PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · West Virginia

Berkeley County, WV

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

38.8%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
11.6%
on SNAP
130K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WV

The food-access picture

38.8% of Berkeley County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

6
low-access tracts
11K
food-desert residents
5.1%
households, no vehicle
11.1%
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).

USDA data puts Berkeley County's low-access share at 38.8%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 14 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 40,420 people. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 Berkeley County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Berkeley County's 38.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 86% of them and ranked #449 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Berkeley County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 14 census tracts in Berkeley 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 Berkeley County, WV USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 6 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 14 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (57.1%) 6 tracts limited (42.9%) Adequate 57% Limited 43% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Berkeley County, WV
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Berkeley County vs. other West Virginia counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in West 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 Berkeley County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts14
Atlas Population (2010 basis)104,169
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population40,420
Low-Access Share38.8%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population11,239

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Berkeley County
IndicatorValue
Population129,514
Median Household Income$80,815
Poverty Rate11.1%below the national average
SNAP Households5,907
SNAP Participation Rate11.6%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.9%
SNAP participation in Berkeley County 11.6%

About 11.6% of Berkeley County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 38.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,907 households here.
  • 5.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $80,815 with a 11.1% poverty rate.

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 Berkeley County

above the national share

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

An estimated 40,420 residents, roughly 38.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 11,239 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (57.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Berkeley County

Berkeley County has 86 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 43 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 43

  • 7 eleven inc f 22086, martinsburg
  • 7-eleven 10670a, martinsburg
  • 7-eleven 17703c, martinsburg
  • 7-eleven 28310a, hedgesville
  • 7-eleven store 18665j, kearneysville
  • 7-eleven store 25306b, martinsburg
  • 7-eleven, inc. 28320, falling waters
  • a c & t falling waters exxon 720, falling waters
  • bfs foods 96, falling waters
  • crowells village store inc, martinsburg
  • enter & exit, martinsburg
  • goodnatured llc, martinsburg
  • h-mart, martinsburg
  • hernandez store llc, gerrardstown
  • inwood bp 627, inwood
  • inwood shell 631, inwood
  • king street bp 625, martinsburg
  • kwik chek, martinsburg
  • martinsburg exxon 200, martinsburg
  • moler avenue shell 636, martinsburg
  • motherland international market llc, martinsburg
  • penny mart 05, martinsburg
  • pikeside shell 630, martinsburg
  • queen st. country market, martinsburg
  • rocs 634, martinsburg
  • rocs convenience stores 620, falling waters
  • rocs local market 638, martinsburg
  • royal farms 412, martinsburg
  • royal farms 527, martinsburg
  • rt 9 shell 629, martinsburg
  • rutter's 73, inwood
  • rutter's 95, martinsburg
  • sheetz 137, kearneysville
  • sheetz 143, inwood
  • sheetz 220, martinsburg
  • sheetz 241, martinsburg
  • sheetz 241, martinsburg
  • sheetz 425, martinsburg
  • sheetz 546, martinsburg
  • south end shell 622, martinsburg
  • spring mills shell 628, falling waters
  • tracy's corner grocery 1, gerrardstown
  • wawa store 6900, inwood

Combination Grocery/Other · 24

  • cvs pharmacy 1308, inwood
  • cvs pharmacy 1429, martinsburg
  • dollar general 13675, falling waters
  • dollar general 0134, inwood
  • dollar general 13120, kearneysville
  • dollar general 20424, bunker hill
  • dollar general 21103, martinsburg
  • dollar general 24090, martinsburg
  • dollar general 24828, hedgesville
  • dollar general 2536, hedgesville
  • dollar general 25507, gerrardstown
  • dollar general 7780, martinsburg
  • dollar general 9362, martinsburg
  • dollar general store 16084, hedgesville
  • dollar tree 163, martinsburg
  • dollar tree 5006, martisburg
  • dollar tree 7269, martinsburg
  • family dollar store 1681, martinsburg
  • family dollar store 2319, inwood
  • family dollar store 2888, martinsburg
  • martins meadow poultry, martinsburg
  • orr's farm market 1, martinsburg
  • walgreens 11677, martinsburg
  • walgreens 19210, inwood

Supermarket · 10

  • aldi 71074, martinsburg
  • aldi 71007, martinsburg
  • food lion 2194, falling waters
  • food lion 2257, inwood
  • martins food market 6107, martinsburg
  • martins food market 6557, hedgesville
  • martins food market 6560, martinsburg
  • save-a-lot 45111, martinsburg
  • weis markets 108, martinsburg
  • weis markets 238, martinsburg

Super Store · 3

  • target store 2538, martinsburg
  • walmart 4423, martinsburg
  • walmart supercenter 1703, martinsburg

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • crestview meat market, martinsburg
  • d&d meats llc, inwood

Farmers' Market · 1

  • martinsburg farmers market, martinsburg

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • johnnie's express, martinsburg

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • el merdadito diario, martinsburg

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • el gallo international market 1, martinsburg

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in West Virginia

Barbour County
11.4% low-access · 19.5% SNAP
Boone County
6.6% low-access · 22.0% SNAP
Braxton County
18.3% low-access · 22.0% SNAP
Brooke County
16.9% low-access · 14.1% SNAP
Cabell County
8.3% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Calhoun County
24.2% low-access · 25.5% SNAP

Compare Berkeley County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, West Virginia in context

Berkeley County sits inside West 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 Berkeley County has low food access? ▼
38.8% of residents in Berkeley County, WV 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 Berkeley County? ▼
11.6% of households in Berkeley County receive SNAP, covering 5,907 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Berkeley County? ▼
The poverty rate in Berkeley County, WV is 11.1%, with a median household income of $80,815 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Berkeley County a food desert? ▼
0 of Berkeley County's 14 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Berkeley County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.1% of households in Berkeley 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.