County food-access profile · North Carolina
Brunswick County, NC
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Brunswick 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).
- 28.0%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 8.5%
- on SNAP
- 153K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.0% of Brunswick County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 32 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 13
- low-access tracts
- 9K
- food-desert residents
- 2.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.2%
- 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 Brunswick County's low-access share at 28.0%, above the national share. 13 of the county's 32 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 30,109 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,253 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 Brunswick County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Brunswick County's 28.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 65% of them and ranked #1,083 most-affected nationwide.
Brunswick County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 32 census tracts in Brunswick County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Brunswick County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- Brunswick
Brunswick County, NC
28 % low-access
- Alamance
Alamance County, NC
25 % low-access
- Alexander
Alexander County, NC
20.4 % low-access
- Alleghany 4.3
Alleghany County, NC
4.3 % low-access
- Anson 8.4
Anson County, NC
8.4 % low-access
- Ashe
Ashe County, NC
22.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 32 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 107,431 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 13 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 30,109 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.0%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 9,253 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 152,568 |
| Median Household Income | $77,024 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,908 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.5%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.6% |
About 8.5% of Brunswick County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 8.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,908 households here.
- 2.4% 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 Brunswick County
above the national share
2 of Brunswick County's 32 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 6.3% of all its tracts.
A further 11 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 13.
An estimated 30,109 residents, roughly 28.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 9,253 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 19 tracts (59.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Brunswick County
Brunswick County has 137 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 53 locations (39% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 53
- big lots 3228, southport
- cvs pharmacy 5563, leland
- cvs pharmacy 7048, ocean isle beach
- cvs pharmacy 7382, southport
- cvs pharmacy 7420, calabash
- cvs pharmacy 7512, shallotte
- cvs pharmacy 8928, leland
- dollar general 11156, bolivia
- dollar general 1689, shallotte
- dollar general 18793, supply
- dollar general 6074, holden beach
- dollar general 7017, ocean isle beach
- dollar general 8109, leland
- dollar general 8545, southport
- dollar general 8990, leland
- dollartree 10092, sunset beach
- dollartree 10103, shallotte
- dollartree 10160, southport
- dollartree 8014, supply
- dollartree 8169, ocean isle beach
- dollar general 10171, southport
- dollar general 11290, calabash
- dollar general 15613, shallotte
- dollar general 15652, longwood
- dollar general 16795, calabash
- dollar general 19668, oak island
- dollar general 19791, sunset beach
- dollar general 19820, winnabow
- dollar general 20166, shallotte
- dollar general 21514, sunset beach
- dollar general 22542, bolivia
- dollar general 23815, supply
- dollar general 24629, bolivia
- dollar general 25139, shallotte
- dollar general store 17163, leland
- dollar tree 1466, southport
- dollar tree 1509, shallotte
- dollar tree 3263, leland
- dollar tree 7301, ocean isle beach
- family dollar store 400, leland
- family dollar 10962, leland
- family dollar 393, southport
- family dollar store 8297, calabash
- holden beach seafood, supply
- lucky day produce, shallotte
- seaview crab company- belville, belville
- walgreens 01956, leland
- walgreens 02530, southport
- walgreens 07749, sunset beach
- walgreens 1051, shallotte
- walgreens 11352, leland
- walgreens 11837, supply
- walgreens 16170, southport
Convenience Store · 51
- 365 fast mart #141, bolivia
- 7-eleven #42125a 42125a, leland
- boones neck pantry, supply
- buy & go 7, leland
- cheetah mart llc 1, winnabow
- circle k 2704576, belville
- circle k 2706487, leland
- circle k 2720467, southport
- circle k 2723049, ocean isle beach
- circle k 2723135, oak island
- circle k 2723143, shallotte
- circle k 2723487, supply
- circle k 2723999, ocean isle beach
- civietown mini mart, shallotte
- han-dee hugo's 2, supply
- han-dee hugo's 7, leland
- han-dee hugo's 9, bolivia
- han-dee hugo's 21, winnabow
- han-dee hugo's 3, leland
- island express mart, oak island
- la tienda el mercadito #2, wilmington
- lucky stop mini mart, bolivia
- maco depot 114, leland
- magnolia greens bp 108, leland
- mayway lanvale station 1, leland
- middle river c-store 116, bolivia
- midway seafood & grocery, bolivia
- minuteman food mart 12, shallotte
- minuteman food mart 14, sunset beach
- minuteman food mart 15, calabash
- minuteman food mart 19, ocean isle beach
- minuteman food mart 31, supply
- minuteman food mart 33, shallotte
- minuteman food mart 37, leland
- minuteman food mart 45, supply
- murphy express 8572, southport
- murphy express 8715, shallotte
- murphy usa 7419, leland
- olde brunswick general store, southport
- olde brunswick store 2, oak island
- refuel 1129, leland
- royal farms 534, sunset beach
- scotchman 3115, belville
- scotchman 3120, shallotte
- scotchman 3177, shallotte
- shallotte family fare 418, shallotte
- sinjel, inc dba fairhaven mini-mart, leland
- southbound service station, bolivia
- sunny point c store 117, southport
- village mart, shallotte
- waccamaw mini mart, ash
Supermarket · 16
- aldi 80018, leland
- food lion 1593, sunset beach
- food lion 1607, carolina shores
- food lion 1655, leland
- food lion 2114, oak island
- food lion 2546, holden beach
- food lion 852, leland
- food lion 2130, shallotte
- food lion 2223, southport
- hills food store #12 12, shallotte
- lowe's food store 230, ocean isle beach
- lowe's foods 237, leland
- lowes foods 235, bolivia
- lowes foods 273, southport
- publix 1631, ocean isle beach
- publix north carolina, lp 1703, oak island
Seafood Specialty · 8
- beacon 1 seafood, supply
- calabash fisheries inc., calabash
- carson varnam shellfish and more, supply
- clem's seafood, southport
- dougs seafood, inc, shallotte
- holden brother seafood inc., shallotte
- island seafood, ocean isle beach
- seafood shack, supply
Super Store · 5
- harris teeter 225, leland
- piggly wiggly 92, leland
- walmart supercenter 4273, leland
- walmart supercenter 1767, shallotte
- walmart supercenter 2772, southport
Farmers' Market · 1
- clifton seafood, sunset beach
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- randys meat center, ocean isle beach
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- la palmita mexican enterprises inc, leland
Small Grocery Store · 1
- alex's wireless 1, shallotte
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare Brunswick County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Brunswick County sits inside North Carolina (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 Brunswick County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Brunswick County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Brunswick County? ▼
Is Brunswick County a food desert? ▼
What share of Brunswick 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.