County food-access profile · Virginia
Botetourt County, VA
Botetourt County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 45.8%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 3.2%
- on SNAP
- 34K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
45.8% of Botetourt County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 3.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 6.2%
- 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).
Botetourt County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 45.8% is well above the national share. 4 of the county's 8 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 15,168 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,596 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 Botetourt County compares nationally
Botetourt County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 45.8% low-access share outpaces 91% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #268 most-affected nationwide.
Botetourt County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 8 census tracts in Botetourt County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Botetourt County vs. other Virginia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Virginia
- Botetourt
Botetourt County, VA
45.8 % low-access
- Accomack 2.2
Accomack County, VA
2.2 % low-access
- Albemarle 11.9
Albemarle County, VA
11.9 % low-access
- Alexandria city 0
Alexandria city, VA
0 % low-access
- Alleghany 16.4
Alleghany County, VA
16.4 % low-access
- Amelia 16.5
Amelia County, VA
16.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 8 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 33,148 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 15,168 |
| Low-Access Share | 45.8%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,596 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 34,004 |
| Median Household Income | $81,213 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.2%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 427 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 3.2%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.3% |
About 3.2% of Botetourt County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 45.8% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 3.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 427 households here.
- 3.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Botetourt County
well above the national share
2 of Botetourt County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 15,168 residents, roughly 45.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,596 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Botetourt County
Botetourt County has 20 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 10
- 604 minute market, roanoke
- blue ridge minute market, blue ridge
- blueridge service center, blue ridge
- circle k 2723707, troutville
- dodge store 8202, troutville
- greenway market, roanoke
- pilot travel center 258, troutville
- sheetz 665, daleville
- stop in 8071, buchanan
- stop in food stores 8205, roanoke
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- cvs pharmacy 3336, daleville
- dollar general 11193, fincastle
- dollar general 8152, buchanan
- family dollar 7282, buchanan
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- heritage family market inc, fincastle
- painters thriftway mkt, troutville
Super Store · 2
- dollar general market 12023, troutville
- kroger 364, daleville
Supermarket · 2
- food lion 1160, troutville
- food lion 2698, daleville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Virginia
Compare Botetourt County vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Food access nationally, Virginia in context
Botetourt County sits inside Virginia (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Botetourt County has low food access? ▼
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Is Botetourt County a food desert? ▼
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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.