Only 52 Percent of Bay Area "Disadvantaged Communities" Near a Supermarket

Studies routinely have linked limited access to fresh produce and inexpensive groceries to poor health in low-income and minority neighborhoods, including higher rates of diabetes, obesity and heart disease. Only 52 percent of residents of "disadvantaged communities" in the Bay Area are within walking distance of a supermarket, according to a 2002 study by the Transportation and Land Use Coalition, a partnership of regional advocacy groups.

Many stores have avoided such areas for two main reasons, said Bob Reynolds, president of Moraga retail consulting firm Reynolds Economics. There's a perception of higher operating costs related to security and theft, and lower-income customers tend to spend less per trip than white-collar suburban shoppers, he said.

"It's easier to go to a Burger King than it is to get a decent piece of fruit in many neighborhoods," said San Francisco Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, who represents Bayview and Portola.

Source: British Grocery Chain Plans 18 Bay Area Stores, S.F. Chronicle, January 31, 2007

Editor's Note: 0% of East Palo Alto residents are within walking distance of a supermarket, yet there are two McDonalds within city limits. Community based organizations in East Palo Alto are changing the food system, beginning with a farmers' market opening in Spring of 2008.