County food-access profile · Georgia
Butts County, GA
Butts County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 16.6%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 14.8%
- on SNAP
- 26K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
16.6% of Butts County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 3 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 4.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.4%
- 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).
Butts County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.6% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 3 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,933 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,022 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 Butts County compares nationally
Butts County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.6% low-access share that beats 37% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,983).
Butts County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 3 census tracts in Butts County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Butts County vs. other Georgia counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Georgia
- Butts 16.6
Butts County, GA
16.6 % 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 | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 23,655 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,933 |
| Low-Access Share | 16.6%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,022 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 26,496 |
| Median Household Income | $69,241 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.4%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,324 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.8%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 9.3% |
About 14.8% of Butts County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 16.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,324 households here.
- 4.3% 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 Butts County
near the national share
1 of Butts County's 3 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.
An estimated 3,933 residents, roughly 16.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,022 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 2 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Butts County
Butts County has 30 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (60% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 18
- 2315 food mart, jenkinsburg
- 4 star bp, jackson
- express food mart, jackson
- hwy 36 superette 216, jackson
- jp jackson 286, jackson
- jp peachtree 236, jackson
- jackson food mart, jackson
- love' travel stops & country stores, inc 307, jackson
- marathon food mart, jenkinsburg
- park avenue c store, jackson
- peachtree amoco, jackson
- pilot travel center 4560, jackson
- pilot travel center 630, jackson
- racexpress, jackson
- ringgold grocery, grafin
- royal shell, jackson
- stark rd valero 204, jackson
- stark road marathon 206, jackson
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- cvs pharmacy 4531, jackson
- dollar general 18370, jenkinsburg
- dollar general 8322, jackson
- dollar general 15985, jackson
- dollar general 16957, flovilla
- dollar general 25257, jackson
- family dollar 313, jackson
Supermarket · 2
- ingles markets 499, jackson
- jackson piggly wiggly, jackson
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- the carnivore, jackson
Small Grocery Store · 1
- buck creek market, jackson
Super Store · 1
- dollar general market 12018, jackson
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Georgia
Compare Butts County vs Appling County → · All Georgia counties →
Food access nationally, Georgia in context
Butts 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 Butts County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Butts County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Butts County? ▼
Is Butts County a food desert? ▼
What share of Butts 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.