PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Arlington County, VA

Most of Arlington County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

2.3%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
4.0%
on SNAP
236K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

2.3% of Arlington County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

3
low-access tracts
162
food-desert residents
15.2%
households, no vehicle
7.4%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Arlington County fares better than most: just 2.3% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 3 of the county's 59 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 4,799 people who live far from a supermarket, and none of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 Arlington County compares nationally

Food access in Arlington County compares favorably nationally: its 2.3% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 6% of them (rank #2,949).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Arlington County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 59 census tracts in Arlington 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 Arlington County, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 56 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 59 tracts evaluated. 56 tracts adequate (94.9%) 3 tracts limited (5.1%) Adequate 95% Limited 5% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Arlington County, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Arlington County vs. other Virginia counties

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

% 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 Arlington County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts59
Atlas Population (2010 basis)207,627
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population4,799
Low-Access Share2.3%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population162

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Arlington County
IndicatorValue
Population236,254
Median Household Income$142,114
Poverty Rate7.4%well below the national average
SNAP Households4,480
SNAP Participation Rate4.0%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle15.2%well above the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.3%
SNAP participation in Arlington County 4.0%

About 4.0% of Arlington County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 2.3% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 4.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,480 households here.
  • 15.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $142,114 with a 7.4% poverty rate.

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 Arlington County

below the national share

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 4,799 residents, roughly 2.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 162 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 56 tracts (94.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Arlington County

Arlington County has 90 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 32 locations (36% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 32

  • 7 eleven inc f 10740a, arlington
  • 7-eleven 10734b, arlington
  • 7-eleven 39061a, arlington
  • 7-eleven 39737a, arlington
  • 7-eleven inc f 10716a, arlington
  • 7-eleven inc f 10717a, arlington
  • 7-eleven inc f 10741a, arlington
  • 7-eleven inc f 10743b, arlington
  • 7-eleven inc f 18432a, arlington
  • 7-eleven inc f 20117a, arlington
  • 7-eleven inc f 20407a, arlington
  • 7-eleven inc f 22343a, arlington
  • 7-eleven inc f 23242a, arlington
  • 7-eleven inc f 27547a, arlington
  • 7-eleven inc f 27672a, arlington
  • 7-eleven inc f 33679a, arlington
  • 7-eleven inc f 34642a, arlington
  • 7-eleven store 40104h, arlington
  • 7-eleven #34082b 34082b, arlington
  • 7-eleven #34646c 34646c, arlington
  • 7-eleven 10747d 10747d, arlington
  • 7-eleven 27004, arlington
  • 7-eleven 28511c, arlington
  • 7-eleven 32966c, arlington
  • 7-eleven 35372b 35372b, arlington
  • 7-eleven 37130b, arlington
  • 7-eleven 38212a 38212a, arlington
  • 7-eleven inc f 29167b, arlington
  • dominion market, arlington
  • fort myer market, arlington
  • lucky seven, arlington
  • market 365, arlington

Combination Grocery/Other · 22

  • cvs pharmacy 1372, arlington
  • cvs pharmacy 1375, arlington
  • cvs pharmacy 1380, arlington
  • cvs pharmacy 1407, arlington
  • cvs pharmacy 1833, arlington
  • cvs pharmacy 1835, arlington
  • cvs pharmacy 1884, arlington
  • cvs pharmacy 2274, arlington
  • cvs pharmacy 2418, arlington
  • cvs pharmacy 2491, arlington
  • cvs pharmacy 10489, arlington
  • cvs pharmacy 11191, arlington
  • cvs pharmacy 11229, arlington
  • cvs pharmacy 2142, arlington
  • cvs pharmacy 2712, arlington
  • cvs pharmacy 2750, arlington
  • cvs pharmacy cvs10968, arlington
  • haat bazar & butcher shop, arlington
  • walgreens 18419, arlington
  • walgreens 19265, arlington
  • walgreens 19419, arlington
  • walgreens 19650, arlington

Super Store · 17

  • costco wholesale 0233, arlington
  • giant food 743, arlington
  • giant food 748, arlington
  • glebe market, arlington
  • harris teeter 23, arlington
  • harris teeter 235, arlington
  • harris teeter 486, arlington
  • harris teeter 83, arlington
  • mom's organic market 14, arlington
  • megamart express, arlington
  • super giant 0774, arlington
  • target store 3210, rosslyn
  • target store t3257, arlington
  • target store t3430, arlington
  • whole foods market 10042, arlington
  • whole foods market 10531, arlington
  • whole foods market daily shop 10870, arlington

Farmers' Market · 8

  • columbia pike farmers market, arlington
  • freshfarm arlington farmers market n/a, arlington
  • freshfarm ballston farmers market, arlington
  • freshfarm aaa farmers market, arlington
  • freshfarm rosslyn farmers market, arlington
  • green valley farmers market, arlington
  • lubber run farmers market nafmnp, arlington
  • pufh 1 - va csa, arlington

Medium Grocery Store · 5

  • afomia organic market, arlington
  • asia halal supermarket, arlington
  • bangla bazar, arlington
  • el latino-african market, arlington
  • lideta market, arlington

Supermarket · 5

  • safeway 1048, arlington
  • safeway 1358, arlington
  • safeway 4007, arlington
  • safeway 764, arlington
  • trader joe's 640, arlington

Military Commissary · 1

  • fort myer commissary 2518, fort myer

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Virginia

Accomack County
2.2% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Albemarle County
11.9% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Alexandria city
0.0% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Alleghany County
16.4% low-access · 8.1% SNAP
Amelia County
16.5% low-access · 13.4% SNAP
Amherst County
11.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Arlington County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Arlington County sits inside Virginia (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 Arlington County has low food access? ▼
2.3% of residents in Arlington County, VA 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 Arlington County? ▼
4.0% of households in Arlington County receive SNAP, covering 4,480 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Arlington County? ▼
The poverty rate in Arlington County, VA is 7.4%, with a median household income of $142,114 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Arlington County a food desert? ▼
0 of Arlington County's 59 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Arlington County households lack a vehicle? ▼
15.2% of households in Arlington 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.