County food-access profile · Georgia
Bryan County, GA
Bryan 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.
- 41.1%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 7.9%
- on SNAP
- 48K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
41.1% of Bryan County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 3.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 6.7%
- 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).
Bryan County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 41.1% is well above the national share. 2 of the county's 6 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 12,426 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,916 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 Bryan County compares nationally
Bryan County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 41.1% low-access share outpaces 88% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #365 most-affected nationwide.
Bryan County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 6 census tracts in Bryan County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Bryan County vs. other Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Bryan
Bryan County, GA
41.1 % low-access
- Appling
Appling County, GA
47.8 % low-access
- Atkinson 23.5
Atkinson County, GA
23.5 % low-access
- Bacon 3.3
Bacon County, GA
3.3 % low-access
- Baker
Baker County, GA
61.3 % low-access
- Baldwin
Baldwin County, GA
24.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 30,233 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 12,426 |
| Low-Access Share | 41.1%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,916 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 48,263 |
| Median Household Income | $103,408 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.7%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,314 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.9%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.3% |
About 7.9% of Bryan County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 41.1% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,314 households here.
- 3.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Bryan County
well above the national share
1 of Bryan County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 12,426 residents, roughly 41.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,916 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Bryan County
Bryan County has 39 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (54% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 21
- chu's mart 116, richmond hill
- dildip inc, richmond hill
- dip n dash, ellabell
- dip trading, richmond hill
- el cheapo #30, ellabell
- love's travel stop 778, ellabell
- love's travel stops & country stores, inc 338, richmond hill
- nouria 15163 georgia highway 144 826, richmond hill
- nouria 203 east bacon street 774, pembroke
- ohm sai 11 inc, richmond hill
- parker's 122, richmond hill
- parker's 31, ellabell
- parkers 26, richmond hill
- parkers 7, richmond hill
- pilot travel center 1390, ellabell
- quick stop, pembroke
- sai ashirwad llc, ellabell
- shell food mart, richmond hill
- ta savannah 177, richmond hill
- the bazaar at pembroke, pembroke
- zip-n-food 3, ellabell
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- cvs pharmacy 7783, richmond hill
- dollar general 3905, richmond hill
- dollar general 8026, pembroke
- dollar general 12755, black creek
- dollar general 20140, ellabell
- dollar general 22006, ellabell
- dollar general store 16690, richmond hill
- dollar tree 4707, richmond hill
- family dollar 13471, pembroke
- family dollar 9040, richmond hill
- walgreens 10506, richmond hill
Supermarket · 4
- food lion 2159, richmond hill
- food lion 2811, pembroke
- kens iga supermarket, ellabell
- publix 1154, richmond hill
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's pizza ga007, richmond hill
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- viet huong supermarket, ellabell
Super Store · 1
- kroger store 688, richmond hill
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Bryan County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Bryan County sits inside Georgia (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 Bryan County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Bryan County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Bryan County? ▼
Is Bryan County a food desert? ▼
What share of Bryan 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.