County food-access profile · North Carolina
Buncombe County, NC
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Buncombe 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).
- 29.4%
- low-access pop.
- 7
- food-desert tracts
- 9.5%
- on SNAP
- 274K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
29.4% of Buncombe County residents live in a low-access area, and 7 of its 56 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 26
- low-access tracts
- 23K
- food-desert residents
- 4.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.8%
- 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 Buncombe County's low-access share at 29.4%, above the national share. 26 of the county's 56 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 70,127 people. 7 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 23,393 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 Buncombe County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Buncombe County's 29.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 69% of them and ranked #972 most-affected nationwide.
Buncombe County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 56 census tracts in Buncombe County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Buncombe County vs. other North Carolina counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Carolina
- Buncombe
Buncombe County, NC
29.4 % 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 | 56 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 238,318 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 26 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 7 |
| Low-Access Population | 70,127 |
| Low-Access Share | 29.4%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 23,393 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 274,360 |
| Median Household Income | $74,436 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.8%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 9,660 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.5%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.7% |
About 9.5% of Buncombe County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 29.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 9,660 households here.
- 4.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 7 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 Buncombe County
above the national share
7 of Buncombe County's 56 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.5% of all its tracts.
A further 19 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 26.
An estimated 70,127 residents, roughly 29.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 23,393 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 30 tracts (53.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Buncombe County
Buncombe County has 193 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 75 locations (39% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 75
- black mountain natural foods, black mountain
- bjs gas & food 1, candler
- black mountain gas & vape 1, black mountain
- boone's convenience corner 1, arden
- boone's convenience corner 2, candler
- chapala grocery, arden
- citgo leicester general store, leicester
- citi stop 107, asheville
- citi stop 108, asheville
- citi stop 119, arden
- citistop 101, asheville
- citistop 105, asheville
- citistop 109, asheville
- citistop 110, asheville
- citistop 111, asheville
- citistop 112, asheville
- citistop 113, asheville
- citistop 114, asheville
- citistop 115, asheville
- citistop 116, asheville
- citistop 117, asheville
- citistop 120, weaverville
- crossroads grocery, asheville
- d & d grocery and restaurant, weaverville
- easyway stop 1, asheville
- eblen short stop #3, asheville
- eblen short stop #7 #7, asheville
- energy mart stores #10 10, arden
- energy mart stores 11, black mountain
- fastop market 306, arden
- fastop markets 302, candler
- flowers bakery outlet 1300, weaverville
- gossett grocery llc, leicester
- greens mini mart, asheville
- h&b grocery store 01, asheville
- hot spot 2003, asheville
- hot spot 5001, asheville
- hot spot 5002, asheville
- hot spot 5003, asheville
- j's convenience, asheville
- jetstop 1, candler
- mapco 646, candler
- montford convenience, asheville
- murphy express 8958, arden
- nick pick, asheville
- nouria 125 leicester highway 315, asheville
- nouria 203 merrimon avenue 325, asheville
- nouria 2580 hendersonville road 815, arden
- nouria 825 tunnel road 844, asheville
- old new found grocery, leicester
- onestop 14, barnardsville
- pisgah valley market, candler
- quick trip 3, asheville
- quickmart 2, weaverville
- quickmart 3, asheville
- radha indian grocers, asheville
- red oak crossing, weaverville
- roadrunner market 6035, black mountain
- roadrunner market 6048, asheville
- roadrunner market 6050, asheville
- roadrunner market 6051, weaverville
- roadrunner market 6060, asheville
- sheetz 911, arden
