PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Tennessee

Blount County, TN

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

30.1%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
5.9%
on SNAP
139K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TN

The food-access picture

30.1% of Blount County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

9
low-access tracts
11K
food-desert residents
2.7%
households, no vehicle
8.4%
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 Blount County's low-access share at 30.1%, above the national share. 9 of the county's 28 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 37,062 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 Blount County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Blount County's 30.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 70% of them and ranked #932 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Blount County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 28 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, TN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 19 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 9 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 28 tracts evaluated. 19 tracts adequate (67.9%) 9 tracts limited (32.1%) Adequate 68% Limited 32% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Blount County, TN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Blount County vs. other Tennessee counties

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

% 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 Tracts28
Atlas Population (2010 basis)123,010
Low-Access Tracts9
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population37,062
Low-Access Share30.1%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population10,551

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Blount County
IndicatorValue
Population139,333
Median Household Income$77,365
Poverty Rate8.4%well below the national average
SNAP Households3,281
SNAP Participation Rate5.9%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle2.7%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.3%
SNAP participation in Blount County 5.9%

About 5.9% of Blount County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 30.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 5.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,281 households here.
  • 2.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $77,365 with a 8.4% 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

above the national share

A further 9 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.

An estimated 37,062 residents, roughly 30.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 10,551 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 19 tracts (67.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Blount County

Blount County has 110 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 60 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 60

  • 129 market, louisville
  • alcoa food mart inc, alcoa
  • brickmill market llc, maryville
  • casey's general store 4222, maryville
  • ez stop food mart 1, maryville
  • ez stop food mart 12, alcoa
  • ez stop food mart 20, maryville
  • ez stop food mart 22, maryville
  • ez stop food mart 27, maryville
  • ez stop food mart 29, maryville
  • ez stop food mart 3, maryville
  • ez stop food mart 31, maryville
  • ez stop food mart 34, maryville
  • ez stop food mart 8, maryville
  • ellejoy market and deli, walland
  • fast lap market & deli, maryville
  • foothills food mart, maryville
  • foothills market, maryville
  • friendsville market # 1, friendsville
  • goodstop 4221, louisville
  • gas express, louisville
  • ians market #45, alcoa
  • ian's market # 93, walland
  • ian's market #155, maryville
  • ians market 3, maryville
  • icon 2, maryville
  • kenjo 15, maryville
  • kenjo 26, maryville
  • kenjo 7, alcoa
  • kenjo 8, maryville
  • kenjo 24, maryville
  • kenjo 41, maryville
  • kenjo 47, friendsville
  • kenjo 48, louisville
  • kenjo market 52, maryville
  • lakeshore shell, louisville
  • lowes market & deli, maryville
  • maryville shell, maryville
  • murphy express 8868, alcoa
  • murphy usa 7450, maryville
  • nikcy's food mart and deli, maryville
  • ohm8090 food & lottery inc., louisville
  • parkway grocery, townsend
  • quick market, alcoa
  • rebel's market, maryville
  • rite stop market, maryville
  • shell, maryville
  • smokey mountain market, townsend
  • sp market #3, maryville
  • sp market 2, maryville
  • super stop market, maryville
  • the local market 102, maryville
  • the local market 108, alcoa
  • the local market 143, townsend
  • weigel's 1078, maryville
  • weigel's 50, alcoa
  • weigel's 53, maryville
  • weigels 1092, alcoa
  • weigels 1114, maryville
  • woods market, maryville

Combination Grocery/Other · 31

  • amburn's market, maryville
  • big lots 3162, alcoa
  • cvs pharmacy 5671, maryville
  • cvs pharmacy 6359, alcoa
  • dollar general 10987, alcoa
  • dollar general 11072, friendsville
  • dollar general 13895, maryville
  • dollar general 3156, maryville
  • dollar general 3988, maryville
  • dollar general 9022, townsend
  • dollar general 962, maryville
  • dollar general 11969, louisville
  • dollar general 15045, louisville
  • dollar general 15857, maryville
  • dollar general 17130, maryville
  • dollar general 17460, maryville
  • dollar general 17719, maryville
  • dollar general 17933, louisville
  • dollar general 22375, walland
  • dollar general 23345, friendsville
  • dollar general 24445, maryville
  • dollar general 2942, alcoa
  • dollar general 30152, maryville
  • dollar general store 15888, maryville
  • dollar tree 3815, maryville
  • dollar tree 545, alcoa
  • family dollar store 266, maryville
  • walgreens 3388, alcoa
  • walgreens 6993, maryville
  • walgreens 11699, maryville
  • walgreens 15906, maryville

Supermarket · 10

  • aldi 70005, maryville
  • aldi 70013, alcoa
  • food city 626, alcoa
  • food city 647, maryville
  • food lion 1362, maryville
  • food lion 1467, maryville
  • food city 651, maryville
  • grocery outlet 23, alcoa
  • publix tennessee, llc 1779, maryville
  • village market iga, townsend

Super Store · 6

  • bj's wholesale club 239, maryville
  • kroger co #00862-d 862, alcoa
  • kroger 683, maryville
  • target store t-1250, maryville
  • walmart 672, alcoa
  • walmart supercenter 4223, maryville

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • horn of plenty marketplace, maryville
  • la lupita llc 2, maryville

Delivery Route · 1

  • family's first gourmet foods, louisville

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Tennessee

Anderson County
10.9% low-access · 11.9% SNAP
Bedford County
23.0% low-access · 10.2% SNAP
Benton County
12.6% low-access · 15.8% SNAP
Bledsoe County
4.7% low-access · 18.1% SNAP
Bradley County
32.9% low-access · 11.7% SNAP
Campbell County
13.8% low-access · 18.5% SNAP

Compare Blount County vs Anderson County → · All Tennessee counties →

Food access nationally, Tennessee in context

Blount County sits inside Tennessee (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? ▼
30.1% of residents in Blount County, TN 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? ▼
5.9% of households in Blount County receive SNAP, covering 3,281 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Blount County? ▼
The poverty rate in Blount County, TN is 8.4%, with a median household income of $77,365 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Blount County a food desert? ▼
0 of Blount County's 28 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? ▼
2.7% 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.