PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Alabama

Barbour County, AL

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

20.5%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
21.3%
on SNAP
25K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AL

The food-access picture

20.5% of Barbour County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
10.5%
households, no vehicle
21.4%
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 Barbour County's low-access share at 20.5%, 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 5,634 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,865 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 Barbour County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Barbour County's 20.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 47% of them and ranked #1,645 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Barbour County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Barbour 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 Barbour County, AL 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: Barbour County, AL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Barbour 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 Barbour County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)27,457
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population5,634
Low-Access Share20.5%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,865

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Barbour County
IndicatorValue
Population24,643
Median Household Income$46,042
Poverty Rate21.4%well above the national average
SNAP Households1,943
SNAP Participation Rate21.3%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle10.5%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population12.4%
SNAP participation in Barbour County 21.3%

About 21.3% of Barbour County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 21.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,943 households here.
  • 10.5% 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 Barbour County

above the national share

4 of Barbour 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 5,634 residents, roughly 20.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,865 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 Barbour County

Barbour County has 41 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 22 locations (54% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 22

  • ameer&co llc, midway
  • beeline 176, clayton
  • depot food store, louisville
  • depot food store iii, eufaula
  • depot food store inc, eufaula
  • express mart 3, eufaula
  • exxon food mart, eufaula
  • hobo pantry 19, eufaula
  • hobo pantry 33, eufaula
  • marathon food mart, clayton
  • mckenzie oil company 9, eufaula
  • murphy usa 7478, eufaula
  • sharp corner petro #268, eufaula
  • shayonam inc, clio
  • shriji maharaj, eufaula
  • smart 200 inc, eufaula
  • smart 620 inc, eufaula
  • texaco 3, eufaula
  • texaco 5, eufaula
  • texaco foodmart, clayton
  • tienda la esperanza # 2 llc 1, eufaula
  • wilkerson food mart, clio

Combination Grocery/Other · 11

  • dollar general 1370, clayton
  • dollar general 246, eufaula
  • dollar general 11671, eufaula
  • dollar general 15105, eufaula
  • dollar general 17399, midway
  • dollar general 6051, clio
  • dollar tree 1939, eufaula
  • family dollar 11233, clio
  • family dollar 13640, louisville
  • family dollar 440, eufaula
  • walgreens 19668, eufaula

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • tienda bernabe #3 llc 1, eufaula
  • tienda la esperanza 1, eufaula
  • tienda mexicana san judita, eufaula

Super Store · 3

  • piggly wiggly 436, eufaula
  • renfroe's market 714, eufaula
  • walmart supercenter 1638, eufaula

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • b's treasures, eufaula

Supermarket · 1

  • food giant 643, clayton

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Alabama

Autauga County
33.9% low-access · 9.2% SNAP
Baldwin County
25.1% low-access · 6.7% 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 Barbour County vs Autauga County → · All Alabama counties →

Food access nationally, Alabama in context

Barbour 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 Barbour County has low food access? ▼
20.5% of residents in Barbour 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 Barbour County? ▼
21.3% of households in Barbour County receive SNAP, covering 1,943 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Barbour County? ▼
The poverty rate in Barbour County, AL is 21.4%, with a median household income of $46,042 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Barbour County a food desert? ▼
4 of Barbour 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 Barbour County households lack a vehicle? ▼
10.5% of households in Barbour 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.