PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Louisiana

Washington Parish, LA

Washington Parish'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.

8.4%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
28.2%
on SNAP
45K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 LA

The food-access picture

8.4% of Washington Parish residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
11.5%
households, no vehicle
24.3%
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 Parish's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.4% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 11 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,966 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,839 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 Parish compares nationally

Washington Parish lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.4% low-access share that beats 17% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,614).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Washington Parish: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Washington Parish, 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 Parish, LA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (72.7%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (27.3%) Adequate 73% Limited 0% Severe 27% Food-access tier distribution: Washington Parish, LA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Washington Parish vs. other Louisiana counties

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

% 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 Parish
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)47,168
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population3,966
Low-Access Share8.4%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,839

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Washington Parish
IndicatorValue
Population45,120
Median Household Income$45,380
Poverty Rate24.3%well above the national average
SNAP Households4,989
SNAP Participation Rate28.2%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle11.5%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.9%
SNAP participation in Washington Parish 28.2%

About 28.2% of Washington Parish households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 8.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 28.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,989 households here.
  • 11.5% 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 Parish

near the national share

3 of Washington Parish's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 27.3% of all its tracts.

An estimated 3,966 residents, roughly 8.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,839 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (72.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Washington Parish

Washington Parish has 64 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 25 locations (39% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 25

  • cvs pharmacy inc 5277, bogalusa
  • cvs/ pharmacy inc 5451, franklinton
  • dollar general 1283, franklinton
  • dollar general 13703, bogalusa
  • dollar general 14758, angie
  • dollar general 18192, franklinton
  • dollar general 18724, franklinton
  • dollar general 6110, franklinton
  • dollar general 6447, angie
  • dollar general 6607, bogalusa
  • dollar general 742, bogalusa
  • dollar general 12291, franklinton
  • dollar general 12976, mount hermon
  • dollar general 15137, franklinton
  • dollar general 17705, franklinton
  • dollar general 22504, franklinton
  • dollar general 23273, franklinton
  • dollar general 30607, bogalusa
  • dollar tree 5280, bogalusa
  • dollar tree 6211, franklinton
  • family dollar 11221, bogalusa
  • family dollar 12728, franklinton
  • family dollar 13535, angie
  • family dollar store 688, franklinton
  • juneau waskom cajun meats llc, franklinton

Convenience Store · 23

  • andy's quick stop, bogalusa
  • brooks general store, mount hermon
  • big's place, franklinton
  • bogalusa discount, bogalusa
  • bogalusa store, bogalusa
  • buddy's seafood foodmart 2, bogalusa
  • circle c market, bogalusa
  • greenlaw store llc, franklinton
  • hwy 10 chevron 230, bogalusa
  • jr food mart 87, bogalusa
  • kent kwik 985, bogalusa
  • kent kwik 986, bogalusa
  • kent kwik 987, angie
  • kent kwik 988, bogalusa
  • market max franklinton, franklinton
  • marshall richardson chevron 200, bogalusa
  • pine cash, franklinton
  • pauls hackley hill, franklinton
  • rk bridge store, franklinton
  • sam's corner store, bogalusa
  • sunset chevron 210, bogalusa
  • valero, franklinton
  • varnado chevron 220, angie

Supermarket · 7

  • country super store to go, bogalusa
  • food depot 5531, bogalusa
  • lumberjacks food outlet, bogalusa
  • main street grocery, bogalusa
  • piggly wiggly 1, angie
  • travis grocery to go, bogalusa
  • winn-dixie 1501, franklinton

Seafood Specialty · 4

  • b&t seafood, franklinton
  • fair city seafood & produce, franklinton
  • r&b farms & produce, bogalusa
  • schillings farm and market, mount hermon

Large Grocery Store · 3

  • big box salvage superstore, bogalusa
  • sav a lot, franklinton
  • the outpost market, franklinton

Super Store · 2

  • jack brown's food store, franklinton
  • walmart supercenter 803, bogalusa

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Louisiana

Acadia Parish
6.6% low-access · 24.4% SNAP
Allen Parish
28.1% low-access · 26.5% SNAP
Ascension Parish
42.3% low-access · 12.2% SNAP
Assumption Parish
0.9% low-access · 19.9% SNAP
Avoyelles Parish
20.5% low-access · 27.9% SNAP
Beauregard Parish
55.8% low-access · 17.5% SNAP

Compare Washington Parish vs Acadia Parish → · All Louisiana counties →

Food access nationally, Louisiana in context

Washington Parish sits inside Louisiana (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 Parish has low food access? ▼
8.4% of residents in Washington Parish, LA 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 Parish? ▼
28.2% of households in Washington Parish receive SNAP, covering 4,989 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Washington Parish? ▼
The poverty rate in Washington Parish, LA is 24.3%, with a median household income of $45,380 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Washington Parish a food desert? ▼
3 of Washington Parish's 11 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 Parish households lack a vehicle? ▼
11.5% of households in Washington Parish 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.