Signature · 28 SNAP-authorized stores
Alexander County, NC
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Alexander 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).
- 20.4%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 13.5%
- on SNAP
- 36K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Alexander County, NC
LA-ELEVATED · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 20.4% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -1.7 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-TYPICAL 13.5% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 14% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Beaufort County (+ 0.3 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Alexander County ranks #1,647 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #44 of 100 counties in NC (20.4% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,647
- national by low-access %
- #44
- in NC
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- 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: 28 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Alexander County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Alexander County's 20.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 47% of them and ranked #1,647 most-affected nationwide.
Alexander County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Alexander County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (5 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Alexander County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Pitt 21.7
Pitt 21.7%
21.7 % low-access
- Mecklenburg 21.3
Mecklenburg 21.3%
21.3 % low-access
- Scotland 20.8
Scotland 20.8%
20.8 % low-access
- Beaufort 20.7
Beaufort 20.7%
20.7 % low-access
- Alexander 20.4
Alexander 20.4%
20.4 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 37,198 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,590 |
| Low-Access Share | 20.4%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,825 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 36,412 |
| Median Household Income | $65,354 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,902 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.5%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.1%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.3% |
Thick SNAP store book in Alexander County
Alexander County has 28 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 13 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
4 towns share the 28 authorized stores; Taylorsville holds 71% of them. 2 of the 4 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Hiddenite, Stony Point.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Taylorsville | 20 | 3 |
| Hickory | 3 | 1 |
| Hiddenite | 3 | none |
| Stony Point | 2 | none |
Convenience Store · 13
- all american raceway, taylorsville
- ankema inc, taylorsville
- cubbard express 12, hiddenite
- cubbard express 6, hickory
- gk food mart, taylorsville
- market basket 03, taylorsville
- market basket 04, taylorsville
- market basket 16, stony point
- market basket 20, taylorsville
- murphy usa 6676, taylorsville
- propst superette #4, taylorsville
- propst superette #9, taylorsville
- quality mart #66 1766, taylorsville
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- dollar general 2928, taylorsville
- dollar general 6568, hickory
- dollar general 6656, hiddenite
- dollar tree 3216, taylorsville
- dollar general 15517, stony point
- dollar general 16900, taylorsville
- dollar general 31223, taylorsville
- dollar general store 16627, taylorsville
- family dollar store 9333, hiddenite
Supermarket · 3
- food lion 980, taylorsville
- lowes food store 175, hickory
- mays meat, taylorsville
Small Grocery Store · 2
- highway 16 superette, taylorsville
- trading post, taylorsville
Super Store · 1
- walmart 1131, taylorsville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Carolina
One of 99 counties in North Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Alexander County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Nationwide peers for Alexander County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Alexander County, both outside North Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (20.4% here).
- Hunterdon County, NJ · 20.4% low-access
- Lancaster County, PA · 20.4% low-access
- Washington County, NE · 20.4% low-access
- Howell County, MO · 20.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (13.5% here).
- Montgomery County, OH · 13.5% SNAP
- Sandusky County, OH · 13.5% SNAP
- Seneca County, OH · 13.5% SNAP
- Washington County, OH · 13.5% 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.
North Carolina among South Atlantic states
North Carolina ranks 5th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (22.9%). Alexander County, at 20.4%, runs 2.5 pts below the North Carolina rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Alexander County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37003. 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.