart, inc., la grange
  • liquor junction, sonora
  • mi wuk general store, mi wuk village
  • modesto petroleum inc - arco am/pm 83300, sonora
  • restano way liquor, sonora
  • sonora 76, sonora
  • sonora gas and food, sonora
  • sonora market, sonora
  • speedway 4136, sonora
  • toms sierra co., dba sierra energy 31, sonora
  • xpress mart, groveland

Combination Grocery/Other · 7

  • cvs pharmacy 9208, sonora
  • dollar general 16817, la grange
  • dollartree, sonora
  • dollar general 14538, jamestown
  • dollar general 15467, sonora
  • dollar general 21986, sonora
  • dollar tree 2122, sonora

Super Store · 5

  • mar-val main street 5, groveland
  • priceco foods, sonora
  • sonora grocery outlet 135, sonora
  • twain harte market, twain harte
  • walmart 2030, sonora

Supermarket · 3

  • save mart 76, sonora
  • save mart 8, sonora
  • safeway 3127, sonora

Farmers' Market · 2

  • peaceful valley farmers market, sonora
  • sonora farmers market 1816, sonora

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • columbia mercantile 1855, columbia
  • don pedro market inc, la grange

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy 136, sonora

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • nature's whole food depot, sonora

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • divine market, soulsbyville

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in California

Alameda County
8.1% low-access · 9.9% SNAP
Alpine County
57.0% low-access · 9.7% SNAP
Amador County
0.2% low-access · 9.8% SNAP
Butte County
19.1% low-access · 16.0% SNAP
Calaveras County
14.7% low-access · 9.5% SNAP
Colusa County
39.3% low-access · 16.4% SNAP

Compare Tuolumne County vs Alameda County → · All California counties →

Food access nationally, California in context

Tuolumne County sits inside California (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

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

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Tuolumne County has low food access? ▼
27.8% of residents in Tuolumne County, CA 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 Tuolumne County? ▼
11.7% of households in Tuolumne County receive SNAP, covering 2,662 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Tuolumne County? ▼
The poverty rate in Tuolumne County, CA is 10.4%, with a median household income of $77,404 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Tuolumne County a food desert? ▼
0 of Tuolumne County's 11 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Tuolumne County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.2% of households in Tuolumne County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.