PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Vermont

Washington County, VT

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.

17.7%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
10.1%
on SNAP
60K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VT

The food-access picture

17.7% of Washington County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
6.0%
households, no vehicle
8.7%
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 17.7% per the USDA Atlas. 7 of the county's 19 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 10,524 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,531 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 17.7% low-access share that beats 40% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,895).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Washington County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 19 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, VT USDA-defined food-access tiers: 12 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 19 tracts evaluated. 12 tracts adequate (63.2%) 4 tracts limited (21.1%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (15.8%) Adequate 63% Limited 21% Severe 16% Food-access tier distribution: Washington County, VT
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Washington County vs. other Vermont counties

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

% 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 Tracts19
Atlas Population (2010 basis)59,534
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population10,524
Low-Access Share17.7%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,531

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Washington County
IndicatorValue
Population60,017
Median Household Income$83,449
Poverty Rate8.7%below the national average
SNAP Households2,600
SNAP Participation Rate10.1%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.0%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.6%
SNAP participation in Washington County 10.1%

About 10.1% of Washington County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 17.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,600 households here.
  • 6.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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

3 of Washington County's 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 15.8% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 10,524 residents, roughly 17.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,531 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 12 tracts (63.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Washington County

Washington County has 61 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 28 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 28

  • beverage baron inc, barre
  • champlain farms 270, northfield
  • champlain farms 90, barre
  • cumberland farms 8002, northfield
  • cumberland farms 8024, montpelier
  • cumberland farms 8025, barre
  • cumberland farms 8027, barre
  • cabot village store, cabot
  • champlain farms 100, barre
  • champlain farms 350, waitsfield
  • champlain farms 360, waterbury
  • convenience plus & redemption, northfield
  • east warren community market, warren
  • fastop 370, waterbury
  • gg store inc, graniteville
  • jiffy mart 433, barre
  • jiffy mart 450, east barre
  • jiffy mart 465, montpelier
  • jiffy mart 685, warren
  • jolley 508, moretown
  • jolley 537, barre
  • jolley 580, montpelier
  • lbj's grocery, worcester
  • maple corner community store, calais
  • meadow mart, montpelier
  • north end deli mart 114, barre
  • spencers discount tobacco, barre
  • tims convenience center 53, plainfield

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • cvs pharmacy 10127, barre
  • dollar general 14217, barre
  • dollar general 11046, barre
  • dollar general 13165, northfield
  • dollar general 30486, montpelier
  • dollar general 30489, barre
  • dollar tree 2176, barre
  • dollartree 8890, northfield
  • kinney drugs 101, waterbury
  • kinney drugs 11, barre
  • quality market, barre
  • walgreens 17518, barre

Supermarket · 7

  • market 32 by price chopper 123, barre
  • shaw's supermarket 121, montpelier
  • shaw's supermarket 326, waitsfield
  • shaw's supermarket 616, berlin
  • shaw's supermarket 649, waterbury
  • tops markets 741, northfield
  • village market of waterbury 10825, waterbury

Farmers' Market · 4

  • barre farmer's market, barre
  • capital city farmers market, montpelier
  • northfield farmers market, inc, northfield
  • waitsfield farmers market, waitsfield

Super Store · 4

  • hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8129, barre
  • hunger mountain coop inc., montpelier
  • mehuron's supermarket, waitsfield
  • walmart supercenter 2682, berlin

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • ar market, barre
  • the woodstock farmers's market, waterbury center
  • winooski valley cooperative, plainfield

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • granite city market, barre
  • marshfield village store, marshfield
  • the roots farm market, montpelier

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Vermont

Addison County
6.2% low-access · 8.7% SNAP
Bennington County
8.2% low-access · 15.4% SNAP
Caledonia County
5.8% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Chittenden County
13.9% low-access · 7.8% SNAP
Essex County
28.2% low-access · 18.8% SNAP
Franklin County
9.2% low-access · 12.3% SNAP

Compare Washington County vs Addison County → · All Vermont counties →

Food access nationally, Vermont in context

Washington County sits inside Vermont (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? ▼
17.7% of residents in Washington County, VT 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? ▼
10.1% of households in Washington County receive SNAP, covering 2,600 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Washington County? ▼
The poverty rate in Washington County, VT is 8.7%, with a median household income of $83,449 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Washington County a food desert? ▼
3 of Washington County's 19 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? ▼
6.0% 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.