PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Augusta County, VA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Augusta 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).

29.3%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
5.7%
on SNAP
78K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

29.3% of Augusta County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
4.3%
households, no vehicle
6.6%
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 Augusta County's low-access share at 29.3%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 13 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 21,639 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,535 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 Augusta County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Augusta County's 29.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 69% of them and ranked #978 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Augusta County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 census tracts in Augusta 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 Augusta County, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (61.5%) 3 tracts limited (23.1%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (15.4%) Adequate 62% Limited 23% Severe 15% Food-access tier distribution: Augusta County, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Augusta 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 Augusta County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)73,750
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population21,639
Low-Access Share29.3%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,535

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Augusta County
IndicatorValue
Population78,033
Median Household Income$82,049
Poverty Rate6.6%well below the national average
SNAP Households1,762
SNAP Participation Rate5.7%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.3%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.6%
SNAP participation in Augusta County 5.7%

About 5.7% of Augusta County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 29.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 5.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,762 households here.
  • 4.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 tracts 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 Augusta County

above the national share

2 of Augusta County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 15.4% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 21,639 residents, roughly 29.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,535 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (61.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Augusta County

Augusta County has 50 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 26 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 26

  • 3b grocery, crimora
  • 7 eleven 11117k, stuarts draft
  • 7-eleven store 39754a, staunton
  • 7-eleven, inc 41565h, fishersville
  • 7-eleven 36891b, verona
  • go mart 125, staunton
  • go mart 126, verona
  • go mart 127, verona
  • go mart 128, weyers cave
  • goose creek market, waynesboro
  • goosecreek shell, fishersville
  • jake's convenience and subway, staunton
  • leo's market, craigsville
  • love's travel stop 706, staunton
  • maa vedai 3 llc, staunton
  • rebel 917, verona
  • royal mart 1, staunton
  • royal mart 8, mount sidney
  • sheetz 364, fishersville
  • sheetz 572, stuarts draft
  • speedway 4648, waynesboro
  • stop shop, waynesboro
  • the country store, lyndhurst
  • village market, crimora
  • wawa store 6608, fishersville
  • zachs country store, mount solon

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • dollar general 11299, craigsville
  • dollar general 11303, weyers cave
  • dollar general 13795, fishersville
  • dollar general 25837, mount sidney
  • dollar general 2854, crimora
  • dollar general 3138, verona
  • dollar general 7497, greenville
  • dollar general store 2726, stuarts draft
  • dollar tree 0271, staunton
  • dollar tree 8366, fishersville
  • family dollar store 1159, stuarts draft
  • family dollar store 4176, churchville
  • walgreens 19660, stuarts draft

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 80029, staunton
  • food lion 2696, fishersville
  • food lion 384, verona
  • food lion 438, stuarts draft

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • craigsville iga, craigsville
  • meating place, staunton

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • moonshine market, waynesboro
  • stuarts draft farm market, stuarts draft

Delivery Route · 1

  • project grows mobile market, staunton

Farmers' Market · 1

  • north augusta farmers market, staunton

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • the cheese shop, stuarts draft

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 Augusta County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Augusta 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 Augusta County has low food access? ▼
29.3% of residents in Augusta 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 Augusta County? ▼
5.7% of households in Augusta County receive SNAP, covering 1,762 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Augusta County? ▼
The poverty rate in Augusta County, VA is 6.6%, with a median household income of $82,049 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Augusta County a food desert? ▼
2 of Augusta County's 13 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 Augusta County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.3% of households in Augusta 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.