Signature · 10.9% SNAP (18th pct in WA)
Whitman County, WA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Whitman 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).
- 28.5%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 10.9%
- on SNAP
- 47K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Whitman County, WA
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 28.5% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +6.4 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 10.9% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 20% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Skagit County ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Whitman County ranks #1,050 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #12 of 38 counties in WA (28.5% low-access; 2 food-desert tracts).
- #1,050
- national by low-access %
- #12
- in WA
- 8
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 10.9% SNAP (18th pct in WA) (-1.2 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Whitman County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Whitman County's 28.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 66% of them and ranked #1,050 most-affected nationwide.
Whitman County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
10 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Whitman County has 7 urban and 3 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Whitman County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Washington, not a full county-board reprint
- Douglas
Douglas 55.5%
55.5 % low-access
- Whitman
Whitman 28.5%
28.5 % low-access
- Skagit
Skagit 28.4%
28.4 % low-access
- Whatcom
Whatcom 27.7%
27.7 % low-access
- Grant
Grant 25.8%
25.8 % low-access
- Pend Oreille
Pend Oreille 25.8%
25.8 % low-access
- San Juan 0
San Juan 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 44,776 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 8 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 12,768 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.5%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,623 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 47,003 |
| Median Household Income | $55,406 |
| Poverty Rate | 22.7%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,044 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.3%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 13.0% |
SNAP retailers in Whitman County
Whitman County has 21 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 7 locations (33% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 7
- colfax corner chevron, colfax
- cougars midway mart, pullman
- cougs corner mart, pullman
- s & s petroleum 62160, pullman
- southside market, pullman
- tekoa market, tekoa
- the market, pullman
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar tree 2724, pullman
- rosauers supermarket 170, colfax
- rosauers supermarkets 143, pullman
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- crossett's food market, oakesdale
- palouse family foods, palouse
- st john empire foods, saint john
Small Grocery Store · 3
- carter foods, lacrosse
- endicott food center, endicott
- rosalia market, rosalia
Super Store · 2
- grocery outlet of pullman 461, pullman
- walmart 1870, pullman
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's pizza wa-126, pullman
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- garfield meats llc, garfield
Supermarket · 1
- safeway 2639, pullman
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Washington
One of 38 counties in Washington, 6 are shown here.
Compare Whitman County vs Adams County → · All Washington counties →
Nationwide peers for Whitman County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Whitman County (10.9%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Washington.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside WA (28.5% here).
- Jefferson County, WV · 28.5% low-access
- Jefferson County, WV · 28.5% low-access
- Ashland County, WI · 28.5% low-access
- Ashland County, WI · 28.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside WA (10.9% here).
- Harrisonburg city, VA · 10.9% SNAP
- Harrisonburg city, VA · 10.9% SNAP
- Crawford County, WI · 10.9% SNAP
- Crawford County, WI · 10.9% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, Washington in context
Whitman County sits inside Washington (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Whitman County, WA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 53075. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.