PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Oregon

Wasco County, OR

Wasco County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

40.0%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
21.8%
on SNAP
27K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OR

The food-access picture

40.0% of Wasco County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
6.0%
households, no vehicle
11.6%
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).

Wasco County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 40.0% is well above the national share. 3 of the county's 8 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 10,074 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,062 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 Wasco County compares nationally

Wasco County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 40.0% low-access share outpaces 87% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #398 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Wasco County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Wasco 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 Wasco County, OR USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (62.5%) 2 tracts limited (25.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (12.5%) Adequate 63% Limited 25% Severe 13% Food-access tier distribution: Wasco County, OR
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Wasco 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 Wasco County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)25,213
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population10,074
Low-Access Share40.0%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,062

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Wasco County
IndicatorValue
Population26,552
Median Household Income$64,175
Poverty Rate11.6%below the national average
SNAP Households2,299
SNAP Participation Rate21.8%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.0%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.8%
SNAP participation in Wasco County 21.8%

About 21.8% of Wasco County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 40.0% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 21.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,299 households here.
  • 6.0% 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 Wasco County

well above the national share

1 of Wasco County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.5% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 10,074 residents, roughly 40.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,062 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (62.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Wasco County

Wasco County has 30 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (57% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 17

  • astro express mart 264, the dalles
  • brenna's mosier market, mosier
  • center market 30, the dalles
  • center market 33, the dalles
  • discounts plus 4, the dalles
  • hatt's '76 fuel stop, the dalles
  • juanita's marketa 2, the dalles
  • jacks chevron, the dalles
  • jlm1 inc, the dalles
  • lone pine '76, the dalles
  • the outpost 5, the dalles
  • the way station, maupin
  • the way station at tygh valley, tygh valley
  • us market 850, the dalles
  • wamic market & supply, tygh valley
  • west 6th street, the dalles
  • west second street market, the dalles

Combination Grocery/Other · 3

  • bi-mart 645, the dalles
  • dollar tree 2098, the dalles
  • walgreens 09651, the dalles

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • farm stand in the dalles, the dalles
  • la michoacana store, the dalles
  • maupin market, maupin

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • franz bakery thrift 9023, the dalles
  • papa murphys or-011, the dalles

Farmers' Market · 2

  • the dalles farmers' market, the dalles
  • tscc farmers market ffab, tygh valley

Super Store · 2

  • fred meyer 372, the dalles
  • grocery outlet of the dalles 152, the dalles

Supermarket · 1

  • safeway 1489, the dalles

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 Wasco County vs Baker County → · All Oregon counties →

Food access nationally, Oregon in context

Wasco 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 Wasco County has low food access? ▼
40.0% of residents in Wasco 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 Wasco County? ▼
21.8% of households in Wasco County receive SNAP, covering 2,299 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Wasco County? ▼
The poverty rate in Wasco County, OR is 11.6%, with a median household income of $64,175 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Wasco County a food desert? ▼
1 of Wasco County's 8 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 Wasco County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.0% of households in Wasco 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.