PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Texas

Atascosa County, TX

Atascosa 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.

18.8%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
16.2%
on SNAP
51K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TX

The food-access picture

18.8% of Atascosa County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
5.1%
households, no vehicle
15.8%
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).

Atascosa County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.8% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 8 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,429 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,618 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 Atascosa County compares nationally

Atascosa County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.8% low-access share that beats 43% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,788).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Atascosa County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Atascosa 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 Atascosa County, TX USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (50.0%) 3 tracts limited (37.5%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (12.5%) Adequate 50% Limited 38% Severe 13% Food-access tier distribution: Atascosa County, TX
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Atascosa County vs. other Texas counties

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

% 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 Atascosa County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)44,911
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population8,429
Low-Access Share18.8%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,618

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Atascosa County
IndicatorValue
Population51,008
Median Household Income$70,770
Poverty Rate15.8%above the national average
SNAP Households2,725
SNAP Participation Rate16.2%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.1%
SNAP participation in Atascosa County 16.2%

About 16.2% of Atascosa County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 18.8% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 16.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,725 households here.
  • 5.1% 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 Atascosa County

near the national share

1 of Atascosa County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.5% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 8,429 residents, roughly 18.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,618 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Atascosa County

Atascosa County has 51 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 29 locations (57% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 29

  • chevron food mart, pleasanton
  • circle k 2741077, pleasanton
  • conoco food mart, pleasanton
  • eazy drive thru food mart, poteet
  • first stop, poteet
  • hi-way one stop, inc., charlotte
  • kactus korner beverage barn, poteet
  • kuntry korner, campbellton
  • leming express drive thru, leming
  • lucky fuel station, jourdanton
  • murphy usa 7649, pleasanton
  • mushi's 3, pleasanton
  • peak point, poteet
  • petro mart #6, pleasanton
  • petro mart 5, jourdanton
  • poteet food mart, poteet
  • quick & easy beverage barn, poteet
  • ramos drive inn, charlotte
  • rick's drive inn, leming
  • sam food mart no 1, pleasanton
  • sam food mart no 2, poteet
  • sherry's, pleasanton
  • star food mart, lytle
  • stripes 40524h, jourdanton
  • stripes 42132h, lytle
  • super stop, lytle
  • tex best travel center 525, pleasanton
  • tex best travel center 527, jourdanton
  • valero corner store 2742428, pleasanton

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • cvs 10843, lytle
  • dollar general 11200, poteet
  • dollar general 1852, pleasanton
  • dollar general 19500, somerset
  • dollar general 19733, leming
  • dollar general 4730, lytle
  • dollar general 6049, jourdanton
  • dollar general 12199, poteet
  • dollar general 22879, charlotte
  • dollar general 25572, pleasanton
  • dollar tree 2175, pleasanton
  • dollar tree 6877, lytle
  • family dollar 13412, poteet
  • family dollar 2547, poteet
  • family dollar 3803, pleasanton
  • walgreens 11725, pleasanton

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • a & i grocery, charlotte
  • eshem' s marketplace, poteet

Supermarket · 2

  • heb 411, pleasanton
  • heb food store 019, lytle

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • lowes 151, poteet

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 757, pleasanton

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Texas

Anderson County
43.8% low-access · 18.0% SNAP
Andrews County
26.8% low-access · 13.0% SNAP
Angelina County
26.0% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Aransas County
31.7% low-access · 8.6% SNAP
Archer County
18.3% low-access · 6.5% SNAP
Armstrong County
99.7% low-access · 3.4% SNAP

Compare Atascosa County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →

Food access nationally, Texas in context

Atascosa County sits inside Texas (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 Atascosa County has low food access? ▼
18.8% of residents in Atascosa County, TX 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 Atascosa County? ▼
16.2% of households in Atascosa County receive SNAP, covering 2,725 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Atascosa County? ▼
The poverty rate in Atascosa County, TX is 15.8%, with a median household income of $70,770 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Atascosa County a food desert? ▼
1 of Atascosa County's 8 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 Atascosa County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.1% of households in Atascosa 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.