About PlainFoodAccess

PlainFoodAccess makes U.S. food access data easy to explore. We present county-level food desert data from the USDA Economic Research Service, combined with demographic data from the Census Bureau.

What is a Food Desert?

A food desert is an area where residents have limited access to affordable, nutritious food. The USDA uses two key distance thresholds:

• Urban areas: More than 1 mile from a supermarket
• Rural areas: More than 10 miles from a supermarket

What Data Do We Show?

• Food access metrics: Census tract-level data on food access, aggregated to county level
• SNAP participation: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) data
• Transportation barriers: Percentage of households without a vehicle
• Demographics: Population, median income, poverty rate from the Census Bureau

Data Sources

• USDA ERS Food Access Research Atlas — Primary food access data
• U.S. Census Bureau ACS — Demographics and socioeconomic data
• USDA FNS SNAP Data — Nutrition assistance program statistics

Our Network

PlainFoodAccess is part of a family of plain-language government data portals:

• PlainRent — HUD Fair Market Rents
• PlainCharity — IRS Nonprofit Data
• PlainChildcare — Childcare Costs
• PlainCost — Cost of Living
• PlainLabor — Labor Market Data

Disclaimer

This site is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Census Bureau, or any government agency. Data is presented as-is from public government sources. See our Terms of Service for details.