PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Virginia

Bedford County, VA

Bedford County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

8.7%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
6.5%
on SNAP
81K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VA

The food-access picture

8.7% of Bedford County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
3.2%
households, no vehicle
8.1%
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).

Bedford County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.7% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 17 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,553 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,105 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 Bedford County compares nationally

Bedford County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.7% low-access share that beats 17% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,586).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Bedford County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 17 census tracts in Bedford 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 Bedford County, VA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 13 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 17 tracts evaluated. 13 tracts adequate (76.5%) 3 tracts limited (17.6%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (5.9%) Adequate 76% Limited 18% Severe 6% Food-access tier distribution: Bedford County, VA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Bedford County vs. other Virginia counties

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

% 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 Bedford County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts17
Atlas Population (2010 basis)74,898
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population6,553
Low-Access Share8.7%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,105

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Bedford County
IndicatorValue
Population80,894
Median Household Income$78,937
Poverty Rate8.1%well below the national average
SNAP Households2,164
SNAP Participation Rate6.5%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.2%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.7%
SNAP participation in Bedford County 6.5%

About 6.5% of Bedford County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 8.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 6.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,164 households here.
  • 3.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Bedford County

near the national share

1 of Bedford County's 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.9% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 6,553 residents, roughly 8.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,105 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 13 tracts (76.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Bedford County

Bedford County has 64 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 32 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 32

  • apple market 505, forest
  • apple market 510, lynchburg
  • apple market 511, moneta
  • body camp store, bedford
  • diamond hill general store, moneta
  • express lane 2 2, forest
  • express lane 4 4, forest
  • go mart 121, bedford
  • goode country store, goode
  • goodview market, goodview
  • h&h market, big island
  • huddleston foodmart, huddleston
  • huddleston market, huddleston
  • jordantown mart llc, vinton
  • m & a country store, moneta
  • murphy usa 7480, bedford
  • north side supply, bedford
  • quick mart, bedford
  • quik-e foods 3, forest
  • quik-e foods 8, forest
  • roadside market, montvale
  • royal farms 168, bedford
  • speedy mart, bedford
  • sheetz 261, forest
  • sheetz 440, forest
  • shop in, vinton
  • skymart discount tobacco, bedford
  • stop in food stores 8124, bedford
  • stop in food stores 8143, montvale
  • stop in food stores 8268, bedford
  • thaxton market, thaxton
  • westside food market, bedford

Combination Grocery/Other · 20

  • cvs 7378, bedford
  • cvs pharmacy 5722, bedford
  • cvs pharmacy 7028, forest
  • cvs pharmacy 7948, forest
  • dollar general 14252, lynchburg
  • dollar general 18693, bedford
  • dollar general 4473, bedford
  • dollar general 11774, moneta
  • dollar general 15056, vinton
  • dollar general 15138, forest
  • dollar general 15649, forest
  • dollar general 19906, huddleston
  • dollar general 24091, vinton
  • dollar general 24449, bedford
  • dollar general 24992, bedford
  • dollar general 30699, huddleston
  • dollar general 7198, forest
  • dollar general store 16524, montvale
  • dollar tree 2763, bedford
  • dollar tree 8263, forest

Supermarket · 4

  • food lion 1537, forest
  • food lion 2174, moneta
  • food lion 249, bedford
  • food lion 657, forest

Farmers' Market · 3

  • bedford va farmers market, bedford
  • forest farmers market, forest
  • the bedford farmer managed market llc, bedford

Super Store · 3

  • kroger 377, forest
  • walmart neighborhood market 3603, forest
  • walmart supercenter 1399, bedford

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • elba butcher shoppe, bedford

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • tienda xpress 1, lynchburg

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Virginia

Accomack County
2.2% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Albemarle County
11.9% low-access · 4.6% SNAP
Alexandria city
0.0% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Alleghany County
16.4% low-access · 8.1% SNAP
Amelia County
16.5% low-access · 13.4% SNAP
Amherst County
11.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Bedford County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, Virginia in context

Bedford County sits inside Virginia (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 Bedford County has low food access? ▼
8.7% of residents in Bedford County, VA 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 Bedford County? ▼
6.5% of households in Bedford County receive SNAP, covering 2,164 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Bedford County? ▼
The poverty rate in Bedford County, VA is 8.1%, with a median household income of $78,937 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Bedford County a food desert? ▼
1 of Bedford County's 17 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 Bedford County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.2% of households in Bedford 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.