PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · North Carolina

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 2019 Census ACS 2024 NC

The food-access picture

20.4% of Alexander County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
3.1%
households, no vehicle
12.6%
below poverty line

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, 1-and-10-mile measure).

USDA data puts Alexander County's low-access share at 20.4%, above the national share. 2 of the county's 7 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 7,590 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,825 low-income residents.

How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts

The USDA measures food access by distance to the nearest supermarket. A census tract is "low-access" when a meaningful share of residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than ten miles in rural areas. A tract becomes a "food desert" only when it is both low-access and low-income, because distance is far harder to overcome for households without a car or a cushion in the budget. Counts on this page are aggregated from the tract level, where the federal data is actually published, so a single county figure can hide neighbourhoods that are much better or much worse served than the average. Distance also does not capture everything that shapes whether a family eats well: the presence of a full-service grocer rather than a convenience store, public transit, food pantries, and the price and quality of what is on the shelf all matter beyond the radius the Atlas can draw.

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 #1,657 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Alexander County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Alexander County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Alexander County, NC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (71.4%) 1 tracts limited (14.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (14.3%) Adequate 71% Limited 14% Severe 14% Food-access tier distribution: Alexander County, NC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Alexander County vs. other North Carolina counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Alexander County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)37,198
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population7,590
Low-Access Share20.4%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,825

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Alexander County
IndicatorValue
Population36,412
Median Household Income$65,354
Poverty Rate12.6%below the national average
SNAP Households1,902
SNAP Participation Rate13.5%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.1%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.3%
SNAP participation in Alexander County 13.5%

About 13.5% of Alexander County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 13.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,902 households here.
  • 3.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).

USDA low-access figures reflect the 2019 Atlas (2010 tract populations); socioeconomic context is the latest Census ACS 5-year (2024).

What the food-access data shows for Alexander County

above the national share

1 of Alexander County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.

An estimated 7,590 residents, roughly 20.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,825 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (71.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers 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.

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 retailers.

Other Counties in North Carolina

Alamance County
25.0% low-access · 13.6% SNAP
Alleghany County
4.3% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Anson County
8.4% low-access · 33.8% SNAP
Ashe County
22.2% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Avery County
0.3% low-access · 13.9% SNAP
Beaufort County
20.7% low-access · 16.7% SNAP

Compare Alexander County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, North Carolina in context

Alexander County sits inside North Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Alexander County has low food access? ▼
20.4% of residents in Alexander County, NC live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Alexander County? ▼
13.5% of households in Alexander County receive SNAP, covering 1,902 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Alexander County? ▼
The poverty rate in Alexander County, NC is 12.6%, with a median household income of $65,354 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Alexander County a food desert? ▼
1 of Alexander County's 7 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Alexander County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.1% of households in Alexander County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
Data Sources & Methodology

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019): low-access and food-desert tract classifications, low-access population, and low-income low-access counts. ers.usda.gov/food-access-research-atlas

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates: population, median income, poverty, SNAP participation, vehicle access, and group quarters. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs

Low access is defined as living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket; a food desert adds a low-income condition. Read the full methodology →

Data current as of (most recent source-data vintage; figures reflect the 2019 USDA Atlas and 2024 Census ACS).

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.