PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Oklahoma

Washington County, OK

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).

33.5%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
15.5%
on SNAP
53K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OK

The food-access picture

33.5% of Washington County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

9
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
5.3%
households, no vehicle
16.1%
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 Washington County's low-access share at 33.5%, above the national share. 9 of the county's 13 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 17,075 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,456 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

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Washington County's 33.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 77% of them and ranked #708 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Washington County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 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).

Food access tier distribution for Washington County, OK USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 7 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (30.8%) 7 tracts limited (53.8%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (15.4%) Adequate 31% Limited 54% Severe 15% Food-access tier distribution: Washington County, OK
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Washington County vs. other Oklahoma counties

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

% 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 Washington County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)50,976
Low-Access Tracts9
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population17,075
Low-Access Share33.5%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,456

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Washington County
IndicatorValue
Population53,326
Median Household Income$60,162
Poverty Rate16.1%above the national average
SNAP Households3,254
SNAP Participation Rate15.5%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.3%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.2%
SNAP participation in Washington County 15.5%

About 15.5% of Washington County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 33.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,254 households here.
  • 5.3% 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 Washington County

above the national share

2 of Washington County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 15.4% of all its tracts.

A further 7 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.

An estimated 17,075 residents, roughly 33.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,456 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (30.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Washington County

Washington County has 48 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 18 locations (38% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 18

  • braum's 12, bartlesville
  • braum's 39, bartlesville
  • cvs pharmacy 10491, bartlesville
  • dollar general 14260, copan
  • dollar general 1986, bartlesville
  • dollar general 2631, dewey
  • dollar general 4546, bartlesville
  • dollar general 15263, ochelata
  • dollar general 21696, ramona
  • dollar general 24553, dewey
  • dollar general 25950, bartlesville
  • dollar general 6961, bartlesville
  • dollar tree 3252, bartlesville
  • dollar tree 8399, bartlesville
  • family dollar store 4884, bartlesville
  • price's old fashion meat market, bartlesville
  • walgreens 06618, bartlesville
  • walgreens 15751, bartlesville

Convenience Store · 17

  • asap general stores 308, bartlesville
  • asap general stores 311, bartlesville
  • casey's 3274, bartlesville
  • casey's 3426, dewey
  • casey's general store 3732, bartlesville
  • casey's general store 4201, bartlesville
  • for your convenience 001, bartlesville
  • kim's quick stop, dewey
  • murphy usa 6977, bartlesville
  • oncue express 40, bartlesville
  • osage general store, bartlesville
  • pete's 11, dewey
  • quiktrip 32, bartlesville
  • quiktrip 37, bartlesville
  • ramona mini mart, ramona
  • the alamo #2, bartlesville
  • the alamo #3, bartlesville

Supermarket · 5

  • aldi 46022, bartlesville
  • homeland 515, bartlesville
  • homeland 563, bartlesville
  • homeland 467, bartlesville
  • united supermarkets 381, bartlesville

Farmers' Market · 3

  • bartlesville area farmers market, bartlesville
  • oklahoma heritage farm store, romona
  • the farm-acy barn to table market, ramona

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3

  • american heritage beef company llc, bartlesville
  • peck's custom butchering, llc., dewey
  • rainey's custom butchering inc., ramona

Super Store · 2

  • harps food store 496, dewey
  • walmart supercenter 41, bartlesville

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Oklahoma

Adair County
9.7% low-access · 25.3% SNAP
Alfalfa County
58.5% low-access · 9.4% SNAP
Atoka County
34.7% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Beaver County
38.2% low-access · 4.2% SNAP
Beckham County
26.5% low-access · 18.6% SNAP
Blaine County
61.4% low-access · 14.3% SNAP

Compare Washington County vs Adair County → · All Oklahoma counties →

Food access nationally, Oklahoma in context

Washington County sits inside Oklahoma (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 Washington County has low food access? ▼
33.5% of residents in Washington County, OK 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 Washington County? ▼
15.5% of households in Washington County receive SNAP, covering 3,254 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Washington County? ▼
The poverty rate in Washington County, OK is 16.1%, with a median household income of $60,162 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Washington County a food desert? ▼
2 of Washington County's 13 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 Washington County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.3% of households in Washington 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.