Signature · 8.5% SNAP (8th pct in NC)
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)
USDA FARA access plate
County Brunswick County, NC
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-ELEVATED 28.0% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +5.9 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 8.5% SNAP
- VEH-OK 2.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 6% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Catawba County (+ 0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Brunswick County ranks #1,080 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #20 of 100 counties in NC (28.0% low-access; 2 food-desert tracts).
- #1,080
- national by low-access %
- #20
- in NC
- 13
- low-access tracts
- 9K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 8.5% SNAP (8th pct in NC) (-3.6 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
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
32 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Brunswick County has 14 urban and 18 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Brunswick County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Cumberland
Cumberland 29.2%
29.2 % low-access
- New Hanover
New Hanover 28.7%
28.7 % low-access
- Catawba
Catawba 28.2%
28.2 % low-access
- Brunswick
Brunswick 28%
28 % low-access
- Moore
Moore 26.8%
26.8 % low-access
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % 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 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| 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% |
Thick SNAP store book 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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Carolina
One of 99 counties in North Carolina, 6 are shown here.
Compare Brunswick County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Nationwide peers for Brunswick County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Brunswick County (8.5%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside North Carolina.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (28.0% here).
- Mercer County, NJ · 28.0% low-access
- Mercer County, NJ · 28.0% low-access
- Lorain County, OH · 27.9% low-access
- Cherokee County, OK · 27.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (8.5% here).
- Madison County, NE · 8.5% SNAP
- Madison County, NE · 8.5% SNAP
- Lawrence County, SD · 8.5% SNAP
- Lawrence County, SD · 8.5% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Brunswick County sits inside North Carolina (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Brunswick County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37019. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.