PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Oregon

Umatilla County, OR

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

30.5%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
20.5%
on SNAP
80K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OR

The food-access picture

30.5% of Umatilla County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

10
low-access tracts
9K
food-desert residents
5.2%
households, no vehicle
11.8%
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 Umatilla County's low-access share at 30.5%, above the national share. 10 of the county's 15 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 23,147 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,047 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 Umatilla County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Umatilla County's 30.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 71% of them and ranked #904 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Umatilla County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 15 census tracts in Umatilla 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 Umatilla County, OR USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 8 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 15 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (33.3%) 8 tracts limited (53.3%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (13.3%) Adequate 33% Limited 53% Severe 13% Food-access tier distribution: Umatilla County, OR
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Umatilla County vs. other Oregon counties

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

% 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 Umatilla County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts15
Atlas Population (2010 basis)75,889
Low-Access Tracts10
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population23,147
Low-Access Share30.5%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population9,047

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Umatilla County
IndicatorValue
Population79,940
Median Household Income$67,728
Poverty Rate11.8%below the national average
SNAP Households5,875
SNAP Participation Rate20.5%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population5.0%
SNAP participation in Umatilla County 20.5%

About 20.5% of Umatilla County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 30.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 20.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,875 households here.
  • 5.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Umatilla County

above the national share

2 of Umatilla County's 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 13.3% of all its tracts.

A further 8 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 10.

An estimated 23,147 residents, roughly 30.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 9,047 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Umatilla County

Umatilla County has 80 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 46 locations (57% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 46

  • 11th st market, hermiston
  • 7-eleven 20899k, hermiston
  • alive & well ppp, hermiston
  • arrowhead travel plaza, pendleton
  • athena convenience store, athena
  • athena one stop n/a, athena
  • center market #24, stanfield
  • circle k stores 2709663, umatilla
  • court street shell / circle k 575, pendleton
  • cross roads truck stop 425, umatilla
  • dave's fuel, llc, pendleton
  • fast mart hermiston, hermiston
  • fast mart umatilla inc., umatilla
  • first stop mart, milton freewater
  • first stop mart 9, pendleton
  • gotta stop mini mart, hermiston
  • hermiston fuel & go, hermiston
  • hermiston station 5020, hermiston
  • indian hills chevron/ circle k 550, pendleton
  • j&d's foodmart, pilot rock
  • jsk hermiston, hermiston
  • mission market, pendleton
  • mcnary market, umatilla
  • metro mart, inc. 3, hermiston
  • mo.mm llc, hermiston
  • mo.mm,llc 18, hermiston
  • nye dino mart, pendleton
  • one stop mart 09 09, hermiston
  • panaderia yasmine, hermiston
  • pendleton fuel & go llc, pendleton
  • pendleton market, pendleton
  • pilot travel center 390, stanfield
  • quick & go, umatilla
  • royal mart #116 22, hermiston
  • sams corner market, milton freewater
  • sams stop and shop #11, milton freewater
  • short stop 1 / circle k 525, hermiston
  • short stop mini mart, pendleton
  • southgate dino mart llc, pendleton
  • space age fuel - hermiston 15, hermiston
  • super 7 c store, hermiston
  • suzi's handy mart, weston
  • taj food mart and gas 2, milton freewater
  • wayside market, milton freewater
  • westgate dino mart, pendleton
  • zip zone, milton freewater

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • bi-mart 655, hermiston
  • bi-mart 656, pendleton
  • carniceria el sol milton llc, milton freewater
  • columbia harvest foods, umatilla
  • dollartree 10643, milton freewater
  • dollar general 22225, milton freewater
  • dollar general 22732, umatilla
  • dollar general 23046, hermiston
  • dollar general 23054, stanfield
  • dollar general 23194, pilot rock
  • dollar tree 1839, hermiston
  • dollar tree 2423, pendleton
  • panaderia el pueblo, hermiston

Supermarket · 6

  • grocery outlet of hermiston 422, hermiston
  • grocery outlet of pendleton 255, pendleton
  • safeway 1590, milton frwtr
  • safeway 1642, pendleton
  • safeway 444, hermiston
  • tansills pendleton grocery outlet 255, pendleton

Medium Grocery Store · 4

  • la mexicana, hermiston
  • mercado san juan llc, hermiston
  • pilot rock market, pilot rock
  • stanfield's main street market, stanfield

Bakery Specialty · 3

  • papa murphy's pizza or046, hermiston
  • papa murphy's pizza or049, pendleton
  • papa murphy's pizza or073, milton freewater

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • eastern oregon meats llc, hermiston
  • hines meat company pendleton, pendleton

Super Store · 2

  • walmart 1817, hermiston
  • walmart 2492, pendleton

Farmers' Market · 1

  • pendleton farmers market, pendleton

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • 5 acre farm, milton freewater

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • super milton market, milton freewater

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • moe mart, pendleton

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Oregon

Baker County
37.9% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Benton County
27.9% low-access · 13.3% SNAP
Clackamas County
17.3% low-access · 10.1% SNAP
Clatsop County
12.4% low-access · 15.3% SNAP
Columbia County
6.1% low-access · 15.6% SNAP
Coos County
10.6% low-access · 23.4% SNAP

Compare Umatilla County vs Baker County → · All Oregon counties →

Food access nationally, Oregon in context

Umatilla County sits inside Oregon (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 Umatilla County has low food access? ▼
30.5% of residents in Umatilla County, OR 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 Umatilla County? ▼
20.5% of households in Umatilla County receive SNAP, covering 5,875 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Umatilla County? ▼
The poverty rate in Umatilla County, OR is 11.8%, with a median household income of $67,728 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Umatilla County a food desert? ▼
2 of Umatilla County's 15 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 Umatilla County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.2% of households in Umatilla 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.