PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · West Virginia

Cabell County, WV

Cabell 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.

8.3%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
16.7%
on SNAP
93K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WV

The food-access picture

8.3% of Cabell County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 29 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
10.4%
households, no vehicle
19.2%
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).

Cabell County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.3% per the USDA Atlas. 6 of the county's 29 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,014 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,886 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 Cabell County compares nationally

Cabell County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.3% low-access share that beats 16% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,623).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Cabell County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 29 census tracts in Cabell County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Cabell County, WV USDA-defined food-access tiers: 23 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 29 tracts evaluated. 23 tracts adequate (79.3%) 5 tracts limited (17.2%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (3.4%) Adequate 79% Limited 17% Severe 3% Food-access tier distribution: Cabell County, WV
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Cabell County vs. other West Virginia counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in West Virginia

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Cabell County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts29
Atlas Population (2010 basis)96,319
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population8,014
Low-Access Share8.3%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,886

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Cabell County
IndicatorValue
Population92,739
Median Household Income$55,832
Poverty Rate19.2%above the national average
SNAP Households6,575
SNAP Participation Rate16.7%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle10.4%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population5.0%
SNAP participation in Cabell County 16.7%

About 16.7% of Cabell County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 8.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 16.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,575 households here.
  • 10.4% 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 Cabell County

near the national share

1 of Cabell County's 29 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 3.4% of all its tracts.

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 8,014 residents, roughly 8.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,886 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 23 tracts (79.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Cabell County

Cabell County has 94 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 47 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 47

  • 5th avenue marathon, huntington
  • 7-eleven 35913a 35913a, barboursville
  • akshar purushottam llc, huntington
  • cheaper cigs #4, huntington
  • clark's pump-n-shop 11, huntington
  • clark's pump-n-shop 24, huntington
  • convenience plus, huntington
  • food mart, huntington
  • go mart 104, huntington
  • go mart 55, milton
  • go mart 59, huntington
  • krish gas llc, huntington
  • little general 5000, ona
  • little general 5060, barboursville
  • little general 5075, barboursville
  • olive street market, huntington
  • par mar store 100, barboursville
  • par mar store 125, huntington
  • par mar store 176, 25705
  • par mar store 198, huntington
  • par mar store 224, huntington
  • par mar store 36, huntington
  • par mar store 37, huntington
  • par mar store 51, salt rock
  • par mar store 54, milton
  • rich oil 3923, huntington
  • rich oil 3966, barboursville
  • rt 2 mini mart, huntington
  • speedway 9033, huntington
  • speedway 9259, huntington
  • speedway 9750, huntington
  • speedway 9765, huntington
  • speedway 9766, huntington
  • speedway 9791, huntington
  • sheetz 419, barboursville
  • sheetz 424, milton
  • sheetz 427, huntington
  • sheetz 547, huntington
  • sheetz 625, huntington
  • sheetz 660, barboursville
  • shree krishna food inc, huntington
  • speedway 9772, huntington
  • sun expre food market 21, huntington
  • super quik 16, barboursville
  • the market at 1650, huntington
  • us gas food mart, huntington
  • zip zone express 14, huntington

Combination Grocery/Other · 30

  • cvs 10566, milton
  • cvs pharmacy 3480, huntington
  • cvs pharmacy 3391, huntington
  • cvs pharmacy 4419, huntington
  • cvs pharmacy 4425, huntington
  • dollar general 1693, barboursville
  • dollar general 18437, barboursville
  • dollartree 8153, huntington
  • dollar general 10251, culloden
  • dollar general 10527, lesage
  • dollar general 10597, ona
  • dollar general 15229, huntington
  • dollar general 24337, salt rock
  • dollar general 30976, huntington
  • dollar general 8072, huntington
  • dollar general 8887, huntington
  • dollar general 916, milton
  • dollar tree 3131, huntington
  • dollar tree 3994, huntington
  • dollar tree 59, barboursville
  • family dollar 11665, barboursville
  • family dollar 12360, barboursville
  • family dollar 12947, huntington
  • family dollar 8310, huntington
  • family dollar store 1401, culloden
  • family dollar store 3757, huntington
  • fruth pharmacy 2, huntington
  • halfway market llc, milton
  • walgreens 11977, barboursville
  • walgreens 950, huntington

Super Store · 8

  • kroger 782, huntington
  • kroger 788, barboursville
  • kroger 792, huntington
  • milton foodfair 3421, milton
  • tower foodfair, barboursville
  • target stores 1478, barboursville
  • walmart supercenter 2244, huntington
  • walmart supercenter 5296, barboursville

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 61021, huntington
  • aldi 61088, barboursville
  • save a lot 113, huntington
  • save-a-lot 111, huntington

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • patriot meat processing, ona
  • the butcher shop, huntington

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • veggies, flowers & more, barboursville

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • salt rock galaxy, salt rock

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • nancy's market, huntington

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in West Virginia

Barbour County
11.4% low-access · 19.5% SNAP
Berkeley County
38.8% low-access · 11.6% SNAP
Boone County
6.6% low-access · 22.0% SNAP
Braxton County
18.3% low-access · 22.0% SNAP
Brooke County
16.9% low-access · 14.1% SNAP
Calhoun County
24.2% low-access · 25.5% SNAP

Compare Cabell County vs Barbour County → · All West Virginia counties →

Food access nationally, West Virginia in context

Cabell County sits inside West Virginia (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Cabell County has low food access? ▼
8.3% of residents in Cabell County, WV live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Cabell County? ▼
16.7% of households in Cabell County receive SNAP, covering 6,575 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Cabell County? ▼
The poverty rate in Cabell County, WV is 19.2%, with a median household income of $55,832 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Cabell County a food desert? ▼
1 of Cabell County's 29 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Cabell County households lack a vehicle? ▼
10.4% of households in Cabell County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.