PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Texas

Brown County, TX

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

35.1%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
11.9%
on SNAP
38K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 TX

The food-access picture

35.1% of Brown County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

8
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
6.5%
households, no vehicle
15.3%
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 Brown County's low-access share at 35.1%, above the national share. 8 of the county's 12 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 13,373 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,062 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 Brown County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Brown County's 35.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 81% of them and ranked #589 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Brown County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Brown 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 Brown County, TX USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (33.3%) 3 tracts limited (25.0%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (41.7%) Adequate 33% Limited 25% Severe 42% Food-access tier distribution: Brown County, TX
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Brown County vs. other Texas counties

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

% 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 Brown County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)38,106
Low-Access Tracts8
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population13,373
Low-Access Share35.1%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,062

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Brown County
IndicatorValue
Population38,347
Median Household Income$57,470
Poverty Rate15.3%near the national average
SNAP Households1,776
SNAP Participation Rate11.9%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.5%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.5%
SNAP participation in Brown County 11.9%

About 11.9% of Brown County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 35.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,776 households here.
  • 6.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 5 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 Brown County

above the national share

5 of Brown County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 41.7% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.

An estimated 13,373 residents, roughly 35.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,062 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Brown County

Brown County has 45 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 24

  • 7-eleven 097, brownwood
  • 7-eleven 098, brownwood
  • 7-eleven 099, brownwood
  • 7-eleven, inc. 40527, brownwood
  • 7-eleven, inc. 42478, brownwood
  • allsups 108, early
  • allsups 272, bangs
  • allsups 084, brownwood
  • bell express, brownwood
  • brown express 1, brownwood
  • brownwood hop in, brownwood
  • brownwood inc 3, brownwood
  • brownwood market, brownwood
  • cefco 2071, early
  • e-z mart 4303, brownwood
  • food mart-8 1, early
  • food plaza 1, brownwood
  • hall petroleum inc. 6, bangs
  • lilly food store, brownwood
  • murphy usa 7651, brownwood
  • southside petroleum inc. 9, brownwood
  • texas express #4, brownwood
  • texas express 3, brownwood
  • united express 554, brownwood

Combination Grocery/Other · 14

  • cvs/ pharmacy 7269, brownwood
  • dollar general 10125, bangs
  • dollar general 1754, brownwood
  • dollar general 14646, brownwood
  • dollar general 15561, brownwood
  • dollar general 20817, early
  • dollar general 22563, may
  • dollar general 7682, brownwood
  • dollar tree 6603, brownwood
  • family dollar 12479, early
  • family dollar 13508, brownwood
  • family dollar 13539, bangs
  • family dollar 3647, brownwood
  • walgreens 11926, brownwood

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 85, brownwood
  • brookshire food store 116, brownwood
  • united supermarkets 554, brownwood

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • bangs thrift mart inc, bangs

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • big g foods, brownwood

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • sliger's market, brownwood

Super Store · 1

  • walmart 813, brownwood

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Texas

Anderson County
43.8% low-access · 18.0% SNAP
Andrews County
26.8% low-access · 13.0% SNAP
Angelina County
26.0% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Aransas County
31.7% low-access · 8.6% SNAP
Archer County
18.3% low-access · 6.5% SNAP
Armstrong County
99.7% low-access · 3.4% SNAP

Compare Brown County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →

Food access nationally, Texas in context

Brown County sits inside Texas (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 Brown County has low food access? ▼
35.1% of residents in Brown County, TX 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 Brown County? ▼
11.9% of households in Brown County receive SNAP, covering 1,776 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Brown County? ▼
The poverty rate in Brown County, TX is 15.3%, with a median household income of $57,470 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Brown County a food desert? ▼
5 of Brown County's 12 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 Brown County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.5% of households in Brown 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.