GeraMarket / US Food Access / Mason County
Mason County, Washington β Food Access Score
Is Mason County, Washington a food desert?
In 2019, 13.2% of Mason County, Washington residents live beyond 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, with 6.0% both low-income and low-access, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (US public domain). The Gera Food Access Score for Mason County is 87.7/100 (Excellent), ranking 936 of 3140 US counties.
GFAS component breakdown
13.2%
Low-access population
Weight: 60% Β· beyond 1mi/10mi
National: 22.2%
6.0%
Low-income + low-access
Weight: 40% Β· compound hardship
4
LILA census tracts
of 14 total tracts
Mason County food access data (2019)
| Metric | Mason County (2019) | National comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Gera Food Access Score (GFAS) | 87.7/100 | National mean: 78.6/100 |
| Low-access population % | 13.2% | National: 22.2% |
| Low-income + low-access % | 6.0% | β |
| Low-income, low-access (LILA) tracts | 4 | β |
| Census tracts in county | 14 | β |
| Total population (2010 Census) | 60,699 | β |
| National rank (GFAS) | 936 of 3140 | β |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Mason County, Washington a food desert?
- Using the USDA definition, Mason County has 4 LILA (Low-Income, Low-Access) census tracts β tracts where residents are both low-income AND beyond 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Overall, 13.2% of the county population lives beyond those distances. Gera Food Access Score: 87.7/100 (Excellent).
- What percentage of Mason County residents are beyond a supermarket?
- In 2019, 13.2% of Mason County's population of 60,699 lives beyond 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, based on USDA Food Access Research Atlas census tract data. The national average is 22.2%.
- What is the Gera Food Access Score (GFAS) for Mason County?
- Mason County's GFAS is 87.7/100 (Excellent), ranking 936 of 3140 US counties (rank 1 = best food access). The score combines low-access population share (60% weight) and low-income/low-access share (40% weight), each derived from USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 data, then normalised and inverted. Full methodology at https://geramarket.com/methodology/gera-food-access-score.
- How does Mason County compare to other counties in Washington?
- Other counties in Washington by GFAS: San Juan County (100/100), Skamania County (96.5/100), Pacific County (89.9/100), Garfield County (89.5/100), Island County (89.4/100), Klickitat County (89.3/100). Mason County ranks 936 of 3140 nationally.
- What is the USDA Food Access Research Atlas?
- The USDA Food Access Research Atlas is published by the USDA Economic Research Service. It measures access to supermarkets at the census tract level across 72,531 tracts covering all US counties. The atlas identifies areas where access to healthy, affordable food is limited by distance β particularly for low-income residents without vehicles. The data is a US Government Work (public domain) and is freely available at https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/download-the-data/.
Contains public sector information published by USDA Economic Research Service and licensed under the US Government Work (Public Domain). Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) (2019, published April 2021).