PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Idaho

Twin Falls County, ID

Twin Falls 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.

14.1%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
9.6%
on SNAP
94K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 ID

The food-access picture

14.1% of Twin Falls County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
2.9%
households, no vehicle
11.5%
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).

Twin Falls County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 14.1% per the USDA Atlas. 6 of the county's 14 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 10,906 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,641 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 Twin Falls County compares nationally

Twin Falls County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.1% low-access share that beats 30% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,191).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Twin Falls County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 14 census tracts in Twin Falls 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 Twin Falls County, ID USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 14 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (57.1%) 5 tracts limited (35.7%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (7.1%) Adequate 57% Limited 36% Severe 7% Food-access tier distribution: Twin Falls County, ID
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Twin Falls County vs. other Idaho counties

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

% 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 Twin Falls County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts14
Atlas Population (2010 basis)77,230
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population10,906
Low-Access Share14.1%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,641

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Twin Falls County
IndicatorValue
Population93,734
Median Household Income$67,409
Poverty Rate11.5%below the national average
SNAP Households3,320
SNAP Participation Rate9.6%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.9%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.6%
SNAP participation in Twin Falls County 9.6%

About 9.6% of Twin Falls County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 14.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,320 households here.
  • 2.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Twin Falls County

near the national share

1 of Twin Falls County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.1% of all its tracts.

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 10,906 residents, roughly 14.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,641 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (57.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Twin Falls County

Twin Falls County has 57 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 28 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 28

  • addison kicks 66 80223, twin falls
  • base camp 104, twin falls
  • hansen quick stop go, hansen
  • kj filmart 80219, twin falls
  • maverik, inc 204, kimberly
  • maverik, inc 224, twin falls
  • maverik, inc 492, twin falls
  • mr. gas #2 80253, twin falls
  • oasis stop 'n go 08, twin falls
  • oasis stop 'n go 09, twin falls
  • oasis stop 'n go 10, buhl
  • oasis stop 'n go 14, twin falls
  • oasis stop 'n go 17, twin falls
  • oasis stop 'n go 18, twin falls
  • oasis stop 'n go 19, twin falls
  • oasis stop 'n go 20, twin falls
  • oasis stop 'n go 21, twin falls
  • oasis stop 'n go 26, twin falls
  • oasis stop 'n go 28, twin falls
  • oasis stop 'n go 4, twin falls
  • oasis stop 'n go 6, buhl
  • oasis stop 'n go 7, twin falls
  • oasis stop 'n go 23, twin falls
  • petro's texaco, twin falls
  • pettit's country market, castleford
  • stinker store 51, twin falls
  • stinker store 54, twin falls
  • stinker store 55, twin falls

Combination Grocery/Other · 10

  • dollar tree 2744, twin falls
  • family dollar 10073, kimberly
  • family dollar 10353, filer
  • family dollar 8575, twin falls
  • family dollar store 6896, buhl
  • family dollar store 6921, twin falls
  • m&w markets 16, filer
  • meat and potato company, twin falls
  • walgreens 07277, twin falls
  • walgreens 12286, twin falls

Super Store · 8

  • costco wholesale 0145, twin falls
  • fred meyer 383, twin falls
  • grocery outlet 76, twin falls
  • ridley's family markets 8446, buhl
  • ridleys family market 8464, kimberly
  • smith's food & drug 35, twin falls
  • target store t-0699, twin falls
  • walmart 3897, twin falls

Supermarket · 5

  • albertsons 4139, twin falls
  • natural grocers u174, twin falls
  • swenmart, twin falls
  • swensen's 6, twin falls
  • winco foods 030, twin falls

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • franz family bakery outlet 9065, twin falls
  • papa murphy's take and bake pizza id013, twin falls

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • asian food store, twin falls
  • mi pueblo bakery, twin falls

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • don's thriftway inc, buhl

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • rayaan african grocery llc 1, twin falls

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Idaho

Ada County
30.4% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Adams County
25.5% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Bannock County
34.7% low-access · 14.6% SNAP
Bear Lake County
25.9% low-access · 4.7% SNAP
Benewah County
23.3% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Bingham County
32.3% low-access · 10.3% SNAP

Compare Twin Falls County vs Ada County → · All Idaho counties →

Food access nationally, Idaho in context

Twin Falls County sits inside Idaho (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 Twin Falls County has low food access? ▼
14.1% of residents in Twin Falls County, ID 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 Twin Falls County? ▼
9.6% of households in Twin Falls County receive SNAP, covering 3,320 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Twin Falls County? ▼
The poverty rate in Twin Falls County, ID is 11.5%, with a median household income of $67,409 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Twin Falls County a food desert? ▼
1 of Twin Falls County's 14 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Twin Falls County households lack a vehicle? ▼
2.9% of households in Twin Falls 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.