County food-access profile · Georgia

Baker County, GA

Baker County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

Compiled by Plainfoodaccess, Food Access Editorial Process · June 23, 2026

61.3%
low-access pop.: 2
food-desert tracts: 15.2%
on SNAP: 3K
residents (ACS 2024)

USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 GA

The food-access picture

61.3% of Baker County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 2 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts: 968
food-desert residents: 6.2%
households, no vehicle: 26.3%
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).

Baker County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 61.3% is well above the national share. 2 of the county's 2 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 2,114 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 968 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 Baker County compares nationally

Baker County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 61.3% low-access share outpaces 96% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #124 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Baker County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 2 census tracts in Baker County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Baker

61.3
Appling

47.8
Atkinson

23.5
Bacon

3.3
Baldwin

24.6
Banks

1.8

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Baker County
Indicator	Value
Census Tracts	2
Atlas Population (2010 basis)	3,451
Low-Access Tracts	2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)	2
Low-Access Population	2,114
Low-Access Share	61.3%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population	968

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Baker County
Indicator	Value
Population	2,790
Median Household Income	$46,012
Poverty Rate	26.3%well above the national average
SNAP Households	168
SNAP Participation Rate	15.2%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle	6.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population	2.7%

SNAP participation in Baker County 15.2%

About 15.2% of Baker County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

61.3% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
15.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 168 households here.
6.2% 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 Baker County

well above the national share

2 of Baker County's 2 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 100.0% of all its tracts.

An estimated 2,114 residents, roughly 61.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 968 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

SNAP retailers in Baker County

Baker County has 3 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 1 locations (33% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 1

dollar general 8185, newton

Convenience Store · 1

bvm food, newton

Medium Grocery Store · 1

michael's market, newton

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Georgia

Appling County

47.8% low-access · 19.6% SNAP

Atkinson County

23.5% low-access · 26.2% SNAP

Bacon County

3.3% low-access · 20.9% SNAP

Baldwin County

24.6% low-access · 16.2% SNAP

Banks County

1.8% low-access · 9.0% SNAP

Barrow County

38.4% low-access · 8.7% SNAP

Compare Baker County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →

Food access nationally, Georgia in context

Baker County sits inside Georgia (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Baker County has low food access? ▼

61.3% of residents in Baker County, GA 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 Baker County? ▼

15.2% of households in Baker County receive SNAP, covering 168 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).

What is the poverty rate in Baker County? ▼

The poverty rate in Baker County, GA is 26.3%, with a median household income of $46,012 (Census ACS 2024).

Is Baker County a food desert? ▼

2 of Baker County's 2 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 Baker County households lack a vehicle? ▼

6.2% of households in Baker 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 2026-06-23 (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.