Signature · 1 LILA tracts (100% of tracts)
Buena Vista city, VA
Buena Vista city's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (100% of the book) alongside 95.9% low-access.
- 95.9%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 13.6%
- on SNAP
- 7K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Buena Vista city, VA
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 95.9% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +73.8 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 13.6% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 8.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 100% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Highland County (+ 3.8 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Buena Vista city sits in the upper national band (95.9%, #72 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.
- #72
- national by low-access %
- #2
- in VA
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (100% of tracts) .
How Buena Vista city compares nationally
Buena Vista city sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 95.9% low-access share outpaces 98% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #72 most-affected nationwide.
Buena Vista city's elevated USDA tier split
1 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 1 of Buena Vista city's tracts are urban in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 1-mile test, the stricter of the two distance thresholds.
Buena Vista city vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Highland
Highland 99.7%
99.7 % low-access
- Buena Vista c…
Buena Vista c… 95.9%
95.9 % low-access
- Poquoson city
Poquoson city 65%
65 % low-access
- Franklin city
Franklin city 63.5%
63.5 % low-access
- Cumberland
Cumberland 55.5%
55.5 % low-access
- Dickenson 0
Dickenson 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 1 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 6,650 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,378 |
| Low-Access Share | 95.9%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,321 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 6,593 |
| Median Household Income | $57,833 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.8%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 348 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.6%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.5%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 7.9% |
SNAP retailers in Buena Vista city
Buena Vista city has 9 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 4 locations (44% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
All 9 authorized stores are in Buena Vista, 1 of them grocery-grade (supermarket or large/medium grocery).
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- coiner country store, buena vista
- dollartree 9801, buena vista
- dollar general 339, buena vista
- family dollar 53, buena vista
Convenience Store · 4
- break time, buena vista
- mays, buena vista
- stop in food stores 8045, buena vista
- sheltmans gas n grocery, buena vista
Supermarket · 1
- food lion 1325, buena vista
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Virginia
One of 132 counties in Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Buena Vista city vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Virginia among South Atlantic states
Virginia ranks 8th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (20.4%). Buena Vista city, at 95.9%, runs 75.5 pts above the Virginia rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Buena Vista city, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51530. 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.