County food-access profile · Arkansas
Washington County, AR
Washington 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.
- 14.0%
- low-access pop.
- 6
- food-desert tracts
- 5.6%
- on SNAP
- 257K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
14.0% of Washington County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 32 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 12
- low-access tracts
- 11K
- food-desert residents
- 4.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.6%
- 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).
Washington County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 14.0% per the USDA Atlas. 12 of the county's 32 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 28,344 residents who live far from a supermarket. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 10,768 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 Washington County compares nationally
Washington County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.0% low-access share that beats 30% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,204).
Washington County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 32 census tracts in Washington County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Washington County vs. other Arkansas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Arkansas
- Washington 14
Washington County, AR
14 % low-access
- Arkansas
Arkansas County, AR
47 % low-access
- Ashley
Ashley County, AR
21.8 % low-access
- Baxter 16.4
Baxter County, AR
16.4 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, AR
24.9 % low-access
- Boone
Boone County, AR
20.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 32 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 203,065 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 12 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 6 |
| Low-Access Population | 28,344 |
| Low-Access Share | 14.0%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 10,768 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 256,765 |
| Median Household Income | $70,639 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.6%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,413 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.6%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.1%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.4% |
About 5.6% of Washington County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 14.0% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 5.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,413 households here.
- 4.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 6 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 Washington County
near the national share
6 of Washington County's 32 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 18.8% of all its tracts.
A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 12.
An estimated 28,344 residents, roughly 14.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 10,768 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 20 tracts (62.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Washington County
Washington County has 156 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 56 locations (36% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 56
- al's fast trax, fayetteville
- braich arrow express, springdale
- casey's 3318, farmington
- casey's 3323, fayetteville
- casey's 3984, prairie grove
- casey's general store 3911, fayetteville
- casey's general store 3933, springdale
- captains food mart 20, fayetteville
- casey's 3414, springdale
- casey's 3895, springdale
- casey's 3976, springdale
- casey's general store 2991, springdale
- casey's general store 3093, elkins
- casey's general store 3237, springdale
- casey's general store 3243, tontitown
- chia mexican store, fayetteville
- circle k 354, springdale
- e-z mart 4228, fayetteville
- e-z mart 4304, springdale
- e-z mart 4305, fayetteville
- e-z mart 4312, fayetteville
- e-z mart 4318, west fork
- e-z mart 4319, fayetteville
- flowers bakery outlet 355, springdale
- gas express llc ck 352, fayetteville
- gas express llc d/b/a circle k 350, fayetteville
- gas express llc d/b/a circle k 351, springdale
- hometown country inc, springdale
- johnson market, fayetteville
- live oak c-store llc/white oak station 12, fayetteville
- maverik 5043, springdale
- maverik 5044, springdale
- maverik 5144, springdale
- maverik 5158, springdale
- maverik 5212, fayetteville
- maverik 5229, fayetteville
- maverik 5230, springdale
- maverik 5255, springdale
- maverik 5276, farmington
- maverik 5382, fayetteville
- maverik 5404, fayetteville
- mikeys one stop, winslow
- murphy express 8513, springdale
- murphy express 8559, fayetteville
- murphy usa 6541, fayetteville
- murphy usa 7123, fayetteville
- pilot travel center 145, springdale
- rayden express llc, fayetteville
- sj mini mart, fayetteville
- speedway llc, springdale
- springdale family shop 8, springdale
- tsk businesses, fayetteville
- villa market llc, fayetteville
- walmart on campus 2997, fayetteville
- white oak moark 37, fayetteville
- white oak station 27, springdale
Combination Grocery/Other · 44
- asian amigo supermarket 1, springdale
- braum's 232, fayetteville
- braum's 233, springdale
- braum's 235, fayetteville
- braum's 239, springdale
- cvs 10409, fayetteville
- cvs 10519, springdale
- dollar general 0658, fayetteville
- dollar general 18973, winslow
- dollar general 19565, fayetteville
- dollar general 3553, farmington
- dollar general 7456, west fork
- dollar general 8198, springdale
- dollar general 9578, fayetteville
- dollar tree 1830, springdale
- dollartree 8706, springdale
- dollar general 12318, lincoln
- dollar general 12570, tontitown
- dollar general 13293, springdale
- dollar general 13557, springdale
- dollar general 13686, fayetteville
- dollar general 20446, springdale
- dollar general 22237, springdale
- dollar general 23858, fayetteville
- dollar general 30287, fayetteville
- dollar general 9891, fayetteville
- dollar general store 16552, prairie grove
- dollar tree 2392, fayetteville
- dollar tree 3424, fayetteville
- dollar tree 5941, fayetteville
- dollar tree 6315, farmington
- dollar tree 9202, springdale
- family dollar 1082, springdale
- family dollar 13146, lincoln
- family dollar store 7888, springdale
- timeless african market, fayetteville
- walgreens 07718, fayetteville
- walgreens 11988, fayetteville
- walgreens 12670, springdale
- walgreens 5041, springdale
- walgreens 5475, fayetteville
- walgreens 07847, fayetteville
- walgreens 13118, fayetteville
- walgreens 13811, springdale
Super Store · 29
- 10 box cost-plus 108, springdale
- el ranchito supermarket, springdale
- harps food store 115, elkins
- harps food store 119, springdale
- harps food store 123, springdale
- harps food store 124, fayetteville
- harps food store 125, prairie grove
- harps food store 126, west fork
- harps food store 170, springdale
- harps food store 176, fayetteville
- harps food store 179, lincoln
- harps food store 186, springdale
- harps food store 355, fayetteville
- harps marketplace 177, fayetteville
- sam's club 4808, springdale
- sam's club 8209, fayetteville
- target store t 1470, fayetteville
- walmart 144, fayetteville
- walmart 54, springdale
- walmart neighborhood market 2742, springdale
- walmart neighborhood market 2745, fayetteville
- walmart neighborhood market 4375, springdale
- walmart neighborhood market 4516, fayetteville
- walmart neighborhood market 5737, fayetteville
- walmart neighborhood market 5738, springdale
- walmart neighborhood market 7242, farmington
- walmart supercenter 359, fayetteville
- walmart supercenter 4108, springdale
- whole foods market 10596, fayetteville
Medium Grocery Store · 8
- asi market 1304340, springdale
- carniceria y super mercado el torito, springdale
- del rey produce, springdale
- la michoacana de robinson, springdale
- la original los quatro, springdale
- supermercado la estrella, springdale
- supermercado la estrella 3, springdale
- tangs asian market, springdale
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 46076, fayetteville
- aldi 46079, springdale
- aldi 46106, springdale
- mi tienda supermarket, springdale
- richard's country meat market, fayetteville
- vitamin cottage natural food markets inc u095, fayetteville
Farmers' Market · 4
- farmington farmers market, farmington
- fayetteville farmers market, fayetteville
- springdale farmer's market, springdale
- the goshen farmers market, elkins
Large Grocery Store · 3
- mi tienda express tienda 2, springdale
- super mercado la mi choacana, springdale
- supermercado mi hacienda, springdale
Small Grocery Store · 3
- asian grocery store, fayetteville
- international grocery, fayetteville
- ven mart, springdale
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's pizza ar009, fayetteville
Food Buying Co-op · 1
- ozark natural foods, fayetteville
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- m&p investment holdings llc dba dimes meat market, springdale
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Arkansas
Compare Washington County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →
Food access nationally, Arkansas in context
Washington County sits inside Arkansas (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Washington County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Washington County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Washington County? ▼
Is Washington County a food desert? ▼
What share of Washington County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.