PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Alabama

Autauga County, AL

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

33.9%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
9.2%
on SNAP
60K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AL

The food-access picture

33.9% of Autauga County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

9
low-access tracts
7K
food-desert residents
4.1%
households, no vehicle
11.3%
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 Autauga County's low-access share at 33.9%, above the national share. 9 of the county's 12 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 18,503 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 7,106 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 Autauga County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Autauga County's 33.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 78% of them and ranked #678 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Autauga County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Autauga 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 Autauga County, AL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (25.0%) 4 tracts limited (33.3%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (41.7%) Adequate 25% Limited 33% Severe 42% Food-access tier distribution: Autauga County, AL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Autauga County vs. other Alabama counties

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

% 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 Autauga County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)54,571
Low-Access Tracts9
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population18,503
Low-Access Share33.9%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population7,106

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Autauga County
IndicatorValue
Population59,947
Median Household Income$72,481
Poverty Rate11.3%below the national average
SNAP Households2,116
SNAP Participation Rate9.2%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.1%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.8%
SNAP participation in Autauga County 9.2%

About 9.2% of Autauga County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 33.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,116 households here.
  • 4.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 5 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 Autauga County

above the national share

5 of Autauga County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 41.7% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.

An estimated 18,503 residents, roughly 33.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 7,106 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (25.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Autauga County

Autauga County has 47 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • beeline 509, prattville
  • circle k 2709067, prattville
  • circle k 2723830, prattville
  • circle k 2723831, prattville
  • circle k store 2706634, prattville
  • country mart, billingsley
  • d&d one stop, marbury
  • home 2024 inc, prattville
  • jet pep 47, prattville
  • kwik shop, prattville
  • kwik shops 130, prattville
  • murphy express 8542, prattville
  • petro mart, prattville
  • posey crossroads, prattville
  • prattville coosa mart, prattville
  • raceway 6708, prattville
  • texaco food mart, prattville
  • united food and fuel, prattville
  • z mars inc, prattville

Combination Grocery/Other · 18

  • cvs pharmacy 4838, prattville
  • cvs pharmacy 4944, prattville
  • dollar general 18637, billingsley
  • dollar general 3232, prattville
  • dollar general 5726, prattville
  • dollar general 9570, prattville
  • dollar general 15346, prattville
  • dollar general 15660, autaugaville
  • dollar general 17887, prattville
  • dollar general 20939, prattville
  • dollar general 21115, prattville
  • dollar general 31017, marbury
  • dollar general 31157, prattville
  • dollar general 31232, deatsville
  • dollar general 9980, selma
  • dollar tree 0783, prattville
  • family dollar 13685, prattville
  • walgreens 06800, prattville

Super Store · 4

  • piggly wiggly 36, deatsville
  • prattville food outlet, prattville
  • target store t-2274, prattville
  • walmart s/c 483, prattville

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 82003, prattville
  • publix 1228, prattville
  • piggly wiggly, prattville
  • winn-dixie 527, prattville

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • country market, autaugavillle
  • wadsworth grocery, deatsville

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Alabama

Baldwin County
25.1% low-access · 6.7% SNAP
Barbour County
20.5% low-access · 21.3% SNAP
Bibb County
1.6% low-access · 20.7% SNAP
Blount County
6.8% low-access · 12.3% SNAP
Bullock County
68.5% low-access · 34.0% SNAP
Butler County
12.0% low-access · 17.3% SNAP

Compare Autauga County vs Baldwin County → · All Alabama counties →

Food access nationally, Alabama in context

Autauga County sits inside Alabama (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 Autauga County has low food access? ▼
33.9% of residents in Autauga County, AL 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 Autauga County? ▼
9.2% of households in Autauga County receive SNAP, covering 2,116 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Autauga County? ▼
The poverty rate in Autauga County, AL is 11.3%, with a median household income of $72,481 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Autauga County a food desert? ▼
5 of Autauga County's 12 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 Autauga County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.1% of households in Autauga 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.