County food-access profile · Oregon

Wheeler County, OR

Wheeler County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

Compiled by Plainfoodaccess, Food Access Editorial Process · June 23, 2026

100.0%
low-access pop.: 1
food-desert tracts: 11.1%
on SNAP: 1K
residents (ACS 2024)

USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OR

The food-access picture

100.0% of Wheeler County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 1 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts: 736
food-desert residents: 3.4%
households, no vehicle: 10.8%
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).

Wheeler County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 100.0% is well above the national share. 1 of the county's 1 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 1,441 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 736 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 Wheeler County compares nationally

Wheeler County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 100.0% low-access share outpaces 98% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #49 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Wheeler County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 1 census tracts in Wheeler County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Wheeler

100
Baker

37.9
Benton

27.9
Clackamas

17.3
Clatsop

12.4
Columbia

6.1

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Wheeler County
Indicator	Value
Census Tracts	1
Atlas Population (2010 basis)	1,441
Low-Access Tracts	1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)	1
Low-Access Population	1,441
Low-Access Share	100.0%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population	736

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Wheeler County
Indicator	Value
Population	1,485
Median Household Income	$55,284
Poverty Rate	10.8%below the national average
SNAP Households	78
SNAP Participation Rate	11.1%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle	3.4%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population	1.5%

SNAP participation in Wheeler County 11.1%

About 11.1% of Wheeler County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

100.0% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
11.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 78 households here.
3.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
1 tract 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 Wheeler County

well above the national share

1 of Wheeler County's 1 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 100.0% of all its tracts.

An estimated 1,441 residents, roughly 100.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 736 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

SNAP retailers in Wheeler County

Wheeler County has 3 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 1 locations (33% of the total), followed by medium grocery store.

Convenience Store · 1

lone elk marketplace, spray

Medium Grocery Store · 1

fossil mercantile company, fossil

Small Grocery Store · 1

wheeler county trading company, mitchell

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Oregon

Baker County

37.9% low-access · 16.7% SNAP

Benton County

27.9% low-access · 13.3% SNAP

Clackamas County

17.3% low-access · 10.1% SNAP

Clatsop County

12.4% low-access · 15.3% SNAP

Columbia County

6.1% low-access · 15.6% SNAP

Coos County

10.6% low-access · 23.4% SNAP

Compare Wheeler County vs Baker County → · All Oregon counties →

Food access nationally, Oregon in context

Wheeler County sits inside Oregon (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 Wheeler County has low food access? ▼

100.0% of residents in Wheeler County, OR 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 Wheeler County? ▼

11.1% of households in Wheeler County receive SNAP, covering 78 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).

What is the poverty rate in Wheeler County? ▼

The poverty rate in Wheeler County, OR is 10.8%, with a median household income of $55,284 (Census ACS 2024).

Is Wheeler County a food desert? ▼

1 of Wheeler County's 1 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 Wheeler County households lack a vehicle? ▼

3.4% of households in Wheeler 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 2026-06-23 (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.