County food-access profile · Texas
Bowie County, TX
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Bowie 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).
- 28.9%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 14.6%
- on SNAP
- 92K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.9% of Bowie County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 8
- low-access tracts
- 9K
- food-desert residents
- 6.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 16.2%
- 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).
USDA data puts Bowie County's low-access share at 28.9%, above the national share. 8 of the county's 18 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 26,753 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 8,785 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 Bowie County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Bowie County's 28.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 68% of them and ranked #1,013 most-affected nationwide.
Bowie County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 18 census tracts in Bowie County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Bowie County vs. other Texas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas
- Bowie
Bowie County, TX
28.9 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, TX
43.8 % low-access
- Andrews
Andrews County, TX
26.8 % low-access
- Angelina
Angelina County, TX
26 % low-access
- Aransas
Aransas County, TX
31.7 % low-access
- Archer
Archer County, TX
18.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 18 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 92,565 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 8 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 26,753 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 8,785 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 92,115 |
| Median Household Income | $59,803 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,109 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.6%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.9%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 6.3% |
About 14.6% of Bowie County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,109 households here.
- 6.9% 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 Bowie County
above the national share
2 of Bowie County's 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.1% of all its tracts.
A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.
An estimated 26,753 residents, roughly 28.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 8,785 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 10 tracts (55.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Bowie County
Bowie County has 108 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 52 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 52
- 13 brothers meat market, texarkana
- best mart #6, maud
- circle k 2744522, new boston
- dear dee's mart, texarkana
- e z mart 4436, new boston
- e-z mart 4215, texarkana
- e-z mart 4292, texarkana
- e-z mart 4375, texarkana
- e-z mart 4428, texarkana
- e-z mart 4449, nash
- e-z mart 4462, wake village
- fast low, texarkana
- flowers bakery outlet 50000347, texarkana
- fuel n go, texarkana
- fuel n go, texarkana
- fuel n go, texarkana
- kristi food mart, texarkana
- lake side smoke and food 1, texarkana
- lakeway country store, texarkana
- lakeway store llc, texarkana
- los amigos, texarkana
- love's travel stop 852, new boston
- loves travel stop 473, texarkana
- lovin' life rv park and countrystore, de kalb
- lunah mart, texarkana
- murphy usa 5655, texarkana
- murphy usa 7212, new boston
- murphy usa 7986, texarkana
- new boston mart, texarkana
- new ways, texarkana
- paradise quick stop # 6, nash
- paradise quick stop # 7, texarkana
- paradise quick stop 10, texarkana
- paradise quick stop 11, new boston
- paradise quick stop 12, texarkana
- paradise quick stop 13, hooks
- paradise quick stop 9, texarkana
- quick mart, texarkana
- quick pick mart #2, texarkana
- quick pick mart #3, texarkana
- quick pick mart 1, texarkana
- quiktrip 7900, texarkana
- racetrac 2641, texarkana
- racetrac 2663, texarkana
- ricky's travel center 3, hooks
- road ranger 277, new boston
- shell station texas, texarkana
- tanzanite four llc 00001, de kalb
- texar mart, texarkana
- texarkana travel stop, texarkana
- tri corner mart inc, texarkana
- wilson asian market inc, texarkana
Combination Grocery/Other · 35
- cvs 10055, texarkana
- delaughters #1, maud
- dollar general 10923, texarkana
- dollar general 14492, texarkana
- dollar general 1746, new boston
- dollar general 18485, texarkana
- dollar general 3762, texarkana
- dollar general 9494, nash
- dollar general 9515, texarkana
- dollar general 9620, de kalb
- dollar tree 6663, wake village
- dollar general 11308, hooks
- dollar general 12403, texarkana
- dollar general 13009, wake village
- dollar general 19949, douglassville
- dollar general 20326, simms
- dollar general 20806, texarkana
- dollar general 24590, texarkana
- dollar general 25743, texarkana
- dollar general 30812, new boston
- dollar general 6470, redwater
- dollar tree 451, texarkana
- dollar tree 7020, new boston
- dollar tree 8926, texarkana
- family dollar 12122, texarkana
- family dollar 12959, texarkana
- family dollar 13665, hooks
- family dollar 3828, de kalb
- family dollar 4214, texarkana
- family dollar 4232, new boston
- family dollar 6840, maud
- family dollar 998, texarkana
- temi african market, texarkana
- walgreens 06195, texarkana
- walgreens 06525, texarkana
Super Store · 7
- sam's club 8295, texarkana
- target store t 1811, texarkana
- walmart 2123, texarkana
- walmart neighborhood market 4367, texarkana
- walmart neighborhood market 4371, texarkana
- walmart neighborhood market 4373, wake village
- walmart supercenter 181, new boston
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 75105, texarkana
- albertsons 0135, wake village
- brookshire food store 72, new boston
- super 1 foods 618, texarkana
- spring market 707, maud
- spring market 708, de kalb
Large Grocery Store · 2
- cash saver 5028, hooks
- cash saver 5044, texarkana
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- los abuelos meat market, texarkana
- mercado la fe / the faith market, texarkana
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's pizza tx016, texarkana
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- red river beef co, texarkana
Seafood Specialty · 1
- prestige fish market, hooks
Small Grocery Store · 1
- fruteria el nacimiento, texarkana
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Texas
Compare Bowie County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Food access nationally, Texas in context
Bowie County sits inside Texas (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 Bowie County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Bowie County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Bowie County? ▼
Is Bowie County a food desert? ▼
What share of Bowie County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.