Signature · 4.7% SNAP (20th pct in NE)
Washington County, NE
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Washington 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).
- 20.4%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 4.7%
- on SNAP
- 21K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Washington County, NE
LA-ELEVATED · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 20.4% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -1.7 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 4.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 20% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Sherman County ( -0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Washington County ranks #1,657 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #61 of 93 counties in NE (20.4% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,657
- national by low-access %
- #61
- in NE
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 4.7% SNAP (20th pct in NE) (-7.4 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Washington County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Washington County's 20.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 47% of them and ranked #1,657 most-affected nationwide.
Washington County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Washington County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (3 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Washington County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Nebraska, not a full county-board reprint
- Thomas
Thomas 100%
100 % low-access
- Cheyenne 21.5
Cheyenne 21.5%
21.5 % low-access
- Washington 20.4
Washington 20.4%
20.4 % low-access
- Sherman 20.2
Sherman 20.2%
20.2 % low-access
- Howard 20.1
Howard 20.1%
20.1 % low-access
- York 19.7
York 19.7%
19.7 % low-access
- Burt 0.7
Burt 0.7%
0.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 20,234 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,122 |
| Low-Access Share | 20.4%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,006 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 21,106 |
| Median Household Income | $94,396 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.4%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 395 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.7%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.0%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.9% |
SNAP retailers in Washington County
Washington County has 10 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 4 locations (40% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
3 towns share the 10 authorized stores; Blair holds 80% of them. 2 of the 3 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Arlington, Fort Calhoun.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Blair | 8 | 2 |
| Arlington | 1 | none |
| Fort Calhoun | 1 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollartree 9924, blair
- dollar general 2864, blair
- dollar general 31432, fort calhoun
- walgreens 11957, blair
Convenience Store · 3
- casey's 1812, blair
- casey's 3344, blair
- casey's general store 2238, arlington
Super Store · 2
- family fare 792, blair
- walmart 4568, blair
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- the blair meat market, blair
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Nebraska
One of 92 counties in Nebraska, 6 are shown here.
Compare Washington County vs Adams County → · All Nebraska counties →
Nationwide peers for Washington County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Washington County (4.7%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Nebraska.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NE (20.4% here).
- Howell County, MO · 20.4% low-access
- Hunterdon County, NJ · 20.4% low-access
- Leake County, MS · 20.4% low-access
- Lawrence County, MS · 20.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NE (4.7% here).
- Leelanau County, MI · 4.7% SNAP
- Blanco County, TX · 4.7% SNAP
- Ralls County, MO · 4.8% SNAP
- Livingston County, MI · 4.8% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Nebraska among West North Central states
Nebraska ranks 6th of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (21.9%). Washington County, at 20.4%, runs 1.5 pts below the Nebraska rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Washington County, NE are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 31177. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.