PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Washington

Walla Walla County, WA

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

23.7%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
13.5%
on SNAP
62K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WA

The food-access picture

23.7% of Walla Walla County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
6.2%
households, no vehicle
12.1%
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 Walla Walla County's low-access share at 23.7%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 12 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 13,932 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,157 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 Walla Walla County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Walla Walla County's 23.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 56% of them and ranked #1,387 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Walla Walla County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Walla Walla 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 Walla Walla County, WA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (50.0%) 5 tracts limited (41.7%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (8.3%) Adequate 50% Limited 42% Severe 8% Food-access tier distribution: Walla Walla County, WA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Walla Walla County vs. other Washington counties

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

% 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 Walla Walla County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)58,781
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population13,932
Low-Access Share23.7%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,157

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Walla Walla County
IndicatorValue
Population62,161
Median Household Income$74,202
Poverty Rate12.1%below the national average
SNAP Households3,168
SNAP Participation Rate13.5%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population8.1%
SNAP participation in Walla Walla County 13.5%

About 13.5% of Walla Walla County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 23.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 13.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,168 households here.
  • 6.2% 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 Walla Walla County

above the national share

1 of Walla Walla County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 8.3% 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 13,932 residents, roughly 23.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,157 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Walla Walla County

Walla Walla County has 41 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 20

  • aziz chevron 2, walla walla
  • burbank shell 675, burbank
  • circle k 2706051, walla walla
  • college place food mart 1, college place
  • fiesta tapatia llc, college place
  • friend's corner, burbank
  • jacksons food stores # 668 668, burbank
  • joe's corner, walla walla
  • los tapatios, walla walla
  • lupe's market, walla walla
  • midway food mart, waitsburg
  • oaxaca meat market, burbank
  • ppi mart, walla walla
  • shop-n-go 1, walla walla
  • taj food mart, walla walla
  • touchet chevron gas station, touchet
  • valley mart, walla walla
  • vista shell, walla walla
  • west end community market, walla walla
  • zip zone, walla walla

Combination Grocery/Other · 7

  • bi-mart 619, walla walla
  • dollar general 22595, burbank
  • dollar tree 2691, walla walla
  • dollar tree 5863, walla walla
  • la estrella mini market, walla walla
  • super 1 foods 136, walla walla
  • walgreens 10107, walla walla

Supermarket · 4

  • safeway 1160, walla walla
  • safeway 307, walla walla
  • safeway 3414, walla walla
  • southgate center market llc, walla walla

Super Store · 3

  • andy's market, college place
  • grocery outlet of walla walla 61, walla walla
  • walmart 2476, college place

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • franz bakery outlet 9049, walla walla
  • papa murphy's wa104, walla walla

Farmers' Market · 2

  • college place farmers and artisan market, college place
  • downtown farmers market, walla walla

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • butcher butcher walla walla, walla walla
  • carniceria el sol llc, walla walla

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • waitsburg grocery inc, waitsburg

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Washington

Adams County
41.7% low-access · 18.9% SNAP
Asotin County
13.8% low-access · 18.6% SNAP
Benton County
22.8% low-access · 14.8% SNAP
Chelan County
18.1% low-access · 12.0% SNAP
Clallam County
38.2% low-access · 13.0% SNAP
Clark County
21.7% low-access · 12.1% SNAP

Compare Walla Walla County vs Adams County → · All Washington counties →

Food access nationally, Washington in context

Walla Walla County sits inside Washington (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 Walla Walla County has low food access? ▼
23.7% of residents in Walla Walla County, WA 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 Walla Walla County? ▼
13.5% of households in Walla Walla County receive SNAP, covering 3,168 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Walla Walla County? ▼
The poverty rate in Walla Walla County, WA is 12.1%, with a median household income of $74,202 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Walla Walla County a food desert? ▼
1 of Walla Walla County's 12 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 Walla Walla County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.2% of households in Walla Walla 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.