- shree uma llc, swannanoa
- speedway 7913, asheville
- speedway 7914, asheville
- stop n go 9, swannanoa
- ta candler 221, candler
- the spot, candler
- the i-market 731, asheville
- the imarket 708, black mountain
- valley market, asheville
- i-market 704, asheville
- i-market 722, asheville
- i-market 730, asheville
Combination Grocery/Other · 44
- cvs pharmacy 2538, swannanoa
- cvs pharmacy 3847, asheville
- cvs pharmacy 3860, black mountain
- cvs pharmacy 4105, asheville
- cvs pharmacy 4116, asheville
- cvs pharmacy 4176, asheville
- cvs pharmacy 5586, asheville
- cvs pharmacy 6769, asheville
- cvs pharmacy 7013, weaverville
- cvs pharmacy 7588, asheville
- cvs pharmacy 7884, arden
- dollar general 13963, leicester
- dollar general 14183, asheville
- dollar general 2637, black mountain
- dollar general 423, candler
- dollar general 6092, fairview
- dollar general 6555, asheville
- dollar general 8784, black mountain
- dollartree 62, asheville
- dollartree 8714, arden
- dollartree plus 8779, candler
- dollar general 16125, candler
- dollar general 20065, fairview
- dollar general 20560, asheville
- dollar general 20626, weaverville
- dollar general 21759, arden
- dollar general 23313, swannanoa
- dollar general 30824, asheville
- dollar tree 4912, weaverville
- dollar tree 7758, asheville
- dollar tree 7918, asheville
- dollar tree 90, asheville
- family dollar 12423, candler
- family dollar 3282, asheville
- family dollar 8163, swannanoa
- hickory nut gap farm, fairview
- kim's oriental food & gifts, asheville
- walgreens 07823, asheville
- walgreens 11556, candler
- walgreens 11712, arden
- walgreens 12779, asheville
- walgreens 16102, asheville
- walgreens 9458, asheville
- wall street market, asheville
Supermarket · 35
- aldi 62056 62056, asheville
- aldi 63068 63068, asheville
- aldi 76072, arden
- aldi 76073, weaverville
- aldi 76074, asheville
- earth fare 100, asheville
- food lion 1056, fairview
- food lion 412, candler
- french broad trading co, asheville
- grocery outlet 25, asheville
- hopey and company, asheville
- ingles markets 111, asheville
- ingles markets 130, arden
- ingles markets 134, candler
- ingles markets 180, weaverville
- ingles markets 2, asheville
- ingles markets 22, asheville
- ingles markets 24, asheville
- ingles markets 3, asheville
- ingles markets 30, asheville
- ingles markets 31, asheville
- ingles markets 4, asheville
- ingles markets 5, asheville
- ingles markets 62, asheville
- ingles markets 7, asheville
- ingles markets 79, asheville
- ingles markets 8, black mountain
- ingles markets 137, arden
- publix 1473, asheville
- publix 1546, weaverville
- sav mor 18, asheville
- sav mor 19, asheville
- the fresh market 003, asheville
- the fresh market 189, asheville
- trader joe's 740, asheville
Super Store · 12
- dollar general market 13258, candler
- harris teeter 348, asheville
- sam's club 6452, asheville
- target store t-1807, asheville
- target store t-2011, arden
- walmart store 1317, asheville
- walmart supercenter 1179, arden
- walmart supercenter 4428, asheville
- walmart supercenter 4334, weaverville
- whole foods market 10351, asheville
- whole foods market 10520, ashville
- whole foods market 10783, asheville
Farmers' Market · 10
- asheville city market, asheville
- black mountain tailgate market nafmnp, black mountain
- east asheville market nafmnp, asheville
- enka candler farmers market nafmnp, candler
- leicester farmers market ffab, leicester
- north asheville tailgate market, asheville
- river art district farmers market nafmnp, asheville
- southside community garden market nafmnp, asheville
- weaverville tailgate market, weaverville
- west asheville tailgate market, asheville
Medium Grocery Store · 8
- eurofoods imported-international, asheville
- los nenes bakery llc 1, asheville
- market on haywood dba west village market, asheville
- plemmons family foods 1, asheville
- the landing depot 2, asheville
- tienda el quetzal inc, asheville
- uplifting deals, asheville
- yz asian market, asheville
Small Grocery Store · 5
- blue ridge market, llc, asheville
- chapala tienda, asheville
- euromarket, asheville
- tienda hispana la catrachita, asheville
- tienda mexicana y carniceria el ranchito llc, swannanoa
Large Grocery Store · 3
- amazing savings #2, black mountain
- asiana market, asheville
- grocery outlet 26, asheville
Delivery Route · 1
- mother earth food, inc., asheville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Carolina
Compare Buncombe County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Food access nationally, North Carolina in context
Buncombe 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 Buncombe County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Buncombe County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Buncombe County? ▼
Is Buncombe County a food desert? ▼
What share of Buncombe 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.