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 #1,657 most-affected nationwide.
Alexander County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Alexander County has 2 urban and 5 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
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.
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
- Hunterdon County, NJ · 20.4% low-access
- Lancaster County, PA · 20.4% low-access
- Lancaster County, PA · 20.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (13.5% here).
- Montgomery County, OH · 13.5% SNAP
- Montgomery County, OH · 13.5% SNAP
- Sandusky County, OH · 13.5% SNAP
- Sandusky 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.
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Alexander County sits inside North Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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.