PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Georgia

Baldwin County, GA

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

24.6%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
16.2%
on SNAP
44K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 GA

The food-access picture

24.6% of Baldwin County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
7.9%
households, no vehicle
21.7%
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 Baldwin County's low-access share at 24.6%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 11,255 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,889 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 Baldwin County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Baldwin County's 24.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 58% of them and ranked #1,323 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Baldwin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Baldwin 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 Baldwin County, GA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (55.6%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (44.4%) Adequate 56% Limited 0% Severe 44% Food-access tier distribution: Baldwin County, GA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Baldwin County vs. other Georgia counties

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

% 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 Baldwin County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)45,720
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population11,255
Low-Access Share24.6%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,889

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Baldwin County
IndicatorValue
Population43,642
Median Household Income$54,403
Poverty Rate21.7%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,679
SNAP Participation Rate16.2%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.9%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population13.2%
SNAP participation in Baldwin County 16.2%

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

What this means

  • 24.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 16.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,679 households here.
  • 7.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Baldwin County

above the national share

4 of Baldwin County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 44.4% of all its tracts.

An estimated 11,255 residents, roughly 24.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,889 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (55.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Baldwin County

Baldwin County has 70 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 41 locations (59% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 41

  • american eagle quick stop, milledgeville
  • c & p stop & shop, milledgeville
  • cc food mart, milledgeville
  • country food mart, milledgeville
  • ez foodmart, milledgeville
  • exxon food mart, milledgeville
  • flash food llc 274119, milledgeville
  • flash foods llc 274231, milledgeville
  • flash foods llc 2745097, milledgeville
  • friendly gus 16, milledgeville
  • golden pantry food stores 1096, milledgeville
  • hansa07, milledgeville
  • jp milledgeville 290, milledgeville
  • jays mart, milledgeville
  • jefferson business llc, milledgeville
  • jet food store 29, milledgeville
  • jet food store 33, milledgeville
  • jet food store 50, milledgeville
  • jet food store 59, milledgeville
  • jet food store 6, milledgeville
  • jet food store 61, milledgeville
  • jet food store 69, milledgeville
  • jet food store 76, milledgeville
  • kuntry store, milledgeville
  • lake sinclair bait & tackle, milledgeville
  • m&h stop n save, milledgeville
  • murphy usa 7815, milledgeville
  • pierces grocery & deli, gordon
  • prit 711 llc, milledgeville
  • quick stop 3, milledgeville
  • r&m mart, milledgeville
  • raceway 7014, milledgeville
  • rip of rick, milledgeville
  • rod's stop and shop, milledgeville
  • stop & shop, milledgeville
  • stop n shop, milledgeville
  • sunshine food mart, milledgeville
  • texaco food mart, milledgeville
  • the log cabin, milledgeville
  • the market, milledgeville
  • tigers narket, milledgeville

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • cvs pharmacy 4251, milledgeville
  • cvs pharmacy 4565, milledgeville
  • dollar general 1089, milledgeville
  • dollar general 9709, milledgeville
  • dollar general 11642, milledgeville
  • dollar general 12362, milledgeville
  • dollar general 12398, milledgeville
  • dollar general 16023, milledgeville
  • dollar general 22428, milledgeville
  • dollar general 23082, gordon
  • dollar general 30643, milledgeville
  • dollar tree 77, milledgeville
  • family dollar 12223, milledgeville
  • family dollar store 425, milledgeville
  • roses express 1886, milledgeville
  • walgreens 10832, milledgeville

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 76009 76009, milledgeville
  • food depot 58, milledgeville
  • piggly wiggly 781, milledgeville
  • publix super markets, inc. 2003, milledgeville

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3

  • c&b meat market, milledgeville
  • corner's edge butcher shoppe, milledgeville
  • foster's meat market, milledgeville

Seafood Specialty · 2

  • lake country seafood market inc, milledgeville
  • the market basket, milledgeville

Super Store · 2

  • kroger 694, milledgeville
  • walmart s/c 1121, milledgeville

Farmers' Market · 1

  • the milly market, milledgeville

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • johnnie mcdade grocery, milledgeville

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
Baker County
61.3% low-access · 15.2% SNAP
Banks County
1.8% low-access · 9.0% SNAP
Barrow County
38.4% low-access · 8.7% SNAP

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

Food access nationally, Georgia in context

Baldwin County sits inside Georgia (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 Baldwin County has low food access? ▼
24.6% of residents in Baldwin 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 Baldwin County? ▼
16.2% of households in Baldwin County receive SNAP, covering 2,679 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Baldwin County? ▼
The poverty rate in Baldwin County, GA is 21.7%, with a median household income of $54,403 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Baldwin County a food desert? ▼
4 of Baldwin County's 9 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 Baldwin County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.9% of households in Baldwin 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.