Signature · 9.5% SNAP (16th pct in NC)
Buncombe County, NC
Buncombe County sits in the upper national band on low-access (29.4%, +7.3 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 29.4%
- low-access pop.
- 7
- food-desert tracts
- 9.5%
- on SNAP
- 274K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Buncombe County, NC
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 29.4% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +7.3 pts vs US
- LILA-CLUSTER 7 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.5% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 13% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Cumberland County ( -0.2 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Buncombe County sits in the upper national band (29.4%, #968 of 3,079) with 7 LILA tracts.
- #968
- national by low-access %
- #16
- in NC
- 26
- low-access tracts
- 23K
- 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: 9.5% SNAP (16th pct in NC) (-2.6 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
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's elevated USDA tier split
56 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 7 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Buncombe County has 40 urban and 16 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.
Buncombe County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Carolina, not a full county-board reprint
- Hyde
Hyde 60.5%
60.5 % low-access
- Buncombe
Buncombe 29.4%
29.4 % 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
- Greene 0.1
Greene 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| 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 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| 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% |
Thick SNAP store book 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 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 Buncombe County vs Alamance County → · All North Carolina counties →
Counties near Buncombe County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Buncombe County (9.5%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside North Carolina.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NC (29.4% here).
- Greene County, OH · 29.4% low-access
- Greene County, OH · 29.4% low-access
- Jones County, TX · 29.4% low-access
- Jones County, TX · 29.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NC (9.5% here).
- Douglas County, NE · 9.5% SNAP
- Douglas County, NE · 9.5% SNAP
- Stearns County, MN · 9.5% SNAP
- Stearns County, MN · 9.5% 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.
Buncombe County inside a higher low-access state context
Buncombe 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 Buncombe County, NC are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 37021. 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.