Signature · 3 LILA tracts (27.3% of tracts)
Beaufort County, NC
Beaufort County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (27.3% of the book) alongside 20.7% low-access.
- 20.7%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 16.7%
- on SNAP
- 44K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Beaufort County, NC
LA-ELEVATED · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 20.7% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -1.4 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 16.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 27% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Scotland County (+ 0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Beaufort County ranks #1,623 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #43 of 100 counties in NC (20.7% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #1,623
- national by low-access %
- #43
- in NC
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 3 LILA tracts (27.3% of tracts) .
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.
Beaufort County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
11 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Beaufort County has 3 urban and 8 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Beaufort County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Pitt 21.7
Pitt 21.7%
21.7 % low-access
- Mecklenburg 21.3
Mecklenburg 21.3%
21.3 % low-access
- Scotland 20.8
Scotland 20.8%
20.8 % low-access
- Beaufort 20.7
Beaufort 20.7%
20.7 % low-access
- Alexander 20.4
Alexander 20.4%
20.4 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 11 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 47,759 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 9,906 |
| Low-Access Share | 20.7%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,389 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 44,499 |
| Median Household Income | $58,357 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.8%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,243 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
Thick SNAP store book 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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Carolina
One of 99 counties in North Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Beaufort County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Nationwide peers for Beaufort County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Beaufort County, both outside North Carolina so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (20.7% here).
- Franklin County, NY · 20.7% low-access
- Franklin County, NY · 20.7% low-access
- Lea County, NM · 20.7% low-access
- Lea County, NM · 20.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (16.7% here).
- Oneida County, NY · 16.7% SNAP
- Oneida County, NY · 16.7% SNAP
- Baker County, OR · 16.7% SNAP
- Baker County, OR · 16.7% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Beaufort County sits inside North Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Beaufort County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37013. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.