County food-access profile · Georgia
Barrow County, GA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Barrow 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).
- 38.4%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 8.7%
- on SNAP
- 90K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
38.4% of Barrow County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 10
- low-access tracts
- 8K
- food-desert residents
- 3.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.6%
- 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 Barrow County's low-access share at 38.4%, above the national share. 10 of the county's 18 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 26,649 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 7,846 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 Barrow County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Barrow County's 38.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 85% of them and ranked #465 most-affected nationwide.
Barrow County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 18 census tracts in Barrow County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Barrow County vs. other Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Barrow
Barrow County, GA
38.4 % low-access
- Appling
Appling County, GA
47.8 % low-access
- Atkinson 23.5
Atkinson County, GA
23.5 % low-access
- Bacon 3.3
Bacon County, GA
3.3 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, GA
61.3 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, GA
24.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 18 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 69,367 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 10 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 26,649 |
| Low-Access Share | 38.4%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 7,846 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 89,886 |
| Median Household Income | $80,653 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,693 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.7%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.1%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.4% |
About 8.7% of Barrow County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 38.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 8.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,693 households here.
- 3.1% 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 Barrow County
above the national share
5 of Barrow County's 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 27.8% of all its tracts.
A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 10.
An estimated 26,649 residents, roughly 38.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 7,846 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 8 tracts (44.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Barrow County
Barrow County has 78 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 45 locations (58% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 45
- 786 corner store inc, winder
- auburn bp, auburn
- auburn express, auburn
- bp food mart, statham
- bp foodmart, winder
- bethlehem african caribbean tropical market, winder
- chevron, bethlehem
- chevron food mart, winder
- chevron food mart 0, winder
- chevron food mart 01, winder
- circle k #216, winder
- circle k 2723345, winder
- citgo food mart, winder
- city market, auburn
- exxon food mart, winder
- food mart 0, auburn
- gas express llc dba circle k 157, hoschton
- hog mountain food mart, winder
- jv international llc, winder
- kenny's food mart, auburn
- lucky lotto, winder
- mars food & gas llc, winder
- mcneal grocery store, winder
- midlandsuperette, winder
- murphy usa 6766, winder
- ns express inc 2655987, hoschton
- new winder food mart, winder
- old south, auburn
- on the go, statham
- pala food mart, winder
- quick pantry, winder
- quick shop horton, winder
- quiktrip 1704, bethlehem
- racetrac 2307, hoschton
- racetrac 2544, bethlehem
- sameer venture 4 llc 6789635825, bethlehem
- shell food mart, winder
- short stop, winder
- short stop express, statham
- statham food mart, statham
- sy food mart, winder
- texaco food mart, auburn
- vasquez quick stop, winder
- winder food mart, winder
- winder foodmart 752 inc, winder
Combination Grocery/Other · 15
- cvs pharmacy 4389, winder
- dollar general 1206, auburn
- dollar general 3538, winder
- dollartree 9897, bethlehem
- dollar general 10576, bethlehem
- dollar general 12733, winder
- dollar general 14845, winder
- dollar general 19952, bethlehem
- dollar general 20921, winder
- dollar general 21215, winder
- dollar tree 5040, winder
- dollar tree 6699, auburn
- family dollar 105, winder
- walgreens 12726, winder
- winder oriental market, winder
Supermarket · 7
- aldi 76024, winder
- carniceria potosina, winder
- ingles markets 451, auburn
- ingles markets 57, winder
- publix 0480, winder
- publix 1251, bethlehem
- publix super market 1685, winder
Medium Grocery Store · 5
- la jalisco of winder, llc, winder
- los paisanos #3, auburn
- los reyes super mercado, bethlehem
- supermercado la silleta, winder
- the market, winder
Super Store · 5
- dollar general market 13877, statham
- kroger 622, bethlehem
- target store 2493, bethlehem
- walmart supercenter 520, winder
- winder quality foods llc, winder
Farmers' Market · 1
- barrow county farmers market, winder
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Barrow County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Barrow 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 Barrow County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Barrow County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Barrow County? ▼
Is Barrow County a food desert? ▼
What share of Barrow County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.