PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · North Carolina

Beaufort County, NC

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

20.7%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
16.7%
on SNAP
44K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NC

The food-access picture

20.7% of Beaufort County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
6.2%
households, no vehicle
17.8%
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 Beaufort County's low-access share at 20.7%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 9,906 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,389 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 Beaufort County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Beaufort County's 20.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 48% of them and ranked #1,634 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Beaufort County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Beaufort 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 Beaufort County, NC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (45.5%) 3 tracts limited (27.3%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (27.3%) Adequate 45% Limited 27% Severe 27% Food-access tier distribution: Beaufort County, NC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Beaufort County vs. other North Carolina counties

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

% 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 Beaufort County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)47,759
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population9,906
Low-Access Share20.7%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,389

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Beaufort County
IndicatorValue
Population44,499
Median Household Income$58,357
Poverty Rate17.8%above the national average
SNAP Households3,243
SNAP Participation Rate16.7%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.2%
SNAP participation in Beaufort County 16.7%

About 16.7% of Beaufort County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 16.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,243 households here.
  • 6.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Beaufort County

above the national share

3 of Beaufort County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 27.3% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 9,906 residents, roughly 20.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,389 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (45.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Beaufort County

Beaufort County has 50 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • bath general store, bath
  • cratches mini mart, washington
  • cypress station, chocowinity
  • duck thru food store 48, washington
  • duck thru food store 50, washington
  • duck thru food store 51, washington
  • el lago, washington
  • handy mart 4704, washington
  • highway 33 convenience mart, edward
  • murphy usa 8575, washington
  • royal farms 505, washington
  • sal's enterprise inc, belhaven
  • sheetz 506, washington
  • speedway 6963, washington
  • speedway 6969, belhaven
  • speedway 8209, washington
  • speedway 8273, washington
  • speedway 8278, washington
  • speedway 8294, belhaven
  • speedway 8297, chocowinity
  • travel store, washington

Combination Grocery/Other · 19

  • acre station meat farm, pinetown
  • cvs pharmacy 4126, washington
  • dollar general 0203, washington
  • dollar general 3076, washington
  • dollar general 4410, chocowinity
  • dollar general 4727, belhaven
  • dollar general 8866, aurora
  • dollartree 10235, washington
  • dollar general 17592, washington
  • dollar general 20252, blounts creek
  • dollar general 22862, washington
  • dollar general 23954, washington
  • dollar tree 129, washington
  • dollar tree 6590, chocowinity
  • family dollar 12676, pinetown
  • family dollar store 10430, bath
  • family dollar store 57, washington
  • modlin's country store & seafood no, washington
  • walgreens 9988, washington

Supermarket · 6

  • carlie c's iga 740, chocowinity
  • carlie c's iga 750, washington
  • food lion 144, washington
  • food lion 1462, chocowinity
  • food lion 2220, washington
  • food lion 671, belhaven

Seafood Specialty · 2

  • carolina's sea harvest, washington
  • washington crab & oyster co., washington

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • dos mundos, llc, washington

Super Store · 1

  • walmart 1354, washington

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in North Carolina

Alamance County
25.0% low-access · 13.6% SNAP
Alexander County
20.4% low-access · 13.5% SNAP
Alleghany County
4.3% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Anson County
8.4% low-access · 33.8% SNAP
Ashe County
22.2% low-access · 14.0% SNAP
Avery County
0.3% low-access · 13.9% SNAP

Compare Beaufort County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, North Carolina in context

Beaufort County sits inside North Carolina (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 Beaufort County has low food access? ▼
20.7% of residents in Beaufort County, NC 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 Beaufort County? ▼
16.7% of households in Beaufort County receive SNAP, covering 3,243 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Beaufort County? ▼
The poverty rate in Beaufort County, NC is 17.8%, with a median household income of $58,357 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Beaufort County a food desert? ▼
3 of Beaufort County's 11 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 Beaufort County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.2% of households in Beaufort 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.