Signature · 5.2% SNAP (0th pct in SC)

Beaufort County, SC

Beaufort County sits in the upper national band on low-access (49.0%, +26.9 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.

49.0%
low-access pop.
8
food-desert tracts
5.2%
on SNAP
195K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 SC

USDA FARA access plate

County Beaufort County, SC

LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED

  • LA-SEVERE 49.0% low-access
  • ABOVE-NATIONAL +26.9 pts vs US
  • LILA-CLUSTER 8 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-LIGHT 5.2% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 4.3% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-MIXED 20% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Richland County ( -2.5 pts)

Upper-band low-access

Beaufort County sits in the upper national band (49.0%, #215 of 3,079) with 8 LILA tracts.

#215
national by low-access %
#1
in SC
25
low-access tracts
21K
food-desert residents

Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.

Signature read: 5.2% SNAP (0th pct in SC) (-6.9 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .

How Beaufort County compares nationally

Beaufort County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 49.0% low-access share outpaces 93% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #216 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Beaufort County's elevated USDA tier split

40 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 8 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for Beaufort County, SC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 15 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 17 limited, 8 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 40 tracts evaluated. 15 tracts adequate (37.5%) 17 tracts limited (42.5%) 8 tracts severe / food desert (20.0%) Adequate 38% Limited 43% Severe 20% Food-access tier distribution: Beaufort County, SC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Beaufort County has 28 urban and 12 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 vs nearby high low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in South Carolina, not a full county-board reprint

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

FARA 2019 · elevated low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Beaufort County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts40
Atlas Population (2010 basis)162,233
Low-Access Tracts25
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)8
Low-Access Population79,485
Low-Access Share49.0%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population21,256

ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Beaufort County
IndicatorValue
Population195,289
Median Household Income$86,573
Poverty Rate9.6%below the national average
SNAP Households4,306
SNAP Participation Rate5.2%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.3%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.7%

Thick SNAP store book in Beaufort County

Beaufort County has 124 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 47 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 47

  • circle k 2721650, hilton head island
  • circle k 272277, hilton head island
  • circle k 2723630, hardeeville
  • circle k 272490, port royal
  • circle k 272787, hilton head island
  • circle k 272855, hilton head island
  • circle k 272862, beaufort
  • circle k 272907, beaufort
  • circle k 5385, hilton head island
  • circle k 5386, beaufort
  • circle k 5391, bluffton
  • circle k 8100, hilton head island
  • food mart 1, beaufort
  • food mart 2, beaufort
  • los hermanos, beaufort
  • lowcountry fresh market & cafe, bluffton
  • murphy express 8839, beaufort
  • nouria 101 commerce place east 842, okatie
  • nouria 101 midtown drive 845, beaufort
  • nouria 1010 fording island road 831, bluffton
  • nouria 125 mathews drive 857, hilton head island
  • nouria 2265 boundary street 175, beaufort
  • nouria 3 palmetto bay road 848, hilton head island
  • nouria 3076 trask parkway 844, beaufort
  • nouria 4372 bluffton parkway 851, bluffton
  • nouria 501 island west park 850, bluffton
  • parker's 124, beaufort
  • parker's 32, bluffton
  • parker's 53, hilton head island
  • parker's 56, bluffton
  • parker's 58, beaufort
  • parker's 59, beaufort
  • parker's 66, beaufort
  • parker's 67, saint helena island
  • parker's 91, bluffton
  • parkers 33, bluffton
  • parkers 36, bluffton
  • parkers 38, bluffton
  • parkers 43, bluffton
  • parkers 48, port royal
  • parkers 61, okatie
  • parkers 90, hilton head island
  • refuel 1059, beaufort
  • refuel 62, bluffton
  • shri ganeshay llc, beaufort
  • speedway 2878, hilton head island
  • speedway 2879, hilton head island

Combination Grocery/Other · 28

  • big lots 3307, beaufort
  • cvs pharmacy 3826, port royal
  • cvs pharmacy 4489, bluffton
  • cvs pharmacy 5566, hilton head island
  • cvs pharmacy 7333, hilton head island
  • dollar general 17897, bluffton
  • dollar general 8547, hilton head island
  • dollartree 10479, bluffton
  • dollar general 11917, beaufort
  • dollar general 12672, bluffton
  • dollar general 12812, beaufort
  • dollar general 16443, port royal
  • dollar general 30432, beaufort
  • dollar general 3364, beaufort
  • dollar tree 1479, beaufort
  • dollar tree 364, hilton head
  • dollar tree 3857, bluffton
  • dollar tree 5894, beaufort
  • dollar tree 7922, hilton head island
  • family dollar 8682, beaufort
  • family dollar store 8440, saint helena island
  • walgreens 04980, hilton head isl
  • walgreens 06597, beaufort
  • walgreens 09134, okatie
  • walgreens 11252, beaufort
  • walgreens 18050, beaufort
  • walgreens 4813, hilton head island
  • walgreens 7652, bluffton

Supermarket · 17

  • aldi 76180, beaufort
  • aldi 76181, bluffton
  • el super internacional, bluffton
  • food lion 1330, bluffton
  • food lion 1698, beaufort
  • food lion 2864, beaufort
  • food lion 945, beaufort
  • food lion 2691, bluffton
  • food lion 2839, beaufort
  • publix 0700, hilton head
  • publix 0845, bluffton
  • publix 1205, bluffton
  • publix 1463, beaufort
  • publix 473, hilton head island
  • publix super markets, inc. 1714, bluffton
  • publix super markets, inc. 1716, beaufort
  • the fresh market 048, hilton head island

Super Store · 14

  • harris teeter 152, hilton head
  • harris teeter 423, hilton head island
  • harris teeter 429, beaufort
  • kroger 0499, bluffton
  • kroger 671, hilton head island
  • kroger 703, bluffton
  • piggly wiggly #101, hilton head island
  • piggly wiggly 286, port royal
  • sam's club 6582, bluffton
  • target store t-1298, bluffton
  • walmart 6395, bluffton
  • walmart 7181, beaufort
  • walmart store 728, hilton head island
  • walmart supercenter 1383, beaufort

Seafood Specialty · 5

  • bluffton oyster company, bluffton
  • highway 21 seafood llc, beaufort
  • lemon island seafood, okatie
  • sea eagle market, beaufort
  • shrimp lady, saint helena island

Large Grocery Store · 3

  • la poblanita #3, bluffton
  • la poblanita 1, hilton head island
  • la poblanita 2, bluffton

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3

  • bradley's seafood market, saint helena island
  • bj's chop shop, beaufort
  • ole timey meats beaufort, beaufort

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • los hermanos llc, bluffton
  • tienda la familia, hilton head island
  • tienda y carnicerial la vaquita, bluffton

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • el don juan super mercado, hilton head island
  • super mercado la mexicana, bluffton

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • mikell's fruit roadside stand, beaufort

Military Commissary · 1

  • parris island mcrd commissary 339, parris island

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).

Other Counties in South Carolina

One of 45 counties in South Carolina, 6 are shown here.

Compare Beaufort County vs Abbeville County → · All South Carolina counties →

Counties near Beaufort County's elevated low-access or SNAP band

SNAP-led peer set first for Beaufort County (5.2%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside South Carolina.

Similar low-access share

Nearest low-access rates outside SC (49.0% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside SC (5.2% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Beaufort County inside a higher low-access state context

Beaufort County sits inside South 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, SC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 45013. 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.