Signature · 0.3% low-access (2nd pct)
Avery County, NC
Avery County lands in the lower national band on low-access (0.3%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 0.3%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 13.9%
- on SNAP
- 18K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Avery County, NC
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 0.3% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -21.8 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 13.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Jones County ( -0.1 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Avery County lands in the lower national band (0.3%, #3,057 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #3,057
- national by low-access %
- #98
- in NC
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 34
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 0.3% low-access (2nd pct) (-21.8 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Avery County compares nationally
Food access in Avery County compares favorably nationally: its 0.3% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 2% of them (rank #3,057).
Avery County's lower-band USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 5 of Avery County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Avery County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Northampton 1.2
Northampton 1.2%
1.2 % low-access
- Yancey 1.2
Yancey 1.2%
1.2 % low-access
- Avery 0.3
Avery 0.3%
0.3 % low-access
- Jones 0.2
Jones 0.2%
0.2 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 17,797 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 54 |
| Low-Access Share | 0.3%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 34 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 17,680 |
| Median Household Income | $61,428 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 946 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.9%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 13.8% |
SNAP retailers in Avery County
Avery County has 14 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 7 locations (50% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
4 towns share the 14 authorized stores; Newland holds 43% of them. 1 of the 4 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Elk Park.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Newland | 6 | 1 |
| Banner Elk | 5 | 1 |
| Sugar Mountain | 2 | 1 |
| Elk Park | 1 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- cvs pharmacy 5558, newland
- dollar general 4868, newland
- dollar general 9601, banner elk
- dollar general 14483, newland
- dollar general 31478, newland
- dollar general store 16643, elk park
- walgreens 11544, sugar mountain
Convenience Store · 4
- circle k 272250, banner elk
- quick shop, newland
- scotchman 3100, banner elk
- scotchman 3104, banner elk
Supermarket · 3
- food lion 424, banner elk
- ingles markets 83, newland
- lowes food store 158, sugar mountain
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Carolina
One of 99 counties in North Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Avery County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near Avery County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Avery County, both outside North Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (0.3% here).
- Fentress County, TN · 0.3% low-access
- Dodge County, GA · 0.3% low-access
- Marion County, SC · 0.2% low-access
- Antrim County, MI · 0.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (13.9% here).
- Osage County, OK · 13.9% SNAP
- Berks County, PA · 13.9% SNAP
- Fulton County, PA · 13.9% SNAP
- Washington County, PA · 13.9% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
North Carolina among South Atlantic states
North Carolina ranks 5th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (22.9%). Avery County, at 0.3%, runs 22.6 pts below the North Carolina rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Avery County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37011. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.