Identifying Food Deserts & Food Imbalance Areas in Sacramento County

1. Identifying Food Deserts & Food Imbalance Areas in Sacramento County Tim Kohaya & Tim Tadlock Sacramento County Planning and Community Development Department

2. Definitions • Food Deserts – Areas that lack access to healthy and affordable foods. • Food Imbalance Areas – Areas where grocery stores are significantly farther than fast food restaurants.

3. Consequences • Communities will likely have increased premature death and chronic health problems. • Increase rate of obesity • Diabetes • Positive consequences when there is better access to supermarkets. • Improvement in diet among low income households

4. Purpose of this Study – To Help Improve Community Health • Inform the County’s citizens and organizations. • Assist in the Commercial Corridor planning effort. • Assist in a possible County incentive program.

5. Step 1: Analyzing Sources of Healthy and Less Healthy Foods

6. Sources of Healthy Food - Supermarkets Citrus Heights City of Sacramento Rancho Cordova Elk Grove

7. Sources of Less Healthy Food – Fast Food Restaurants Citrus Heights City of Sacramento Rancho Cordova Elk Grove

8. Step 2: Measure Distances and Compile Data

9. Potential Food Desert and Food Imbalance Areas • Potential food desert areas – supermarket farther than walking distance (0.6 mile). • Potential food imbalance areas – supermarket twice as far as fast food. • Focus on urbanized portion of the unincorporated Sacramento County.

10. Potential Food Desert Areas Citrus Heights City of Sacramento Rancho Cordova Potential Food Desert Areas Elk Grove

11. Potential Food Imbalance Areas Citrus Heights City of Sacramento Rancho Cordova Potential Food Imbalance Areas Elk Grove

12. Step 3: Identifying Actual Food Deserts and Food Imbalance Areas

13. Income – Major Factor in Identifying Food Deserts/Food Imbalance Areas • Lack of access to a car – big problem. • Direct correlation between lack of car ownership and poverty level. • High poverty areas – block groups that have at least 20% poverty rate.

14. High Poverty Intersecting with Potential Food Desert Areas Citrus Heights City of Sacramento Rancho Cordova High Poverty Areas Potential Food Desert Areas Elk Grove

15. Equal Food Deserts Citrus Heights City of Sacramento Rancho Cordova Food Desert Areas Elk Grove

16. High Poverty Intersecting with Potential Food Imbalance Areas Citrus Heights City of Sacramento Rancho Cordova High Poverty Areas Potential Food Imbalance Areas Elk Grove

17. Equal Food Imbalance Areas Citrus Heights City of Sacramento Rancho Cordova Food Imbalance Areas Elk Grove

18. A Closer Look

19. Arden Arcade Food Desert Only Food Desert & Food Imbalance Supermarket Fast Food

20. North Highlands Food Desert Only Food Desert & Food Imbalance Supermarket Fast Food

21. South Sacramento Food Desert Only Food Desert & Food Imbalance Supermarket Fast Food

22. Conclusions of Study • Lack of Healthy Food Accessibility = geography + low-income (poverty). • There are large food desert areas in the Arden-Arcade, North Highlands and South Sacramento communities. • There are large food imbalance areas in North Highlands. Most of these food imbalance areas are also food deserts.

23. Next Steps

24. Immediate Next Steps • Give this presentation to other interested groups. • Study could be used by our Community Planning Team. • Commercial Corridors

25. Available Information

26. Information That Will Be Provided Upon Request • Maps and charts used in the study • ArcGISshapefiles • Excel Spreadsheets

27. Contact Information • Tim Kohaya’s email: kohayat@saccounty.net • Phone number: 874-5952