PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · North Carolina

Bladen County, NC

Bladen 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.

14.4%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
26.2%
on SNAP
30K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NC

The food-access picture

14.4% of Bladen County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
7.8%
households, no vehicle
22.0%
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).

Bladen County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 14.4% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,063 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,552 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 Bladen County compares nationally

Bladen County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.4% low-access share that beats 31% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,165).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Bladen County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Bladen 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 Bladen County, NC USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (50.0%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (50.0%) Adequate 50% Limited 0% Severe 50% Food-access tier distribution: Bladen County, NC
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Bladen 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 Bladen County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)35,190
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population5,063
Low-Access Share14.4%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,552

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Bladen County
IndicatorValue
Population29,566
Median Household Income$42,422
Poverty Rate22.0%well above the national average
SNAP Households3,093
SNAP Participation Rate26.2%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.8%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.5%
SNAP participation in Bladen County 26.2%

About 26.2% of Bladen County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 14.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 26.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,093 households here.
  • 7.8% 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 Bladen County

near the national share

3 of Bladen County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 50.0% of all its tracts.

An estimated 5,063 residents, roughly 14.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,552 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Bladen County

Bladen County has 41 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 16 locations (39% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • cvs pharmacy 5508, elizabethtown
  • dollar general 11168, dublin
  • dollar general 1806, elizabethtown
  • dollar general 20675, bladenboro
  • dollar general 6681, elizabethtown
  • dollar general 8112, clarkton
  • dollar general 17212, elizabethtown
  • dollar general 25561, bladenboro
  • dollar general 30733, bladenboro
  • dollar general 30862, elizabethtown
  • dollar general store 16642, tar heel
  • dollar tree 3659, elizabethtown
  • family dollar 10953, clarkton
  • family dollar 13865, tar heel
  • family dollar store 7535, bladenboro
  • walgreens 15273, elizabethtown

Convenience Store · 15

  • 41 grocery & grill, bladenboro
  • food plus, bladenboro
  • food plus 4, council
  • han-dee hugo's 5, bladenboro
  • happy mart, elizabethtown
  • kaid mini mart, white oak
  • kelly general store, kelly
  • minuteman food mart 16, elizabethtown
  • minuteman food mart 17, elizabethtown
  • minuteman food mart 18, tar heel
  • minuteman food mart 32, elizabethtown
  • minuteman food mart 49, clarkton
  • pramukh yogi corporation, bladenboro
  • scotchman 3005, whitelake
  • u -stop market, tar heel

Supermarket · 4

  • food lion 2618, elizabethtown
  • fresh foods 8, elizabethtown
  • fresh foods 9, bladenboro
  • piggly wiggly 55, riegelwood

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • goldston's lake store, elizabethtown
  • la fuerte, bladenboro

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • jesse o inman and sons enterprise inc, dublin

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • tienda mexicana leon 1, elizabethtown

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • variety seafood of etown, elizabethtown

Super Store · 1

  • walmart store 1166, elizabethtown

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 Bladen County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →

Food access nationally, North Carolina in context

Bladen 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 Bladen County has low food access? ▼
14.4% of residents in Bladen 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 Bladen County? ▼
26.2% of households in Bladen County receive SNAP, covering 3,093 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Bladen County? ▼
The poverty rate in Bladen County, NC is 22.0%, with a median household income of $42,422 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Bladen County a food desert? ▼
3 of Bladen County's 6 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 Bladen County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.8% of households in Bladen 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.