County food-access profile · Rhode Island
Washington County, RI
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).
- 31.2%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 5.7%
- on SNAP
- 130K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
31.2% of Washington County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 28 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 16
- low-access tracts
- 10K
- food-desert residents
- 4.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.2%
- 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 31.2%, above the national share. 16 of the county's 28 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 39,671 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,645 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 31.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 72% of them and ranked #866 most-affected nationwide.
Washington County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 28 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 Rhode Island counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Rhode Island
- Washington
Washington County, RI
31.2 % low-access
- Bristol
Bristol County, RI
56 % low-access
- Kent
Kent County, RI
32.2 % low-access
- Newport
Newport County, RI
33.5 % low-access
- Providence 15.9
Providence County, RI
15.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 28 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 126,979 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 16 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 39,671 |
| Low-Access Share | 31.2%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 9,645 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 130,344 |
| Median Household Income | $106,638 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.2%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,987 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.7%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.6% |
About 5.7% of Washington County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 31.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 5.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,987 households here.
- 4.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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
4 of Washington County's 28 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.
A further 12 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 16.
An estimated 39,671 residents, roughly 31.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 9,645 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 12 tracts (42.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Washington County
Washington County has 72 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 27 locations (38% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 27
- charlestown mini super,inc, charlestown
- cvs pharmacy 2065, wakefield
- cvs pharmacy 595, north kingstown
- cvs pharmacy 868, kingston
- cvs pharmacy 971, westerly
- cvs pharmacy 1544, westerly
- cvs pharmacy 409, narragansett
- cvs pharmacy 8320, wyoming
- cvs pharmacy cvs04544, north kingstown
- cvs/pharmacy 10299, charlestown
- dollar general 20236, wakefield
- dollar general 21040, richmond
- dollar tree 1724, north kingstown
- dollar tree 3899, narragansett
- dollar tree 5961, westerly
- dollar tree 9594, north kingstown
- family dollar 2289, westerly
- mobil, westerly
- ocean catch llc 1, wakefield
- ocean state job lot 116, wyoming
- ocean state job lot 119, westerly
- ocean state job lot 123, north kingstown
- ocean state job lot 127, wakefield
- tase rite co inc, wakefield
- walgreens 19189, narragansett
- walgreens 19394, narragansett
- walgreens 19680, n kingstown
Convenience Store · 26
- 7-eleven #32509b, westerly
- 7-eleven 33099b, north kingstown
- alltown south kingston 2740, wakefield
- bestway food mart, bradford
- cumberland farms 1130, westerly
- cumberland farms 1215, narragansett
- colbea enterprises llc 15, charlestown
- colbea enterprises, llc. 43, narragansett
- cumberland farms 1254, wyoming
- cumberland farms 1262, charlestown
- cumberland farms 1293, narragansett
- cumberland farms 1295, westerly
- dania foodmart llc, north kingstown
- exeter variety store, exeter
- go gas, north kingstown
- islander's stop, exeter
- pete's grocery, bradford
- reales grocery, westerly
- ravi food mart, wakefield
- seasons corner market 30, north kingstown
- seasons corner market 46, narragansett
- speedway 2823, saunderstown
- spicer marketplace, ashaway
- stop n go, westerly
- tower hill convenience, north kingstown
- west kingston xtra mart 10059, west kingston
Supermarket · 9
- aldi 73042 73042, westerly
- dunns corners market, westerly
- roch's fresh food narragansett, narragansett
- shaw's supermarket 2438, wakefield
- stop & shop 716, n kingstown
- stop & shop 718, narragansett
- stop & shop 729, richmond
- stop & shop 736, westerly
- stop & shop 737, n kingstown
Super Store · 6
- belmont market, wakefield
- dave's marketplace 3, north kingstown
- daves marketplace of wickford 5, north kingstown
- mcquades marketplace, westerly
- walmart 2261, n kingstown
- walmart supercenter 1964, westerly
Farmers' Market · 1
- south kingstown farmers market, kingston
Large Grocery Store · 1
- westerly packing company inc, westerly
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- ma & pa's country store, hope valley
Small Grocery Store · 1
- rippys liquor & marketplace, charlestown
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Rhode Island
Compare Washington County vs Bristol County → · All Rhode Island counties →
Food access nationally, Rhode Island in context
Washington County sits inside Rhode Island (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.