PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Alabama

Blount County, AL

Most of Blount County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

6.8%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
12.3%
on SNAP
60K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AL

The food-access picture

6.8% of Blount County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

1
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
4.0%
households, no vehicle
12.9%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Blount County fares better than most: just 6.8% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 9 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 3,902 people who live far from a supermarket, and 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 Blount County compares nationally

Food access in Blount County compares favorably nationally: its 6.8% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 13% of them (rank #2,716).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Blount County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Blount 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 Blount County, AL USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (88.9%) 1 tracts limited (11.1%) Adequate 89% Limited 11% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Blount County, AL
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Blount County vs. other Alabama counties

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

% 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 Blount County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)57,322
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population3,902
Low-Access Share6.8%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,440

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Blount County
IndicatorValue
Population59,518
Median Household Income$64,190
Poverty Rate12.9%near the national average
SNAP Households2,731
SNAP Participation Rate12.3%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.0%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.9%
SNAP participation in Blount County 12.3%

About 12.3% of Blount County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 6.8% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 12.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,731 households here.
  • 4.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $64,190 with a 12.9% 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 Blount County

below the national share

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 1.

An estimated 3,902 residents, roughly 6.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,440 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (88.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Blount County

Blount County has 46 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 19 locations (41% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 19

  • cvs pharmacy 4854, oneonta
  • dollar general 4150, oneonta
  • dollar general 7364, cleveland
  • dollar general 9077, hayden
  • dollar general 9783, blountsville
  • dollar general 13477, remlap
  • dollar general 15419, oneonta
  • dollar general 23667, oneonta
  • dollar general 24521, hayden
  • dollar general 24526, locust fork
  • dollar general 25028, warrior
  • dollar general 31133, locust fork
  • dollar general store 17567, blountsville
  • dollar tree 1181, oneonta
  • family dollar 12735, cleveland
  • family dollar 13231, blountsville
  • family dollar 13505, hayden
  • family dollar 13894, altoona
  • nicos's supermarket llc 2, oneonta

Convenience Store · 17

  • 75 quick stop, oneonta
  • brooksville food mart, blountsville
  • busy bee, oneonta
  • hayden shamrock 149, warrior
  • jet pep 12, oneonta
  • locust fork grocery & hardware, locust fork
  • locust fork produce, locust fork
  • m & n food mart, oneonta
  • oneonta family mart # al0075, oneonta
  • oneonta quick stop, oneonta
  • reid's, trafford
  • rosa food mart, oneonta
  • snead marathon, altoona
  • spring valley super stop, blountsville
  • super saver, ramlap
  • tatheer llc marathon, cleveland
  • tonka shell & deli, cleveland

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 2

  • dixie's produce market, oneonta
  • graves family market, altoona

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • lucky's supermarket 94, blountsville
  • piggly wiggly 86, snead

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • la morenita supermarket llc, oneonta
  • z mart, trafford

Super Store · 2

  • s & s foods 3, cleveland
  • walmart s/c 315, oneonta

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • el portal supermarket, blounsville

Supermarket · 1

  • price less iga 012, oneonta

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Alabama

Autauga County
33.9% low-access · 9.2% SNAP
Baldwin County
25.1% low-access · 6.7% SNAP
Barbour County
20.5% low-access · 21.3% SNAP
Bibb County
1.6% low-access · 20.7% SNAP
Bullock County
68.5% low-access · 34.0% SNAP
Butler County
12.0% low-access · 17.3% SNAP

Compare Blount County vs Autauga County → · All Alabama counties →

Food access nationally, Alabama in context

Blount County sits inside Alabama (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 Blount County has low food access? ▼
6.8% of residents in Blount County, AL 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 Blount County? ▼
12.3% of households in Blount County receive SNAP, covering 2,731 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Blount County? ▼
The poverty rate in Blount County, AL is 12.9%, with a median household income of $64,190 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Blount County a food desert? ▼
0 of Blount County's 9 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 Blount County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.0% of households in Blount 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.