County food-access profile · Tennessee
Anderson County, TN
Anderson County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 10.9%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 11.9%
- on SNAP
- 79K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
10.9% of Anderson County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 5.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.4%
- 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).
Anderson County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 10.9% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 17 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,188 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,984 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 Anderson County compares nationally
Anderson County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 10.9% low-access share that beats 23% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,417).
Anderson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 17 census tracts in Anderson County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Anderson County vs. other Tennessee counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Tennessee
- Anderson 10.9
Anderson County, TN
10.9 % low-access
- Bedford
Bedford County, TN
23 % low-access
- Benton 12.6
Benton County, TN
12.6 % low-access
- Bledsoe 4.7
Bledsoe County, TN
4.7 % low-access
- Blount
Blount County, TN
30.1 % low-access
- Bradley
Bradley County, TN
32.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 17 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 75,129 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,188 |
| Low-Access Share | 10.9%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,984 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 79,153 |
| Median Household Income | $66,183 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.4%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,901 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 11.9% of Anderson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 10.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,901 households here.
- 5.6% 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 Anderson County
near the national share
1 of Anderson County's 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.9% of all its tracts.
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 8,188 residents, roughly 10.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,984 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 12 tracts (70.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Anderson County
Anderson County has 88 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 47 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 47
- a to z market, oliver springs
- b p gas station, clinton
- breadbox 3471, oak ridge
- casey's general store 4224, lake city
- clinch market and deli na, clinton
- fastop markets 215, clinton
- fastop markets 216, lake city
- food city gas & go 3642, oliver springs
- friendly express market 01, oak ridge
- gingers deli & grocery, briceville
- git n go markets 1, clinton
- git n go markets 2, clinton
- git n go markets 3, clinton
- git n go markets 4, clinton
- grove market, oak ridge
- harry's 52, clinton
- harry's 53, clinton
- ian's market # 94, powell
- j & c market, oak ridge
- jay meldi maa enterprise, llc 001, oak ridge
- kenjo 37, oak ridge
- kenjo 50, oliver springs
- lees food mart 1122, clinton
- lehigh gas - ohio llc 938, clinton
- lucky's express market, oliver springs
- m & s quik mart, oak ridge
- mack's discount tobacco & food mart, clinton
- new river general store, devonia
- neighborhood market, oak ridge
- norris market, norris
- one stop market, clinton
- quick stop food mart, oak ridge
- rightwayfood mart, andersonville
- rocky top 76, rocky top
- rocky top marathon, rocky top
- rocky top markets 903, oak ridge
- rocky top markets 905, oak ridge
- speedway 7108, clinton
- sam's market, oliver springs
- sky lake, llc, lake city
- smartserv 2, clinton
- weigel's 36, oak ridge
- weigel's 64, clinton
- weigel's 73, lake city
- weigel's 79, oak ridge
- weigel's 82, powell
- weigels 1104, oak ridge
Combination Grocery/Other · 23
- cvs pharmacy 3723, oak ridge
- cvs pharmacy 6365, clinton
- dollar general 1769, rocky top
- dollar general 17986, clinton
- dollar general 38, clinton
- dollar general 4139, oliver springs
- dollar general 4363, oak ridge
- dollar general 4423, powell
- dollar general 6758, clinton
- dollar general 8707, andersonville
- dollar general 14319, oak ridge
- dollar general 20991, clinton
- dollar general 25354, clinton
- dollar general 25366, rocky top
- dollar general 31533, oak ridge
- dollar tree 151, oak ridge
- dollar tree 5089, clinton
- dollar tree 8696, clinton
- family dollar store 531, oliver springs
- family dollar store 7554, lake city
- walgreens 3137, oak ridge
- walgreens 7406, clinton
- walgreens 12311, clinton
Supermarket · 7
- aldi 70014, oak ridge
- food city 654, clinton
- food city 681, oak ridge
- food city 642, oliver springs
- grocery outlet 36, clinton
- ingles markets 9, clinton
- price less iga 44, oak ridge
Farmers' Market · 3
- clinton farmers market clinton, clinton
- grow oak ridge llc, oak ridge
- historic oak ridge farmers market oak ridge, oak ridge
Super Store · 3
- kroger 690, oak ridge
- walmart supercenter 1194, oak ridge
- walmart supercenter 4635, clinton
Small Grocery Store · 2
- jbs corner market 1, powell
- la casita charra, oak ridge
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's pizza tn030, oak ridge
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- kuntry's produce, clinton
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- secret city butcher shop, oak ridge
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Tennessee
Compare Anderson County vs Bedford County → · All Tennessee counties →
Food access nationally, Tennessee in context
Anderson County sits inside Tennessee (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Anderson County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Anderson County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Anderson County? ▼
Is Anderson County a food desert? ▼
What share of Anderson County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.